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scrivvy's review against another edition
5.0
Richard Ford is the master of the short story and this collection is completely absorbing.
tstuppy's review against another edition
5.0
Great stories, enjoyed each of them though they all felt like meditations on the same concepts, like a SESTINA made from Irish, divorce, middle-aged, Maine, real estate, and oil.
sausome's review against another edition
3.0
This was a nice, quiet collection of short stories about, above all things, reflecting on one's life and situation. The book of stories takes us from Louisiana, to Maine, to Chicago, to New York, to Ireland, and all felt very atmospheric and contemplative. Many of the stories weren't particularly happy, but, then again, I suppose life in general is not exactly happy on the whole. There are bumps and hitches along the way, and that is true of this collection as well. I think the overall feel was a bit sad, and left me a bit thoughtful about life in general and the paths it takes, and where that end of the road might be.
camillatralerighe's review against another edition
3.0
2.75.
Bella scrittura, ma diventato rapidamente noioso.
Bella scrittura, ma diventato rapidamente noioso.
carlyspring's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
diane31's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
3.0
Ford has taken a set of tales that get to the heart of the human condition. Each one is well-crafted and addresses different aspects of Americana. However I felt a little short-changed by the fact that these are short stories as several could have been expanded further. Ford is in excellent writer who understands the nuances of life.
tabatha_shipley's review against another edition
3.0
What I Did Like:
-The quiet beauty of the “normal” and mundane. Basically each story in this collection is an average person on an average day doing average things. It’s not their most interesting day. Sometimes they’re not even the most interesting person in the story. The message seems to be even on days like that, your story is worth telling.
-Beautiful language and descriptions.
-The stories are tied together by an overall sense of loss, which was the point. That emotion comes through strongly.
Who Should Read This One:
-Contemporary fans who like their stories to be about normal lives and normal people.
-Short story fans who don’t mind short snapshots of a life.
My Rating: 3 Stars. Not everyone will love this book, but those who fall into the right niche will love it.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/nriNelaqy_M
-The quiet beauty of the “normal” and mundane. Basically each story in this collection is an average person on an average day doing average things. It’s not their most interesting day. Sometimes they’re not even the most interesting person in the story. The message seems to be even on days like that, your story is worth telling.
-Beautiful language and descriptions.
-The stories are tied together by an overall sense of loss, which was the point. That emotion comes through strongly.
Who Should Read This One:
-Contemporary fans who like their stories to be about normal lives and normal people.
-Short story fans who don’t mind short snapshots of a life.
My Rating: 3 Stars. Not everyone will love this book, but those who fall into the right niche will love it.
For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/nriNelaqy_M
greenblack's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mbondlamberty's review against another edition
3.0
I was not going to rate this because I only figured out once I started that this was short stories (actually thought it was just another multiple narrator that would somehow link up but nope, they didn't). However I keep getting notifications asking me to update this so I rated it.
I don't appreciate short stories as they only get me hooked and then leave me high and dry.
However given the events in the last couple of days, even a little distraction was welcome so I finished it. Also appreciated the narrator's Irish accent.
I don't appreciate short stories as they only get me hooked and then leave me high and dry.
However given the events in the last couple of days, even a little distraction was welcome so I finished it. Also appreciated the narrator's Irish accent.