evanmc's review against another edition
4.0
There are maybe five of these stories that stand head and shoulders above the rest - tastes of what makes Yates such an appealing author. I think however his novels are much more successful - and indeed the longest entry here in 'Builders' was among the strongest.
lizardkidd's review against another edition
3.0
Eleven short stories, each unique, some naturally better than others, but Yates dialogue and character outline was brilliant.
Some of the short stories are a mere 10-13 pages long, and the characters in each still stand vivid in my memory. Each characters personality and unspoken feelings hung ubiquitously, and each had their own distinct voice.
Here’s my top 5 favourites (in no particular order):
1. Doctor Jack-o’-lantern - the new boy at school, who will do what he thinks everyone wants to hear/see to fit in.
2. A wrestler with sharks - the “in your face”, straight as an arrow, go-getter, who has the attitude to go far, but not necessarily the ability to be likeable with his approach. This was the one I wanted to continue more than any of the others. Loved the character Sobel.
3. Fun with a stranger - the grumpy old-school teacher who demands attentiveness and respect and appears to be - like many teachers I remember - to be cold and heartless.
4. A really good Jazz pianist - The handsome sweet-talker and his less so, loyal friend reunite over the phone over the sound of a really good jazz pianist, who they induct into their trivial, pin-wearing club. This, for me, was the darkest story of the lot. The twist and souring of characters lingered after reading.
5. Builders - the last and longest of the short stories about a wannabe Hemingway, who takes a freelance job writing shorts for a taxi driver, with the promise of possible publishing deals, movie’s and celebrity attention.
Some of the short stories are a mere 10-13 pages long, and the characters in each still stand vivid in my memory. Each characters personality and unspoken feelings hung ubiquitously, and each had their own distinct voice.
Here’s my top 5 favourites (in no particular order):
1. Doctor Jack-o’-lantern - the new boy at school, who will do what he thinks everyone wants to hear/see to fit in.
2. A wrestler with sharks - the “in your face”, straight as an arrow, go-getter, who has the attitude to go far, but not necessarily the ability to be likeable with his approach. This was the one I wanted to continue more than any of the others. Loved the character Sobel.
3. Fun with a stranger - the grumpy old-school teacher who demands attentiveness and respect and appears to be - like many teachers I remember - to be cold and heartless.
4. A really good Jazz pianist - The handsome sweet-talker and his less so, loyal friend reunite over the phone over the sound of a really good jazz pianist, who they induct into their trivial, pin-wearing club. This, for me, was the darkest story of the lot. The twist and souring of characters lingered after reading.
5. Builders - the last and longest of the short stories about a wannabe Hemingway, who takes a freelance job writing shorts for a taxi driver, with the promise of possible publishing deals, movie’s and celebrity attention.
nickojow's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
His last story "Builders" absolutely caught me. It is more than obvious that he used Bob Prentice as a reference to himself. And his sensitive nature was perfectly presented. After having read the relentless analysis of all the defects on all kinds of people, I kinda forgot the fact that Yates is possibly someone who I can relate to and empathise with.
I guess I always forgot that authors like Yates are still human beings with all kinds of emotions, although he chose to stare at the darkness in human nature. In reading the "Builders", I see the broken Yates, who, despite all the disppointment, still has a tiny little bit in himself, that long for pure and sincere love and wish everyone else the best.
I feel like the world disppointed him.
I guess I always forgot that authors like Yates are still human beings with all kinds of emotions, although he chose to stare at the darkness in human nature. In reading the "Builders", I see the broken Yates, who, despite all the disppointment, still has a tiny little bit in himself, that long for pure and sincere love and wish everyone else the best.
I feel like the world disppointed him.
jamesapevans's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
artryanrock's review against another edition
4.0
Richard Yates' stories about loneliness are profound and sad. Every story has a different approach to loneliness but Yates has this ability to retain the essence in each of them through his creative writing. Each stories shows us that loneliness is a universal feeling and it's part of people's life. They tell how people cope with loneliness and how it can influence their actions. I could feel the impotence and the resignation of all the protagonists in each stories. Yates' does not give answers and solutions because after all loneliness comes and goes...
