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pattydsf's review
3.0
It is so hard to quote from a book of short stories. If the collection is good, as this one is, then how do you pick which story to quote? On top of that, I listened to these tales and so how do I actually write down anything that I enjoyed? For me part of the enjoyment of audiobooks is the narrator and I can’t capture that here.
Lee Smith is a writer I might not have ever discovered if I had stayed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or any of the other states I lived in before Virginia. I am not saying that she is not known outside of the south. I just had more incentive to read her stories once I moved to Virginia.
First of all, I got to hear Smith speak several times. There is a real joy to meeting writers. With all the writers I have met, I have gotten to make good connections to them and their work. Smith spoke at a local college and at least one library association meeting where I was in attendance.
Secondly, Smith is from Grundy, Virginia. So in my quest to learn about my new home state, I kept encountering her work, her stories about this commonwealth. Then, because of those two factors, I learned that Smith really knows how to tell a story. She has taken me from a river boat trip to Appalachia to a mental hospital and to many humorous family events. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by Lee Smith.
That includes this book of stories. Some of them I was encountering for the second time since this is a collection of old and new stories. Some of them were better than others. I really was glad to hear both Toastmaster and House Tour. Although I would recommend Smith’s novels to someone who had never read Smith before, these stories were entertaining.
If you haven’t tried Smith before, I recommend Oral History and Fair and Tender Ladies. If you like short stories or want to encounter a different side of Ms Smith, then try a few of these.
Lee Smith is a writer I might not have ever discovered if I had stayed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or any of the other states I lived in before Virginia. I am not saying that she is not known outside of the south. I just had more incentive to read her stories once I moved to Virginia.
First of all, I got to hear Smith speak several times. There is a real joy to meeting writers. With all the writers I have met, I have gotten to make good connections to them and their work. Smith spoke at a local college and at least one library association meeting where I was in attendance.
Secondly, Smith is from Grundy, Virginia. So in my quest to learn about my new home state, I kept encountering her work, her stories about this commonwealth. Then, because of those two factors, I learned that Smith really knows how to tell a story. She has taken me from a river boat trip to Appalachia to a mental hospital and to many humorous family events. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by Lee Smith.
That includes this book of stories. Some of them I was encountering for the second time since this is a collection of old and new stories. Some of them were better than others. I really was glad to hear both Toastmaster and House Tour. Although I would recommend Smith’s novels to someone who had never read Smith before, these stories were entertaining.
If you haven’t tried Smith before, I recommend Oral History and Fair and Tender Ladies. If you like short stories or want to encounter a different side of Ms Smith, then try a few of these.
mikolee's review
3.0
Some delightful short stories from the South. A range of sweet likable characters. I was particularly struck by the awkward bullied 8 year old boy who finds his talent with standup comedy. Spoiler alert: I found myself retelling the entire story to my girls just to get to his punch line "So a dyslexic guy walks into a bra." Other stories showed pathos, loneliness and there seemed to a thread about high school and how different life turns out. I'm usually not a fan of the short story genre, but I liked these.
lesbegays's review
3.0
In this collection of fourteen short stories, there were only four or five I did not like. Lee Smith writes simply and elegantly, all other elements of style changing in each story to fit the narrating characters, which covered a wide range. While I didn't love this book, it was really enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who likes short stories.
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