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mars_3_stars's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
drewpypoopy's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rosatibiscotti's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jacobpdxreads's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rcaudf's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Interesting critique on communities.
lysippos's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
geoffreylittle's review
5.0
This book comes out on the publish date of Monday, July 31, 2023, ad I understand.
was so pleased with Disruptions. I have been reading Stephen Millhauser since his 1997 Pulitzer Prize winning Martin Dressler novel.
But if you know Millhauser’s work, you know he succeeds most fully in the short story format. Disruptions is a master deck of brief, odd universes. I am so pleased with the variety of settings here, as well as the trademark MillHauser intricacies of the worlds he creates.
The author has never been as obsessive as he is in the MUST-read “Summer of Ladders” (my fave of the collection). His story of miniatures, “The Little People” is a deeply disturbed, wildly wrought love story between the land of giants and the hearts of tiny fairy men and women.
I heartily commend this collection. It is about half new stories, and about half previously published elsewhere.
Special things to Net Galley for the early access to this title, in exchange, for an honest, unbiased review.
I will be purchasing my own copy of this book. I am thrilled with it.
was so pleased with Disruptions. I have been reading Stephen Millhauser since his 1997 Pulitzer Prize winning Martin Dressler novel.
But if you know Millhauser’s work, you know he succeeds most fully in the short story format. Disruptions is a master deck of brief, odd universes. I am so pleased with the variety of settings here, as well as the trademark MillHauser intricacies of the worlds he creates.
The author has never been as obsessive as he is in the MUST-read “Summer of Ladders” (my fave of the collection). His story of miniatures, “The Little People” is a deeply disturbed, wildly wrought love story between the land of giants and the hearts of tiny fairy men and women.
I heartily commend this collection. It is about half new stories, and about half previously published elsewhere.
Special things to Net Galley for the early access to this title, in exchange, for an honest, unbiased review.
I will be purchasing my own copy of this book. I am thrilled with it.
beefmaster's review
4.25
For my own memory, a story-by-story review:
I
1) "One Summer Night"
Surprisingly realist and normal for the collection, considering the cover and title. A young man has an extended night time hangout with his girlfriend's mother. 3/5
2) "After the Beheading"
The first of the "weird thing about this small town" stories. A small town erects a guillotine and then beheads a criminal and they all have weird feelings about it. Millhauser is great at thinking through a premise. 3.5/5
3) "Guided Tour"
A very clever and funny story written as a single monologue by own character. Pied Piper is the key. The first of the "fake product/company" stories which reminded me a lot of George Saunders. 4.5/5
4) "Late"
A man waits for his perpetually late girlfriend. Funny and wry and again, thinks through the premise all the way. Impressed by the way he makes a story about waiting not boring and not confrontational (eg. Beckett). 4/5
II
5) "The Little People"
Probably the benchmark of the "weird thing about this small town" type. A town has a smaller town, filled with people about two to three inches high and they are normal Americans living normal American lives. Millhauser thinks through the premise all the way, considers how this would affect the town logistically, politically, emotionally, physically. 4.5/5
III
6) "Theater of Shadows"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town become obsessed with a shadow puppeteer and make their entire lives about it. Odd that it would come right after "The Little People," causing a bit of feeling of same-ness to the collection. But it's still a good story. Also includes "fake product/company" so double whammy. 4/5
7) "The Fight"
An okay slice-of-life story about a fist fight in the late 50s between schoolboys. Fine. Nothing exciting. Good prose makes an okay premise go far. 3.5/5
8) "A Haunted House Story"
Ehhhh maybe the worst story? Some schoolboys go into an abandoned house and the narrator relates all the weird objects/decor in the house. The author steps out of his comfort zone and doesn't quite know how to affect the reader. 2/5
9) "The Summer of Ladders"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town gets really into ladders and people fall. Funny but doesn't have the zing the other ones have. There's a better one coming up. 3.5/5
IV
10) "The Circle of Punishment"
Possibly the most non-realist story of them all. A monologue delivered by a court-appointed punisher to a criminal about to endure a punishment. Intellectually fascinating and propulsive (despite the utter lack of plot). One of my favs. 5/5
11) "Green"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town gets really into removing green/nature from their lives and then really gets into creating more and more green. Almost horror. My second fav of this type in the collection, despite its slow, stuttering start. 4.75/5
12) "Thank You for Your Patience"
A woman on hold delivers a monologue about waiting. Not a fav. 2.5/5
13) "A Tired Town"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town gets really sleepy. Then the narrator experiences an epiphany (the Joyce kind). Okay, nothing exciting. 3.5/5
V
14) "Kafka in High School, 1959"
A slice-of-life portrait of an average high school kid in 1959 America, but who happens to be Kafka. A fascinating way of destabilizing perceptions of normalcy and biography. A bit too long. 4/5
VI
15) "A Common Predicament"
As of this moment, I do not remember anything about this story.
