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zuzuspetals's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
adrianaad1980's review against another edition
5.0
Намирам книгата с разкази от Лусия Бърлин като истинско попадение и щастливо откритие, при това с чудесен превод на български.
Конструирана от множество интерпретации и вариации на нейния живот, автобиографичното се прокрадва навсякъде, но е някак меко постлано, за да даде широта и свобода на историята, която винаги е най-важната и в центъра. Авторката борави с езика и героите с болезнена откровеност и откритост. На фокус са маргинализираните образи и трудните за преглъщане решения. Без извинение и съжаление, тя дълбае в сърцето с пръст, докато не заболи силно, за да може всеки за себе си да намери повод за смирение и да продължи напред. Прозата не залага на ювелирния език, а по-скоро на нерафинирания, завладяващ със своята образност такъв.
Бих се връщала към тези разкази. Особено в емоционални сътресения или меланхолични състояния.
Конструирана от множество интерпретации и вариации на нейния живот, автобиографичното се прокрадва навсякъде, но е някак меко постлано, за да даде широта и свобода на историята, която винаги е най-важната и в центъра. Авторката борави с езика и героите с болезнена откровеност и откритост. На фокус са маргинализираните образи и трудните за преглъщане решения. Без извинение и съжаление, тя дълбае в сърцето с пръст, докато не заболи силно, за да може всеки за себе си да намери повод за смирение и да продължи напред. Прозата не залага на ювелирния език, а по-скоро на нерафинирания, завладяващ със своята образност такъв.
Бих се връщала към тези разкази. Особено в емоционални сътресения или меланхолични състояния.
cornelio3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
klaws500's review against another edition
4.75
I have been having such a hard time with my reading lately. I'm reading books that I know are very well written, that should appeal to me, and yet I'm left cold. I'm having a tough time at life lately too, that's probably where this dissatisfaction with books is coming from. The only thing I've read lately that is scratching that itch that only the right book at the right time can scratch is A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin. I finished it today and I feel like I've found a kindred spirit in Lucia Berlin. Her voice will stay with me for a very long time. Her stories are real and raw, unpolished but also perfect in their natural state. She writes about heavy topics, but there is humor and real delight in her acceptance of the human condition. This is a brilliant collection of stories and Berlin should get more recognition.
yvonnemh's review against another edition
4.0
What a fabulous writer. A grittier, rougher Alice Munro. "The only reason I have lived so long is that I let go of my past., Shut the door on grief on regret on remorse. If I let them in, just one self-indulgent crack, whap, the door will fling open gales of pain ripping through my heart blinding my eyes with shame breaking cups and bottles knocking down jars shattering windows stumbling bloody on spilled sugar and broken glass terrified gagging until with a final shudder and sob I shut the heavy door. Pick up the pieces one more time." Such beauty, such pain, such power in her words.
katom6878's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
keomeara's review against another edition
2.0
With god as my witness I finally finished this book. Some of the stories were moving and wonderful but some were so odd and I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what was going on !! Wayyy too many slurs… this is definitely a dated book. Published in 2015 isn’t really accurate as she wrote from the 70s to early 2000s max
teresatumminello's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
I had no preconceptions going into this volume of short stories, even vaguely wondered if it might be a translation due to my unfamiliarity with the name of the author and my maybe knowing ahead of time (from blurbs) that some of the stories’ locales are Mexico and South America. Though Berlin knew some Spanish, she’s an English writer, born in the United States, who led an extraordinary life—a life that fuels all of her stories. Due to this fueling, some of the stories, read close together, come to seem repetitive, as if she’s working out her themes. She likely was. As only one example, several stories about her sister culminate in “Wait a Minute,” the penultimate, and my favorite, of the collection. Her descriptions of time in this gorgeous story are masterful.
Though some stories might seem throwaways, they all juxtapose humor and darkness in varying degrees, are quirky and unique, none reminding me of any other writer. I could make a case for a better tighter collection if it held fewer stories, but in the long run, especially for her fans, it’s probably nice to have these all together.
Most of her stories have great endings, including “Mijito,” the story of a young immigrant mother that not only broke my heart but shattered it into little pieces. And as I finished the last paragraph of the last story and realized it was the last, I experienced a sense of loss—and satisfaction.
I had no preconceptions going into this volume of short stories, even vaguely wondered if it might be a translation due to my unfamiliarity with the name of the author and my maybe knowing ahead of time (from blurbs) that some of the stories’ locales are Mexico and South America. Though Berlin knew some Spanish, she’s an English writer, born in the United States, who led an extraordinary life—a life that fuels all of her stories. Due to this fueling, some of the stories, read close together, come to seem repetitive, as if she’s working out her themes. She likely was. As only one example, several stories about her sister culminate in “Wait a Minute,” the penultimate, and my favorite, of the collection. Her descriptions of time in this gorgeous story are masterful.
Though some stories might seem throwaways, they all juxtapose humor and darkness in varying degrees, are quirky and unique, none reminding me of any other writer. I could make a case for a better tighter collection if it held fewer stories, but in the long run, especially for her fans, it’s probably nice to have these all together.
Most of her stories have great endings, including “Mijito,” the story of a young immigrant mother that not only broke my heart but shattered it into little pieces. And as I finished the last paragraph of the last story and realized it was the last, I experienced a sense of loss—and satisfaction.
kalinab's review against another edition
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
megklaughtland's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
5.0