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bakemaster's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
meadowlurk's review
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
andxstoker's review against another edition
"I would think well of us as a species, if I'd never read a history book. Or the newspaper. Or the comments sections of the Internet."
"The loa charged, shrieking, from the corner. 'Peace on Earth,' she howled, as her hatchet cleaved the air by Harris's head, shattering the mayonnaise jar in his hand."
"Sometimes we can find a smaller world where we can live, inside the bigger world where we cannot."
"...any romantic entanglement between a male and a female is, in fact, a triangle, and the third party is the female's body. It is the hostage between them, the bridge or the barrier."
"The loa charged, shrieking, from the corner. 'Peace on Earth,' she howled, as her hatchet cleaved the air by Harris's head, shattering the mayonnaise jar in his hand."
"Sometimes we can find a smaller world where we can live, inside the bigger world where we cannot."
"...any romantic entanglement between a male and a female is, in fact, a triangle, and the third party is the female's body. It is the hostage between them, the bridge or the barrier."
soulkissed2003's review against another edition
4.0
As a general rule, I steer clear of short story collections. I was pleasantly surprised when I read the stories and essays in “Black Glass”, a recent reprint of Fowler's works, first published in 1998. Each story stood apart as an interesting study in relationships, often with an exploration into feminism. (Yet the author asks questions and invites readers to reach their own conclusion, rather than expect them to accept her personal position on this topic.) Elements of the supernatural, surreal and extraterrestrial are interspersed into people and situations that you could face in everyday life.
Fowler's collection of 15 short works is thought-provoking and original, not quite like anything I've read before. Some touched on historical themes, including the life of Einstein and the Vietnam War. There were surprise endings in a few of the tales. The author's writing style transitioned effortlessly from one scene to another. Each of the distinct works involved the reader immediately and made it interesting to see what was going to happen next.
This new 2015 edition of “Black Glass” was published through Putnam Books. ISBN 978-0-399-17579-4. Suggested retail price for the hardcover edition is $27.95 in the US, or $35.95 in Canada. I really enjoyed the stories, but feel they may not be for everyone. The surprise endings reminded me of O. Henry, while the supernatural elements and questioning of human nature were reminiscent of Stephen King's style. The darker and surreal elements reminded me of Ambrose Bierce's works. All in all, it worked for me! If you are looking for something unique and fascinating, give this collection a try. Karen Joy Fowler is also the New York Times bestselling author of “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves”.
Fowler's collection of 15 short works is thought-provoking and original, not quite like anything I've read before. Some touched on historical themes, including the life of Einstein and the Vietnam War. There were surprise endings in a few of the tales. The author's writing style transitioned effortlessly from one scene to another. Each of the distinct works involved the reader immediately and made it interesting to see what was going to happen next.
This new 2015 edition of “Black Glass” was published through Putnam Books. ISBN 978-0-399-17579-4. Suggested retail price for the hardcover edition is $27.95 in the US, or $35.95 in Canada. I really enjoyed the stories, but feel they may not be for everyone. The surprise endings reminded me of O. Henry, while the supernatural elements and questioning of human nature were reminiscent of Stephen King's style. The darker and surreal elements reminded me of Ambrose Bierce's works. All in all, it worked for me! If you are looking for something unique and fascinating, give this collection a try. Karen Joy Fowler is also the New York Times bestselling author of “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves”.
laura_tlamichova's review against another edition
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
laura_tlamichova's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
donfoolery's review against another edition
5.0
Had to up my rating from 4* to 5* now that I'm a more informed reader than I was when I first tried reading this a year ago.
genxyogireader100's review
4.0
At times dark, depressing and down right scary, and then more reasonable. This is a book of short stories and there is great variety in the selections. Defining the stories as reasonable means that the story has a beginning, middle and end and doesn't feel as if you started in the middle. Overall I really liked this book, even the dark and potentially controversial stories.
pussreboots's review against another edition
4.0
I remember the stories but had completely forgotten they were by Karen Joy Fowler. I have some of her more recent books on my TBR.