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
4.0
There is something about characters from the 1950s that is so fascinating to me. Fresh out of war, the world as a whole is getting back on its feet. This was also the time when technologies built for war were repurposed to benefit mankind as a whole. There was so much positivity in the air that it was almost out of the ordinary to feel, in any way, disillusioned, like there is something wrong with you if you are not a part of the party. People in this period of world history would much rather fit in than to admit defeat, because everybody else is living the dream and you don't want to be the person at the party to spoil everything. The lies people built for themselves are what Richard Yates is interested in, and he seems to have plugged himself into that part of the human condition.
Eleven Kinds of Loneliness is a short story collection of different characters and different forms of loneliness, as the name suggests. You have a child who feels outcasted at school, an army drill sergeant who is being transferred away from the job he loves, a strict teacher who isn't able to connect with her students, and a wife who is alone in an idealistic marriage. These are just some of the characters you will find in this book, the kind that you would come to expect from Yates. They are little glimpses into the world of the 1950s, when accepting your vulnerability was wrong somehow. Yates continues the themes he has explored in the criminally under-rated book, Revolutionary Road, but with more characters and a much broader stroke.
I feel that Yates works better in long form writing, however, as his characters are allowed more room for growth. Short stories work at times, sure, but Yates has always been a character-driven writer. And when your stories are given a page limit, you somehow lose a bit of that attachment to various characters. Unless you connect with the character on a personal level, such as the writer character with myself, it is sometimes difficult to get a better picture of what is going on. The nature of short stories, after all, is such that you are catching a glimpse of these characters in a very specific moment or period in their lives. We, as readers, are not supposed to dwell, and it almost feels like a stroll through a museum exhibit, and you tarry around a gallery for a few minutes before moving along. This is not a criticism, but I think Yates operates better as a long form writer.
Still, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness strikes at the heart of things, and it will resonate with anyone who's ever felt detached from the people closest to them in any way. Perhaps it isn't as nuanced as his seminal work in Revolutionary Road, but similar themes are abound in this thin and insightful book about what it is like to be different characters in a time when being different is somehow frowned upon.
Eleven Kinds of Loneliness is a short story collection of different characters and different forms of loneliness, as the name suggests. You have a child who feels outcasted at school, an army drill sergeant who is being transferred away from the job he loves, a strict teacher who isn't able to connect with her students, and a wife who is alone in an idealistic marriage. These are just some of the characters you will find in this book, the kind that you would come to expect from Yates. They are little glimpses into the world of the 1950s, when accepting your vulnerability was wrong somehow. Yates continues the themes he has explored in the criminally under-rated book, Revolutionary Road, but with more characters and a much broader stroke.
I feel that Yates works better in long form writing, however, as his characters are allowed more room for growth. Short stories work at times, sure, but Yates has always been a character-driven writer. And when your stories are given a page limit, you somehow lose a bit of that attachment to various characters. Unless you connect with the character on a personal level, such as the writer character with myself, it is sometimes difficult to get a better picture of what is going on. The nature of short stories, after all, is such that you are catching a glimpse of these characters in a very specific moment or period in their lives. We, as readers, are not supposed to dwell, and it almost feels like a stroll through a museum exhibit, and you tarry around a gallery for a few minutes before moving along. This is not a criticism, but I think Yates operates better as a long form writer.
Still, Eleven Kinds of Loneliness strikes at the heart of things, and it will resonate with anyone who's ever felt detached from the people closest to them in any way. Perhaps it isn't as nuanced as his seminal work in Revolutionary Road, but similar themes are abound in this thin and insightful book about what it is like to be different characters in a time when being different is somehow frowned upon.
jturner01's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
salimsdiary's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0