Scan barcode
readingthroughthelists's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I received The Complete Stories as a Christmas gift this year, sparking my now months-long obsession with reading all the Flannery O’Connor I can get my hands on.
The Complete Stories is a powerful body of work: while each story contains similarities in theme, setting, or character type, (or is clearly an early prototype for her two novels), each remains unique and interesting. I am already excited to go back and read them again.
Favorites:
“Good Country People”
“The Displaced Person”
“The Partridge Festival”
“Revelation”
“A Good Man is Hard to Find”
“The Enduring Chill”
The Complete Stories is a powerful body of work: while each story contains similarities in theme, setting, or character type, (or is clearly an early prototype for her two novels), each remains unique and interesting. I am already excited to go back and read them again.
Favorites:
“Good Country People”
“The Displaced Person”
“The Partridge Festival”
“Revelation”
“A Good Man is Hard to Find”
“The Enduring Chill”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
aliciagriggs's review
3.0
Nearly a year later (started May 2022) I've finally finished it!!! And I feel ecstatic because I nearly gave up on this book many times. I am also so surprised that I rated in 3 stars because for most of my time reading this, it was going to be 1 star; I couldn't stand it! But I persisted and I'm glad I did because about half way through, things perked up and some of the stories were okay, good, or very good. Here were the ones I liked:
•"The Artificial Nigger" (she uses this word a lot throughout, which takes some getting used to). My interested increases a bit with this one.
•"Good country people". One of my faves.
•"You can't be poorer than dead". Okay, liked the ending.
•"A view of the wood". Good; interesting and surprising.
•"The Enduring Chill". Good; thought- provoking.
•"The Comforts of Home". Very good.
•"Everything that rises must converge". Good. I liked the ending.
•"The Partridge Festival". Good; amusing.
•"The Lame shall enter first" very good; my favourite to the point where I said, "woah, that was good".
•"Revelation" mix of good and okay; interesting but didn't really get the ending.
•"Parker's Back" good.
Overall, I'm surprised that I finished this book because the first half did absolutely nothing for me; I really disliked it. However, the second half redeemed the book and though there were plenty I didn't like, there was also enough to keep me going and to warrant a surprising 3 star.
•"The Artificial Nigger" (she uses this word a lot throughout, which takes some getting used to). My interested increases a bit with this one.
•"Good country people". One of my faves.
•"You can't be poorer than dead". Okay, liked the ending.
•"A view of the wood". Good; interesting and surprising.
•"The Enduring Chill". Good; thought- provoking.
•"The Comforts of Home". Very good.
•"Everything that rises must converge". Good. I liked the ending.
•"The Partridge Festival". Good; amusing.
•"The Lame shall enter first" very good; my favourite to the point where I said, "woah, that was good".
•"Revelation" mix of good and okay; interesting but didn't really get the ending.
•"Parker's Back" good.
Overall, I'm surprised that I finished this book because the first half did absolutely nothing for me; I really disliked it. However, the second half redeemed the book and though there were plenty I didn't like, there was also enough to keep me going and to warrant a surprising 3 star.
ericfheiman's review
4.0
How did anyone think it was a good idea to have middle or high school students read “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”? It’s by far the most terrifying (and terrifyingly good—pun intended) story I’ve ever read.
Sometimes the completist urge can dilute an artists' body of work (especially posthumously) and that’s exactly what knocks this down from being a complete five-star classic. But the good stuff is here is inimitably great, so still highly recommended.
Sometimes the completist urge can dilute an artists' body of work (especially posthumously) and that’s exactly what knocks this down from being a complete five-star classic. But the good stuff is here is inimitably great, so still highly recommended.
aidanhotte's review against another edition
Read 5 stories for class. Very well-written, but some of the lessons are dubious owing to O’Connor’s own prejudices. An important read to understand the changing American south during integration, nonetheless.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism and Racial slurs
richardwells's review
5.0
I've been hearing about O'Connor for years, mostly from literate Catholics. I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. It's about an author with perfect pitch, and stories that don't let you go. She's been called Southern Gothic - I don't know what that means. These are stories about the people you drive passed on the way to the lake, and about the everyday strange lives they lead. I've got Wise Blood on hold at the library. Saw the movie and was astounded. After these stories I'm doubly looking forward to the book.
staciek3's review
2.0
I may not have reached the good short stories in here, but I just don't see getting there anytime this year. It is not going to happen, simply because I've not been enjoying these stories, and have so many other books on my shelves, nothing against Flannery.
sheltoneezer's review
dark
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
taxideadaisy's review against another edition
2.0
Depressing, dreary, creepy, but educational... a lot of people love her work so good to be exposed to it....
maryehavens's review
5.0
What is the most horrific emotion you can experience? Helplessness? Pity? Foolishness? Hopelessness? O'Connor describes all of these emotions throughout her complete stories.
I didn't know what Southern Gothic really was until I read 500 pages of it. Now I know. And it's that stomach-churning, squirmy feeling you get when you watch someone making terrible mistakes and repeating the same pattern, fruitlessly, because they are trapped in circumstance/behavior or just sheer stupidity.
Her stories are rife with racism, social and economic depression, and just about all the nasty sides of human behavior. All her intellectuals are mean and nihilistic, mostly towards their own mothers. All the mothers are shrews that hen-peck their sons and tenant farmers while gossiping about their neighbors and trying to jockey for a feeling of self-importance. All the neighbors are also striving for their place in the world while stepping on the necks of everyone else around them. Everyone is kind of swirling around in this big ball of the South, with nothing and everything to do.
Now, after reading that, you probably think: this sucked. It did not, at all. Each story goes in a direction I would not necessarily have predicted. But the journey getting there is one of the hardest train wrecks I've had to witness.
If you are interested in O'Connor's work, I recommend starting with a smaller short story collection, perhaps "A Good Man is Hard to Find." No reason to flog yourself throughout the whole thing like I did :)
I didn't know what Southern Gothic really was until I read 500 pages of it. Now I know. And it's that stomach-churning, squirmy feeling you get when you watch someone making terrible mistakes and repeating the same pattern, fruitlessly, because they are trapped in circumstance/behavior or just sheer stupidity.
Her stories are rife with racism, social and economic depression, and just about all the nasty sides of human behavior. All her intellectuals are mean and nihilistic, mostly towards their own mothers. All the mothers are shrews that hen-peck their sons and tenant farmers while gossiping about their neighbors and trying to jockey for a feeling of self-importance. All the neighbors are also striving for their place in the world while stepping on the necks of everyone else around them. Everyone is kind of swirling around in this big ball of the South, with nothing and everything to do.
Now, after reading that, you probably think: this sucked. It did not, at all. Each story goes in a direction I would not necessarily have predicted. But the journey getting there is one of the hardest train wrecks I've had to witness.
If you are interested in O'Connor's work, I recommend starting with a smaller short story collection, perhaps "A Good Man is Hard to Find." No reason to flog yourself throughout the whole thing like I did :)