16) "The Change"
A surprisingly violent story that reminded me a lot, both in tone and execution, JCO. But without her wild sense of imagination. 2.5/5
17) "He Takes, She Takes"
A single page of puns. 2.5/5
18) "The Column Dwellers of Our Town"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town has giant columns where people go to sit, perched above, but silent and disconnected from life, Buddha-style. My fav of the type from this collection. The vignettes of various townsfolk who ascend the columns were great. 4.75/5
I
1) "One Summer Night"
Surprisingly realist and normal for the collection, considering the cover and title. A young man has an extended night time hangout with his girlfriend's mother. 3/5
2) "After the Beheading"
The first of the "weird thing about this small town" stories. A small town erects a guillotine and then beheads a criminal and they all have weird feelings about it. Millhauser is great at thinking through a premise. 3.5/5
3) "Guided Tour"
A very clever and funny story written as a single monologue by own character. Pied Piper is the key. The first of the "fake product/company" stories which reminded me a lot of George Saunders. 4.5/5
4) "Late"
A man waits for his perpetually late girlfriend. Funny and wry and again, thinks through the premise all the way. Impressed by the way he makes a story about waiting not boring and not confrontational (eg. Beckett). 4/5
II
5) "The Little People"
Probably the benchmark of the "weird thing about this small town" type. A town has a smaller town, filled with people about two to three inches high and they are normal Americans living normal American lives. Millhauser thinks through the premise all the way, considers how this would affect the town logistically, politically, emotionally, physically. 4.5/5
III
6) "Theater of Shadows"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town become obsessed with a shadow puppeteer and make their entire lives about it. Odd that it would come right after "The Little People," causing a bit of feeling of same-ness to the collection. But it's still a good story. Also includes "fake product/company" so double whammy. 4/5
7) "The Fight"
An okay slice-of-life story about a fist fight in the late 50s between schoolboys. Fine. Nothing exciting. Good prose makes an okay premise go far. 3.5/5
8) "A Haunted House Story"
Ehhhh maybe the worst story? Some schoolboys go into an abandoned house and the narrator relates all the weird objects/decor in the house. The author steps out of his comfort zone and doesn't quite know how to affect the reader. 2/5
9) "The Summer of Ladders"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town gets really into ladders and people fall. Funny but doesn't have the zing the other ones have. There's a better one coming up. 3.5/5
IV
10) "The Circle of Punishment"
Possibly the most non-realist story of them all. A monologue delivered by a court-appointed punisher to a criminal about to endure a punishment. Intellectually fascinating and propulsive (despite the utter lack of plot). One of my favs. 5/5
11) "Green"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town gets really into removing green/nature from their lives and then really gets into creating more and more green. Almost horror. My second fav of this type in the collection, despite its slow, stuttering start. 4.75/5
12) "Thank You for Your Patience"
A woman on hold delivers a monologue about waiting. Not a fav. 2.5/5
13) "A Tired Town"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town gets really sleepy. Then the narrator experiences an epiphany (the Joyce kind). Okay, nothing exciting. 3.5/5
V
14) "Kafka in High School, 1959"
A slice-of-life portrait of an average high school kid in 1959 America, but who happens to be Kafka. A fascinating way of destabilizing perceptions of normalcy and biography. A bit too long. 4/5
VI
15) "A Common Predicament"
As of this moment, I do not remember anything about this story.
16) "The Change"
A surprisingly violent story that reminded me a lot, both in tone and execution, JCO. But without her wild sense of imagination. 2.5/5
17) "He Takes, She Takes"
A single page of puns. 2.5/5
18) "The Column Dwellers of Our Town"
Another "weird thing about this small town" story. The town has giant columns where people go to sit, perched above, but silent and disconnected from life, Buddha-style. My fav of the type from this collection. The vignettes of various townsfolk who ascend the columns were great. 4.75/5
mikaelaball's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault