gillothen's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars, but some of this bumper collection of stories rate more, and rather too many rate less.
Connie Willis seems fascinated by the London Blitz in some of these stories, presumably written in some cases when she was working on her pair of time-travel novels set then. Like them, however, her research seems superficial at times; if fanfic writers can get Britpickers at need, I really don't see why she can't. She makes some extraordinarily silly mistakes - a 'raspberry torte' in late autumn wartime London? Rutabagas? 'Row houses'? A Duchess of York giving the VC to an airman for shooting down 15 enemy planes. (And one, moreover, called Quincy. Who in Britain named a son that in the 1920s?) Measuring London distances in terms of blocks and omitting 'street', 'road' and so-on from street names?
These are just a few I noted from one story. They would all leap out at any Brit, but pass unnoticed by many Americans. They set my teeth on edge, particularly when historical characters, embedded in their own eras say them.
One or two of the stories were enjoyable, though quite a few were forgettable. I would suggest this collection works best for Willis completists and non-Brits.
Connie Willis seems fascinated by the London Blitz in some of these stories, presumably written in some cases when she was working on her pair of time-travel novels set then. Like them, however, her research seems superficial at times; if fanfic writers can get Britpickers at need, I really don't see why she can't. She makes some extraordinarily silly mistakes - a 'raspberry torte' in late autumn wartime London? Rutabagas? 'Row houses'? A Duchess of York giving the VC to an airman for shooting down 15 enemy planes. (And one, moreover, called Quincy. Who in Britain named a son that in the 1920s?) Measuring London distances in terms of blocks and omitting 'street', 'road' and so-on from street names?
These are just a few I noted from one story. They would all leap out at any Brit, but pass unnoticed by many Americans. They set my teeth on edge, particularly when historical characters, embedded in their own eras say them.
One or two of the stories were enjoyable, though quite a few were forgettable. I would suggest this collection works best for Willis completists and non-Brits.
caroparr's review
4.0
700 pages of short stories and novellas, showing the range of her interests (academia, WWII, pets,, movies) as well as her recurring themes (compassion, mourning for lost things). Like all collections, this includes better and lesser stories, but the best are so good.
jonmhansen's review against another edition
4.0
It's a good collection. I will say, in many of her stories she's got at least one character that I desperately want to see get punched in the nose but somehow never do. It is infuriating.
cmbohn's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
libkatem's review
4.0
Some stories in this collection are repeats of stories in other collections. I'm not repeating them here, sorry!
"The Winds of Marble Arch" is the story that the collection is named for. It was a good story- set in London, and told the story that... pretty much suffering can be felt. It lingers. Not my favorite of her work, but made for a good mystery.
"Blued Moon," is utterly zany and fun! One of her "screwball comedy" stories. They always make me smile.
"Just Like the Ones We Used to Know" had me rolling at one moment, and my heart breaking in another. I loved all the characters and their problems, and ALL THE SNOW. Snow EVERYWHERE. So brilliant. I would recommend this story to everyone.
"Nonstop to Portales" I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I knew who Jack Williamson is. Maybe I'll read one of his books someday. Add him to the list.... ;)
"The Curse of the Kings" was so creepy. So creepy.
"Inn" made me wonder what I would do in that situation.
"Samaritan" was odd. Baptizing orangatangs? Natalie, the character who wanted to baptize Esau, seemed deranged.
"Cash Crop" was also creepy. It was an extreme of genetic engineering, to make people more hearty and capable of surviving on alien worlds.
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" was hilarious. It was an "academic paper" on Emily Dickinson and an academic paper. As someone who cannot stand Dickinson, this story was genius. Love it.
"Epiphany" is such a fascinating story on what "Armageddon" might be. Because, really, who knows? And there are worse things than carnivals. Willis is a creative genius!
"The Winds of Marble Arch" is the story that the collection is named for. It was a good story- set in London, and told the story that... pretty much suffering can be felt. It lingers. Not my favorite of her work, but made for a good mystery.
"Blued Moon," is utterly zany and fun! One of her "screwball comedy" stories. They always make me smile.
"Just Like the Ones We Used to Know" had me rolling at one moment, and my heart breaking in another. I loved all the characters and their problems, and ALL THE SNOW. Snow EVERYWHERE. So brilliant. I would recommend this story to everyone.
"Nonstop to Portales" I suspect I would have enjoyed it more if I knew who Jack Williamson is. Maybe I'll read one of his books someday. Add him to the list.... ;)
"The Curse of the Kings" was so creepy. So creepy.
"Inn" made me wonder what I would do in that situation.
"Samaritan" was odd. Baptizing orangatangs? Natalie, the character who wanted to baptize Esau, seemed deranged.
"Cash Crop" was also creepy. It was an extreme of genetic engineering, to make people more hearty and capable of surviving on alien worlds.
"The Soul Selects Her Own Society" was hilarious. It was an "academic paper" on Emily Dickinson and an academic paper. As someone who cannot stand Dickinson, this story was genius. Love it.
