Rating: 
Summary: I regret having loaned it out...
Review: ...because now I'll never see it again. Stated simply, this is a work of art. The stories are inspired, and the characters are handled with such compassion and subtle understanding that it is difficult to believe that this is Canin's first published work. I agree with the critics that it is also his best. Having read _Of Kings and Planets_ recently, I feel that his artistic integrity may be suffering the pressure of compromise coming from his book deal, but it may also be that his subject matter is exhausted. I thought that _Blue River_ was all right, though it was certainly outshined by this gem. I agree with the other reviewers that "We are Nighttime Travellers" and "Star Food" are the kind of stories that stop time dead in its tracks. If he never writes a good book again, Canin should still be regarded as an exceptional success.
Rating: 
Summary: A triumph of style
Review: Canin's prose is very natural, sparse and elegant simultaneusly. Because of that, if he can continue to produce he will likely be read for a long time. As far as the substance of his stories . . . At times I did feel that he was overreaching-the title story was not my favorite. However, I enjoyed and gained (I feel) from all of them. "Where We Are Now" is an honest study on the lost dreams of a midwestern couple in LA. I also very much liked "The Year of Getting to Know Us," about a man revisitng his distant relationship with his dying father. I am impressed with Canin's ability to shift from 1st to 3rd person and back, and with the exception of "Pitch Memory," create interesting, authentic characters. I think he is a very talented writer, talented enough to forgo cuteness and pretension. As far as criticsm, there is a sense of repitition reading the stories, as all of the main characters are essentially dreamers. But the book *is* called "Emporer of the Air," and I think that the stories are different enough, reflecting crises at adolesence, early adulthood and old age, that they read and feel distinct. One story is about an older brother leaving home, another a dying old man emotionally estranged from his physically present wife, and another is about an old man who longs for something to care for. The stories may be too subtle for some, and parts may displease others for opposite reasons. Ultimately, though, it is telling that Walker Percy gave "Emporer of the Air" his endorsement, as it is at times similarly magical to Percy's "Moviegoer."
Rating:
Summary: How can you not like this book?
Review: Contemporary fiction is full of it. Writers like Delillo and Proulx are considered avant-garde for their "innovative" postmodern symbols and "stylish" metaphors. Readers are duped by the sparkling reviews and consider themselves inferior to the so-called elitists. Ethan Canin is the exception. His prose is sparing, but each word speaks a sentence. Read the story about a child stowing away in his father's car and listens as he commits adultery in the backseat and you'll cry. If you enjoyed the minimalist prose of Carver, you'll fall in love with Canin's stories. We need more writers like Canin who pay attention to the vicissitudes of human relationships. They will never go out of style. But post-modernism will.
Rating:
Summary: This book includes my favorite short story of all time
Review: Ethan Canin wrote these when absurdly young, in his early to mid- 20s, I think. In spite of his youth, this extraordinary collection of short stories is indispensable for those interested in short fiction. It includes "We are Nighttime Travelers," which I've probably read ten times and still marvel at the grace and nuance
Rating:
Summary: I recommend this to anyone who loves the short story form.
Review: Not as memorable as "The Palace Thief" but still a lush mosaic of contemporary lives. Very easy reading that is perfect for bedtime reading. Ethan Canin is a much better short story writer than he is a novelist. Don't waste your time on "Blue River" another good short story that he turned into 200 pages. Instead read the condensed and richer versions here. I do encourage you to read this volume "Emperor of the Air". I found it most enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: this is why I don't read many modren works
Review: Sentimental and uninteresting. Ethan Canin seems to think that the same kind of character is interesting over and over. And I hear this book was a best seller--no wonder nobody reads good books anymore when this is offered as great literary fiction.
Rating:
Summary: LITERATURE LITE: ALL THE BIG WORDS, NONE OF THE SUBSTANCE
Review: This book is the literary equivalent of paint-by-numbers. You know how when you see a comedian totally bombing on stage, all of his jokes eliciting only stony, derisive silence, and you yourself actually start feeling embarrassed for him? That's exactly how I felt as I read this book - I was embarrassed for the author. Canin takes no chances in any of these stultifyingly dull stories, stooping instead to crass emotional button-pushing and Hallmark card sentimentality. It's actually a staggering accomplishment that Canin could put this many words to paper without at least accidentally coming up with an interesting turn of phrase or substantial insight. Obviously written with an eye toward publication, mass-market success, and tv movie script adaptation, this is the most mediocre, Establishment-pandering book I've ever read. The thing that sets it above and beyond most bad books is that while Canin can obviously write, he's got absolutely nothing to say. I mean, most people have at least one good story in them, you know?
Despite (or because of) all that I give "Emperor of the Air" five stars. I firmly believe everyone should read this book as an example of what not to do when writing a book.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite rendering of dialogue
Review: This book was literary star Ethan Canin's first, a collection of short stories. I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but I'm a Canin fan, so I read it, and I'm glad I did. He's able to find compassion, loveliness, and surprise in the everyday lives of people. In the tale "We Are Nighttime Travelers," a retired couple rediscovers their love for each other, and in "Star Food," a boy protects the identity of someone stealing groceries from his parents' store. His writing is straightforward but exquisite and should have a wider appreciation among the reading audience.
Emperor of the Air was written during Canin's years as a medical student in Boston, reminding me of parallels with another boy wonder, Daniel Mason, who likewise wrote a dense and mesmerizing novel (The Piano Tuner) while he was in medical school in San Francisco. That it's possible to write like this while fellow classmates are struggling just to keep from flunking out just stuns me.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Wonderful
Review: This is one book that by some stroke of luck I plucked from the shelf at the library. I am a fan of short stories, and usually favor simple ones, Raymond Carver comes to mind. The stories in this collection were poignant, heart-warming tales of family and love. I had never heard of this author before finding this book, but I will certainly look for something else that he has written.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Brilliant
Review: This is one of the richest collections of short stories I've ever read. The author's sparse yet deep writing style kept the pages turning. I highly recommend this book.
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