lovetoread18's review
3.0
I'm not usually a huge fan of short stories because they almost always seems to end abruptly and this book was no exception. I wanted to know more about the characters but that of course wasn't an option. And the last story was odd so it ended on kind of an unsettling note.
thegayngelgabriel's review
3.0
I put this book ony to-read list nearly ten years ago, I think. I liked it a lot. The people in it and the worldviews they have are--ones that my existence would be a disappointment to, that I could only exist on the periphery of. It was interesting to inhabit them, for a while.
youreadtoomuch's review
1.0
I wanted to like this book. I did...
A very forgettable book. A collection of stories about the hardships of love, the good and the bad and the ugly. And there was a lot of ugly. Surprisingly, as I'm flipping through this book now, I dogeared so many pages. I know some lines moved me but not significantly. Will say this: the first two stories have a fascination and longing and a weird way of maintaining a cishet narrative and that sucks because they're the two with gay and trans characters. I mean there's a story with incest later on too so there's enough to despise. The last time I instinctively pink a pretty pink book from a free little library.
A very forgettable book. A collection of stories about the hardships of love, the good and the bad and the ugly. And there was a lot of ugly. Surprisingly, as I'm flipping through this book now, I dogeared so many pages. I know some lines moved me but not significantly. Will say this: the first two stories have a fascination and longing and a weird way of maintaining a cishet narrative and that sucks because they're the two with gay and trans characters. I mean there's a story with incest later on too so there's enough to despise. The last time I instinctively pink a pretty pink book from a free little library.
superdilettante's review
4.0
I just re-read this--another antidote to Blood Meridian.
Don't be put off by the people who say her characters are creepy (like the one who was upset that there were two stories about a man being in love with his step-mother--they were two stories about the SAME CHARACTER). Amy Bloom is a wonderful writer with an excellent way of stringing words together. This was definitely one of those books where I'd read a story, close the book, lay it on my chest, and then just think about it for a while.
Highest praise in my book.
Don't be put off by the people who say her characters are creepy (like the one who was upset that there were two stories about a man being in love with his step-mother--they were two stories about the SAME CHARACTER). Amy Bloom is a wonderful writer with an excellent way of stringing words together. This was definitely one of those books where I'd read a story, close the book, lay it on my chest, and then just think about it for a while.
Highest praise in my book.
andi_thebookworm's review
3.0
This novel of short stories is good, but not “you absolutely need to read” good. It was a well written book with short stories that kind of blended all together. I didn’t have a sense of eagerness to read the next story after the previous. Don’t get me wrong it has its heartaches and moments, but no short story really stuck with me (and I am a sucker for heartbreaking stories). Bloom did take the initiative to display sensitive topics in an excellent and respectful way. Bloom is a great writer and has a way of words; however, this one is not my cup of tea.
emharperscott's review against another edition
medium-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
4.5
g_treads's review
4.0
in my opinion, similar to the likes of Shirley Jackson in its style, lots of characters who makes abnormal observations or has a strange motive. big focus on complicated relationships
jwmcoaching's review
3.0
I was pretty torn about this one; I gave it a three but I had some reservations about doing that. The only thing I had previously read by Bloom was last year's, Lucky Us, which I really enjoyed. I had more mixed feelings about this.
There were two really good stories here, the first one and the last. The rest are a mixture of good and simply okay. I felt like a couple of them (Night Vision and Hold Tight) could've been expanded on and seemed somewhat half-baked because of it.
Bloom is actually an incredibly good writer. I seem to have more of a problem with her plots; in addition to the fact that even in her longer stories, her characters seem slightly out of reach. They come across as being hermetically sealed in a privileged world where I can't quite reach them.
There were two really good stories here, the first one and the last. The rest are a mixture of good and simply okay. I felt like a couple of them (Night Vision and Hold Tight) could've been expanded on and seemed somewhat half-baked because of it.
Bloom is actually an incredibly good writer. I seem to have more of a problem with her plots; in addition to the fact that even in her longer stories, her characters seem slightly out of reach. They come across as being hermetically sealed in a privileged world where I can't quite reach them.