"Epiphany" is such a fascinating story on what "Armageddon" might be. Because, really, who knows? And there are worse things than carnivals. Willis is a creative genius!
jessalynn_librarian's review
5.0
I'm giving this one five stars, not because all the stories were perfect, but because taken as a whole, the collection presents a fabulous variety. Some of the stories are science fiction (like "Cash Crop"), some are contemporary with odd little twists (like "Just Like the Ones We Used to Know"), some have time travel (like "Fire Watch," which has the added bonus of a [b:Doomsday Book|24983|Doomsday Book|Connie Willis|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167544945s/24983.jpg|2439628] reference), and one is so downright creepy I'd like to forget it. Some short story collections feel awkward, not because the stories themselves aren't good, but because they weren't really written to be read all at once. With Willis' stories, the book is organized by loose themes, rather than chronology, and while the style is all distinctly Willis, they never feel repetitive. The only thing missing was a note about when all the stories were originally published. This book is massive and a bit of a chore to lug around, but it's just so well-rounded. I don't always take easily to short stories (which is odd because I spent a whole class writing them in college) but this one more than won me over, and I'll definitely reread it.
leebill's review
3.0
Actually, I could not finish it...had just read another one by her and needed to take a break. Good author though
verkisto's review
4.0
Ms. Willis has done a lot of research into the bombings of London during World War II. This is evident through her inclusion of three (three!) different stories in this collection that have some connection to that theme. “The Winds of Marble Arch” is one; “Night Watch” is another; and “Jack” rounds out that triptych of stories.
Now, am I complaining? Heck no! Ms. Willis is a fine, extraordinary writer, and she has a knack for writing stories that are a lot like those zany romantic comedies from the 1950s. But she really shines and shows her talents when she tackles serious subjects, like war, sexuality, humanity, and religion. And the fact that these three stories all center on the same central theme, yet still manage to be very different stories with very different tones, just goes to show that when you’re reading a Connie Willis book, you’re sure to be impressed.
It is impossible for me to give this collection of her short stories an objective review, because Ms. Willis is one of my favorite authors. It’s very, very difficult to pick a favorite story from the collection, because they’re all so very, very good. I love her screwball romantic comedy stories, and I love that she manages to incorporate hard science into those stories, sometimes even going so far as to incorporate that science into the characters of those stories (you’ll just have to read “At the Rialto” and “Blued Moon” to understand what I mean). I also love her heavier stories, especially “Night Watch,” which I really think should be made into a movie (and considering how aggravated I get with Hollywood’s habit of adapting something that is already a success instead of creating something original, that’s saying something). “All His Darling Daughters” is just about the darkest, most disturbing story I’ve read, but I still find something very significant in the story to tell people, “You have to read this!” She has some gentler stories in there, as well, including her Christmas stories (”Epiphany” and “Inn” are touching stories of faith and perseverance), a tribute to a fellow science-fiction author who inspired her (”Nonstop to Portales”), a back-handed tribute to Emily Dickinson (”The Soul Selects Her Own Society…”), and a satirical, clever story of aliens, romance, and holiday newsletters (”Newsletter”). Really, I can’t think of a single dud story in the collection. Some had more of an impact than others, but none are bad, and each one of them had something important to say.
If you’ve already experienced Doomsday Book, Bellwether, To Say Nothing of the Dog, or Lincoln’s Dreams, then it won’t take any more prodding from me to get you to read this book (be forewarned, though, that you’ll see a lot of reprinted stories here, but they’re all worth re-reading, that’s for certain). If you haven’t discovered the wonder that is Connie Willis, though, I could think of no other better place to start than with The Winds of Marble Arch.
Now, am I complaining? Heck no! Ms. Willis is a fine, extraordinary writer, and she has a knack for writing stories that are a lot like those zany romantic comedies from the 1950s. But she really shines and shows her talents when she tackles serious subjects, like war, sexuality, humanity, and religion. And the fact that these three stories all center on the same central theme, yet still manage to be very different stories with very different tones, just goes to show that when you’re reading a Connie Willis book, you’re sure to be impressed.
It is impossible for me to give this collection of her short stories an objective review, because Ms. Willis is one of my favorite authors. It’s very, very difficult to pick a favorite story from the collection, because they’re all so very, very good. I love her screwball romantic comedy stories, and I love that she manages to incorporate hard science into those stories, sometimes even going so far as to incorporate that science into the characters of those stories (you’ll just have to read “At the Rialto” and “Blued Moon” to understand what I mean). I also love her heavier stories, especially “Night Watch,” which I really think should be made into a movie (and considering how aggravated I get with Hollywood’s habit of adapting something that is already a success instead of creating something original, that’s saying something). “All His Darling Daughters” is just about the darkest, most disturbing story I’ve read, but I still find something very significant in the story to tell people, “You have to read this!” She has some gentler stories in there, as well, including her Christmas stories (”Epiphany” and “Inn” are touching stories of faith and perseverance), a tribute to a fellow science-fiction author who inspired her (”Nonstop to Portales”), a back-handed tribute to Emily Dickinson (”The Soul Selects Her Own Society…”), and a satirical, clever story of aliens, romance, and holiday newsletters (”Newsletter”). Really, I can’t think of a single dud story in the collection. Some had more of an impact than others, but none are bad, and each one of them had something important to say.
If you’ve already experienced Doomsday Book, Bellwether, To Say Nothing of the Dog, or Lincoln’s Dreams, then it won’t take any more prodding from me to get you to read this book (be forewarned, though, that you’ll see a lot of reprinted stories here, but they’re all worth re-reading, that’s for certain). If you haven’t discovered the wonder that is Connie Willis, though, I could think of no other better place to start than with The Winds of Marble Arch.