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Reviewed by Doreen Chombu for Readers' Favorite
Going Outside by Robert Levin is a collection of short stories, thoughts on random topics, and jazz music stories. The stories range from comical to twisted and gruesome tales. The book lets you dive into the mind of a man who wants to sleep with a large woman, another who is obsessed with a woman who loves danger, and a man whose fear of commitment turns into a desire to kill. Readers will enjoy reading these stories. The author also comments on random topics like the conflict in the Middle East, aging, Schindler's List, religion, fans, and critics, and covers many more issues. Last, he talks about the origin of jazz music and its musicians. He mentions Free Jazz pioneers like Cecil Taylor, Sunny Murray, and Jimmy Lyons.
Going Outside has a wealth of information. Reading it feels like reading many books at once. I loved this because it shows Robert Levin’s creativity and a broad range of writing. The stories have a consistent theme of death, mortality, and life having an expiry date. The author covers critical issues about mental health, childhood trauma, abortion, and religion. The fusion of these issues with his casual conversational style made the book an enjoyable read. The rant to the reviewer who criticized his Dog Days story was hilarious yet honest. He talks about the spiritual elements of jazz music and its value with great passion. The collection is well-written with a consistent format and because of its many topics, everyone will find something to relate to.
