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lsparrow's review against another edition
1.0
A book of short stories. Although I loved the familiar Canadian settings I found the writing to scattered for me to really enjoy and ultimately none of the characters stayed with me once I turned the page.
lisalikesdogs's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked this book and read it more slowly than I'd have liked. Highlights: Lovers With the Intensity I'm Talking About, The Challenges and Rewards of Re-entering the Workforce, Skywalk.
ldv's review against another edition
3.0
Not your high school short stories! A few are "normal" but others turn the genre on its head. I like the final one, and the Santa story best. Others made me wonder what was going on.
michael_taylor's review against another edition
2.0
Something for Everyone taught me a few things about my preferences in literature. I finished the first story, didn't much care for it and then looked on the back of the book where it described Lisa Moore as a celebrated stylist. Not totally sure what a it meant to be a stylist writer, I looked it up. Stylist basically means an author with a distinct or unique style of note. This made sense to me and helped to prepare me for the remainder of the book.
I try to seek out different styles of writing by unique voices. I can't complain about this book in that regard. It's certainly unique. Almost every short story in this collection has one or two ideas or images that are really strong, or compelling that get completely buried under a style that is maddening.
A story will frequently start out small and intimate with one or two characters being the focus of the story. As the story goes on, those characters will start internalizing events that involve other characters. Then the story will switch to follow those side characters. And throughout all of this, there is no punctuation when two people speak to each other. For the whole book. So you'll be on a side character story thinking about something that may (or may not) relate to the main characters story and then it'll jump back into the main story and you'll have no idea where you are or what is happening. Worse, you won't care much to put in the effort to follow what is happening.
There are a few times when the style works in the books favor but those moments are too few and too far between.
After I had finished it, I sat down to write out my preference of the stories. There are ten stories and I couldn't remember more than four. You could argue that I didn't put in the effort and try to meet the book in the middle, but with an engaging book, it should come to you.
I try to seek out different styles of writing by unique voices. I can't complain about this book in that regard. It's certainly unique. Almost every short story in this collection has one or two ideas or images that are really strong, or compelling that get completely buried under a style that is maddening.
A story will frequently start out small and intimate with one or two characters being the focus of the story. As the story goes on, those characters will start internalizing events that involve other characters. Then the story will switch to follow those side characters. And throughout all of this, there is no punctuation when two people speak to each other. For the whole book. So you'll be on a side character story thinking about something that may (or may not) relate to the main characters story and then it'll jump back into the main story and you'll have no idea where you are or what is happening. Worse, you won't care much to put in the effort to follow what is happening.
There are a few times when the style works in the books favor but those moments are too few and too far between.
After I had finished it, I sat down to write out my preference of the stories. There are ten stories and I couldn't remember more than four. You could argue that I didn't put in the effort and try to meet the book in the middle, but with an engaging book, it should come to you.
ambyreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
krwilson's review against another edition
5.0
Lisa Moore's story collection SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE is the first of her books I've read, and I'm plainly late to the party. Her circuitous narratives drew me in with their high-def depictions of artfully chosen moments in their characters' lives.
ldv's review
3.0
Not your high school short stories! A few are "normal" but others turn the genre on its head. I like the final one, and the Santa story best. Others made me wonder what was going on.
dylancampbell's review
3.0
Sadly, Something for Everyone suffers from inconsistency to the same degree that nearly every collection of short stories suffers. There are some really great stories in this collection but there are just as many that fall flat.
I think Moore's biggest challenge is that she sometimes attempts too much with too little and misses as a result. There certainly are some unique stories that turn the form on its head but there are others that attempt grandeur and shirk their responsibilities.
Collections are always challenging to judge.
I think Moore's biggest challenge is that she sometimes attempts too much with too little and misses as a result. There certainly are some unique stories that turn the form on its head but there are others that attempt grandeur and shirk their responsibilities.
Collections are always challenging to judge.
penny_literaryhoarders's review
3.0
More like 2.5 stars for me? Once again, the quirky and eclectic nature of the Giller Prize judges are showing through with the selection of this story collection for the Longlist (as was Zolitude for me).
I, obviously now that I've read two of the story collections from the 2018 Longlist, prefer a more traditionally told short story. While these weren't as "out there" as Zolitude's, many would slip down that tunnel of strangeness for me. I felt some of the stories repeated themselves too. Some started out strongly for me, and I would smile or laugh out loud, but then they would oddly flit from one thought to a very different thought within that particular story.
I hope the rest of my planned Giller reading proves to be a more enjoyable experience. And perhaps I'll wait until the shortlist is released before picking up another one. At the start of this year, I read a GG finalist collection, [b:All the Beloved Ghosts|30038823|All the Beloved Ghosts|Alison MacLeod|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489082139s/30038823.jpg|50443061] and thoroughly enjoyed that one, definitely over these past two I've just finished reading.
I, obviously now that I've read two of the story collections from the 2018 Longlist, prefer a more traditionally told short story. While these weren't as "out there" as Zolitude's, many would slip down that tunnel of strangeness for me. I felt some of the stories repeated themselves too. Some started out strongly for me, and I would smile or laugh out loud, but then they would oddly flit from one thought to a very different thought within that particular story.
I hope the rest of my planned Giller reading proves to be a more enjoyable experience. And perhaps I'll wait until the shortlist is released before picking up another one. At the start of this year, I read a GG finalist collection, [b:All the Beloved Ghosts|30038823|All the Beloved Ghosts|Alison MacLeod|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489082139s/30038823.jpg|50443061] and thoroughly enjoyed that one, definitely over these past two I've just finished reading.
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