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literatehedgehog's review
4.0
Prepare for sentiment.
First given to me by the most amazing of poetry/interarts/life mentors (holler for Clare), Grace Paley changed my opinion of short stories. I had enjoyed them before, but only read them in classes, favoring novels for more "serious" reading. She knocks my boots off as no one else did nor ever will again.
Let not her spare words trick you!
First given to me by the most amazing of poetry/interarts/life mentors (holler for Clare), Grace Paley changed my opinion of short stories. I had enjoyed them before, but only read them in classes, favoring novels for more "serious" reading. She knocks my boots off as no one else did nor ever will again.
Let not her spare words trick you!
k_thompson's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
kitabe_bohot_si's review against another edition
1.0
dnf
moral of the story- never pick up short stories or books just because you like the cover
moral of the story- never pick up short stories or books just because you like the cover
toffishay's review
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The stories in this collection explore themes of death and destruction, isolation and community, family, womanhood, motherhood, life for immigrants and those experiences poverty in mid-century America, poetry and music. The style of writing is very beautiful; it feels in a similar vein to Ursula K. Le Guin (especially her work that isn't as science fiction), Edith Wharton, Shirley Jackson, and Toni Morrison a little. The stories really feel like you are plopped right into the middle of people's lives. My favorite stories were "Faith in the Afternoon", "Living", "Faith in a Tree", "A Conversation with My Father", and "The Immigrant Story"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, War, Violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Child death, Racism, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
Minor: Miscarriage, Fatphobia, Abortion, and Sexual content
janson's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Pockmarked. A bit too so for me, now.
veelaughtland's review
2.0
This collection wasn't really for me. There were some stories that I enjoyed more than others (Wants, Faith in a Tree, A Conversation with My Father, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute), but I'm not entirely sure those will even stay with me much longer. Although I can tell Grace Paley was a talented and accomplished writer, her style is just not my thing. I found most of the stories quite hard to follow, frequently losing my train of thought, and I'm not particularly a fan of stories in general that are incredibly heavy on the dialogue and less so on plot. I'm glad I read it though as it was definitely something different!
kitabe_bohot_si's review against another edition
1.0
dnf
moral of the story- never pick up short stories or books just because you like the cover
moral of the story- never pick up short stories or books just because you like the cover