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oliviarose_xox's review
dark
emotional
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
4.0
muffinworm's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
areadingstan's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
3.0
ebonyh's review against another edition
3.0
"Life and the seasons are so implacable, aren't they? They are here today and gone tomorrow, it's so splendid and heartless!"
Having heard much about but never read Djuna Barnes, I figured it could be cool to sample her work with this little book that can be finished in an hour. As short stories, the three collected here didn't do much for me. They suffered from being first-person diary entries. Too easily, we can see how the author used these stories as a vehicle for her own thoughts and feelings instead of creating first-person characters and situations that could make their delivery a little more interesting. Yet, for those very reasons, it was interesting to see Barnes' early attempts at transitioning from journalism to fiction, and it's easy to see her strengths as a writer. I loved her uniquely precise character descriptions! And scattered throughout the stories are many delightful turns of phrase and intriguing ideas that must have seemed all the more provocative when Barnes first wrote and presented them nearly 100 years ago.
"...she has a water-watching look, and she smiles all funny and inter-woven and quiet."
"I am neither going to give myself into the hands of some good man, and become a mother, nor am I going to go out into the world and become a wanton. I am going to run away and become a boy."
Having heard much about but never read Djuna Barnes, I figured it could be cool to sample her work with this little book that can be finished in an hour. As short stories, the three collected here didn't do much for me. They suffered from being first-person diary entries. Too easily, we can see how the author used these stories as a vehicle for her own thoughts and feelings instead of creating first-person characters and situations that could make their delivery a little more interesting. Yet, for those very reasons, it was interesting to see Barnes' early attempts at transitioning from journalism to fiction, and it's easy to see her strengths as a writer. I loved her uniquely precise character descriptions! And scattered throughout the stories are many delightful turns of phrase and intriguing ideas that must have seemed all the more provocative when Barnes first wrote and presented them nearly 100 years ago.
"...she has a water-watching look, and she smiles all funny and inter-woven and quiet."
"I am neither going to give myself into the hands of some good man, and become a mother, nor am I going to go out into the world and become a wanton. I am going to run away and become a boy."
suspendedinair's review against another edition
5.0
these three itty bitty stories made me grateful that adolescence is a thing of my past. it's funny and not at all what i'd expect from the author of nightwood.
nosaltres_les's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shobnob's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
henrywintermigraines's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
solitaireintherenaissance's review against another edition
1.0
⭐️ star
‘I have succeeded in becoming subterranean. I have done something delightfully underhand. I bribed the butler to give a note to Don Pasos Dilemma, and I’ve frightened the groom into placing at my disposal a saddled horse. And I have a silver handled whip under my bed. God help all men!’ (The Diary of a Dangerous Child)
typically with a collection of stories i rate the stories seperately, but these honestly are so short and lacking in substance even with the space they take up they’re isn’t a lot to say about the writing, characters, plot, etc.
what i expected:
a fun little collection of stories, written by an obscure author in the 1920’s who is likened by those who have heard of her as ‘20th century sappho’ (<- disagree)
expected them to be a little outdated and not the most mind blowing but still, kinda fun and a nice little way to fill some time and experiment with my reading material.
what i got:
a book that’s dull, outdated & barely comprehensible with weirdly written themes of gender & pedophilia (that this book disgustingly considers a form of sexual liberation). it’s under 50 pages but feels double that, it’s one of those classic adult-doesn’t-know-how-to-write-a-teenage-character examples and lacked any ability to have further purpose or nuance than inked words on a page.
‘Hurrah, I love danger!’
But nobody understood me.
I am to be put to bed on bread and milk.
Never mind, my room in which I sleep overlooks the garden.’ (The Diary of a Dangerous Child)
in conclusion, i don’t care if a niche consider her an icon, i think we should keep this one in obscurity. absolutely pointless waste of time and waste of paper.
‘I have succeeded in becoming subterranean. I have done something delightfully underhand. I bribed the butler to give a note to Don Pasos Dilemma, and I’ve frightened the groom into placing at my disposal a saddled horse. And I have a silver handled whip under my bed. God help all men!’ (The Diary of a Dangerous Child)
typically with a collection of stories i rate the stories seperately, but these honestly are so short and lacking in substance even with the space they take up they’re isn’t a lot to say about the writing, characters, plot, etc.
what i expected:
a fun little collection of stories, written by an obscure author in the 1920’s who is likened by those who have heard of her as ‘20th century sappho’ (<- disagree)
expected them to be a little outdated and not the most mind blowing but still, kinda fun and a nice little way to fill some time and experiment with my reading material.
what i got:
a book that’s dull, outdated & barely comprehensible with weirdly written themes of gender & pedophilia (that this book disgustingly considers a form of sexual liberation). it’s under 50 pages but feels double that, it’s one of those classic adult-doesn’t-know-how-to-write-a-teenage-character examples and lacked any ability to have further purpose or nuance than inked words on a page.
‘Hurrah, I love danger!’
But nobody understood me.
I am to be put to bed on bread and milk.
Never mind, my room in which I sleep overlooks the garden.’ (The Diary of a Dangerous Child)
in conclusion, i don’t care if a niche consider her an icon, i think we should keep this one in obscurity. absolutely pointless waste of time and waste of paper.
canadiantiquarian's review against another edition
5.0
A pure, albeit too-brief-42-page, joy.
Barnes spotlights rather than explores, and the result is a lively look at whimsical impulses and the frustration of 1920s-era womanhood.
In a way, it’s like the standup version of a negative event—finding the humour or heart, and eradicating the rest.
Barnes spotlights rather than explores, and the result is a lively look at whimsical impulses and the frustration of 1920s-era womanhood.
In a way, it’s like the standup version of a negative event—finding the humour or heart, and eradicating the rest.