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modeislodis's review against another edition
4.0
Man, I love me a short story. I picked this book up solely for Elizabeth McCracken's "Thunderstruck," but was excited about the other authors featured in this collection, including Jess Walter, Denis Johnson, Louise Erdrich, and Colum McCann. Good stuff in here.
katepowellshine's review
4.0
A solid collection, as usual. I do have to make angry glaring eyes at "Madame Lazarus" by Maile Meloy for being a mean-0 story and making me cry. Seriously, eff you, "Madame Lazarus." There's no need to put such sadness into a story.
chloejoy's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
jeremy_bearimy's review against another edition
This was a bit of an experiment for me since I don't usually read short stories, but I gave up about halfway through. The stories were too dark for me and made me feel depressed. My favorite was set in a dystopian setting along the lines of The Handmaid's Tale called Moving On, by Diane Cook. I enjoy other shorts stories, especially by Kurt Vonnegut (which aren't the lightest fare either), but my tastes are obviously very different from whoever curated these selections.
sharonbakar's review
5.0
This is only the second volume of Best American Short Stories I've read from cover to cover, although I own several and have dipped into them. I enjoyed this book much better than the 2014 collection.
I also really appreciate the notes in the back where the authors talk about how their story came together.
I also really appreciate the notes in the back where the authors talk about how their story came together.
twylghast's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melias6's review against another edition
3.0
Starts strong, but peters out just before the halfway point save for two knockout, devastating stories, “Thunderstruck" (Elizabeth McCracken) and "Madame Lazarus (Maile Meloy.) The former, concerning a traumatic brain injury, hit close to home; the latter, about a man's love for his dying dog, couldn't be further from home but generated an unexpected gut punch.
Other notable picks: "The Siege at Whale Cay" (Meghan Mayhew Bergman), "Happy Endings" (Kevin Canty), "Moving On" (Diane Cook), "The Black Cat" (Louise Erdrich), and "Kavitha and Mustafa" (Shobha Rao).
Other notable picks: "The Siege at Whale Cay" (Meghan Mayhew Bergman), "Happy Endings" (Kevin Canty), "Moving On" (Diane Cook), "The Black Cat" (Louise Erdrich), and "Kavitha and Mustafa" (Shobha Rao).
cosmiccloudbird's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75