Reviews

The Moths and Other Stories by Helena María Viramontes

rnmcfarlane's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

mxunsmiley's review

Mostly average. The best stories to me were the title story, "Birthday," "Snapshots," and "Neighbors." I adored the title story, mostly because I love rebellious female characters and the relationships between granddaughters and their grandmothers. The symbolism behind the moth is also very compelling to me. Viramontes does have a way with writing; I did love quite a few lines. I think she is a much better short story writer than novelist, as I found Under the Feet of Jesus to be okay.

annabelle13's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

monaaaa's review

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

marajoy's review

dark emotional 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

all i ever talk about is writing style, but i can't help it. viramontes's prose is uniquely intriguing and provoking, and her short stories read like poems. the variety of experiences she captures and the flaws and imperfections she demonstrates are so interestingly crafted and chosen. i couldn't put this down. 

rara2018's review

4.0

The placement and content of the introduction had me feeling very conflicted. It basically summarized every single story in the collection (and kind of spoils them) which was great to provide context, but less great if I wanted to experience the story as-is. I ended up reading about half of it before I decided to read the stories and revisit the intro later, but that ended up just making me a little confused about what I was reading. If there weren’t so many books in life I needed to read, I would’ve read the stories, then the intro, and then the stories again. Tangent about the intro aside, this was a really interesting and personal collection. The story “The Moths” was a sweet and emotional story detailing grief and growing up. “Growing” had a similar general theme of aging as a child, but this one was tinged with more whimsy and bittersweetness. “Birthday” had such an interesting narration style with its stream of consciousness flow that fit perfectly with the complexity of religious complications and abortion. “The Broken Web” was one of the most complicated stories out infidelity and misogyny in the home, and the spiraling repercussions of violence. “The Cariboo Cafe” was one I didn’t quite understand with its cast of narrators, and it was a story that made me thankful for the detail provided in the introduction. “The Long Reconciliation” was one that felt very real and current despite its setting being quite unfamiliar to me with a woman’s struggle to maintain her identity. The final two stories, “Snapshots” and “Neighbors” felt like two very different sides of the same coin and tackled the complexities of aging and becoming unfamiliar with the world around you. The phone calls at the end of the former felt like one of a family of a person suffering from dementia and the complexities of dealing with that (though it was really more about a woman relegated to womanhood and being unsure of how to continue without those perpetual duties). The latter story also dealt with a lonely older woman, though this one tackled the issues of violence in communities and the overreach of police in areas with Latinx men. The collection overall was thoughtfully written and had such a distinct voice, despite its variety of narrators. Definitely a book I’m glad I picked up on a whim while on my quest to visit all of Chicago’s libraries. 

lydiature_'s review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

i’ve said it before, but short story collections have always been a hit or a miss for me but this one was a hit!! i actually saw this on a random tiktok video and decided to give it a shot. i’m pleasantly surprised. it covers a wide range of topics like motherhood, girlhood, death of a child, death of dreams. the writing is very sharp and raw. it’s feverish and dreamy. it actually reminds me of “fever dream” by samanta schweblin and “the water cure” in terms of the writing style. 

i love it when authors experiment with POVs, and this was no exception. viramontes’ passion was evident in each of her stories. each story started off on an interesting note and by the end, i was either crying or covering my mouth in shock. ESPECIALLY in the last story, “neighbors.”

i really liked all the stories. my favorite ones were (in order): the cariboo cafe, snapshots, neighbors, the long reconciliation. 

the only thing i didn’t care for was the constant shifting of characters. once or twice was fine but sometimes i got really confused by what was actually happening. but the writing style was SO GOOD. definitely recommend this gem & i will 100% buy the physical copy.

story ratings:
* “the moths”- 5/5 ⭐️
* “growing”- 4.75/ 5 ⭐️ 
* “birthday”- 3.5/5 ⭐️
* “the broken web”- 3.75/5 ⭐️ 
* “the cariboo cafe”- 5/5 ⭐️ 
* “the long reconciliation”- 4/5
* “snapshots”- 5/5 ⭐️ 
* “neighbors”-4.75/5 ⭐️ 

esmeraldab0's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

alexandriaslibrary's review

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A chicano classic, at first I was a little hesitant, but I found these stories worked best when you take your time with them. I read each alone then would refer back to the introduction which has analysis of each story. Viramontes uses roaming POVs and leaves a lot unsaid in these stories, but I think after you find your footing it makes them incredible unique, impactful, and unforgettable 

dfinlay's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

4.0