These stories, all linked together by problematic substance abuse, illustrate the different types of people (of all shades and types) that fall into them. Overall, it was a poignant and interesting assembly of stories that reach far and wide and penetrate into these people's lives and their vices. A good read, and for those who like short stories and American literature I suggest giving it a whirl.

3.5 stars. ( )

The title of this collection comes from a quote "from a rehab video." The common thread of these stories is addiction. Drink, drugs, power. The characters are beyond fun, but have plenty of problems.

The stories are insightful, moving, and well-written. But almost never fun. ( )

http://legalmamareviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/fun-with-problems-by-robert-stone.h... ( )

The stories in Robert Stone's newest collection, aptly titled Fun with Problems, run the gamut from west coast to east coast, from the drug-addled dregs of society to the troubled lives of dot-com millionaires. Stone's characters are equally at home listening to Mahler and alluding to Shakespeare as they are prone to drug-induced misbehavior and drunken rages. Lucy, the impulsive, self-destructive protagonist of High Wire, one of the strongest stories in the collection, could be speaking for all of Stone's characters when she describes herself as "in difficulty."

Stone's style is unrelentingly raw and testosterone-pumped. While potentially off-putting to some, I found Stone's writing to be refreshingly different from the norm, if occasionally overindulgent. Some of Stone's meltdown scenes—and there are many of them—stretch credulity (would the Secretary of Defense really lose his mind over a disparaging comment?). But, for the most part, Stone powerfully portrays humanity at its nadir. Certainly, these are not uplifting or hopeful stories. Rather, they seek to shed light on our darkest instincts and desires, and, on this point, they succeed magnificently.

This review also appears on my blog Literary License. ( )

http://news.shelf-awareness.com/msgget.jsp?mid=3585494 ( )