moonshake's review against another edition
4.0
Yah. 'Four Deuces' and 'Oceanic' are probably the best of the bunch; it's a good collection that is surely to have 'magic realism' tossed around when being described but I really felt Dybek was not afraid to flit from thought to thought without all the dressage of logic and all that 'therefore' biz
garthranzz's review against another edition
2.0
One Great Short Story (Short Story Month) - Lit Hub: May 5
https://lithub.com/tag/one-great-short-story/
Just “Paper Lantern”
https://lithub.com/tag/one-great-short-story/
Just “Paper Lantern”
drexedit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brianthehuman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
3.5
erinray82's review against another edition
4.0
This book had a haunting quality that made the subject of love, or rather the art of love, feel like an ethereal journey, somehow both perilous and exhilarating, like being caught up in a tremendous tide. It has an element of the terrifying as well as the hypnotic beauty that is infatuation and captivation combined, imbued with an air of true devotion. There is a sense of confusion at times, bitter disillusionment, and tremendous beauty all wound up with stark ugliness and woe. Somehow it's all entwined in expensive sheets that smell of pricy perfume, cigarettes, and some wonderfully aged liquor. This book makes me taste cherries and rich sauces, smell sandalwood, feel the weight of furs, and picture silk stockings on the line. It tells secrets and stokes the fires of deceit. There are shadows on every page, and thus, mystery lurks around every corner. Somehow the prose itself feels both seedy and extravagant all at once. It is the epitome of wealth and fluidity, even when it features subtlety, the common, the low. Decked out like some classy broad, the writing makes you work, makes you think, but ensures that you enjoy the entire process. My favorite stories were Seiche, Four Deuces, If I Vanished, and Waiting (my favorite of them all). When I sat this book down at the end I stared at it as if I had devoured some alcohol infused exotic cake in one sitting, wondering how I did it, feeling both a little sick and deeply satisfied, and monstrously, monstrously full.
blearywitch's review against another edition
1.0
I can only say one sentence about this book - a waste of my precious time. None of the stories made any impression on me. "Tosca" especially, literally put me to sleep. Not trusting Wall Street Journal's review yet.
kweekwegg's review against another edition
4.0
love! imagination! jumping onto a narrator's train of thought without knowing at all where it's going!
I heard a reading of the eponymous story on The New Yorker podcast and fell into amours with Dybek's style. I was not disappointed upon reading the full collection and have really appreciated seeing his style played out in different ways and across different stories.
I heard a reading of the eponymous story on The New Yorker podcast and fell into amours with Dybek's style. I was not disappointed upon reading the full collection and have really appreciated seeing his style played out in different ways and across different stories.
ajpellis1's review against another edition
4.0
Easily the most fascinating aspect of this story is the way that it is structured: deceiving your original ideas about where the story is going, as well as delighting your imagination.
selfwinding's review against another edition
5.0
Such beautiful language, such stunning images and repetition of those images. By far the best book I've read in the last few months.
jbdunn's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting collection of stories about different types of love. Sometimes the stories feel connected, with similar characters running through them.There's a lot of flashbacks where the main character in the story flashes back after being reminded by an object or an event in current life.