ambershah's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
eileen_critchley's review against another edition
3.0
***1/2 I'm hovering between 3 and 4 stars, but rounding down as this book didn't always interest me. Some of the stories I really enjoyed. What I found interesting is they were written over a couple of decades; I think the oldest story here was written in 1988 and the most recent was 2017, as though he worked on this collection over the course of a career and saved them up until he had enough for a collection.
papa_egg's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Some of these stories were compelling, some were forgettable but there was an unpleasant undercurrent of older men lusting after young girls that ended up almost completely putting me off an author who's books I've previously enjoyed.
ruiponce's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
pixe1's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I've had this on hold at the library since before it was even published. I'm generally a big Eugenides fan, and [b: Middlesex|2187|Middlesex|Jeffrey Eugenides|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437029776s/2187.jpg|1352495] has to be one of my all time faves. Plus I've read nothing but novels this fall, so some short stories were a good change of pace.
That said, I felt like the first story, which was one of the previously unpublished and more recent works, was such a snooze and I was worried I'd be left disappointed. However, once the author got "warmed up", there were some really strong pieces.
My favourites from the collection were definitely, "Find the Bad Guy", "The Great Experiment" and the titular work. That I most enjoyed the entries that involves some aspect of crime says a lot about me, but in the other stories, I felt like the plot wasn't always been driven along and they never had a wow moment that made them feel truly special.
I also felt that "The Oracular Vulva" was good, but the themes had been explored to greater effect in Middlesex, which probably isn't fair to compare but context matters. And in terms of context, there were a couple of lines about the relationships between men and women in the earlier works that just made me cringe, because they seemed like outdated, sexist ideas that weren't necessarily in-line with the "human touch" and empathy I usually expect from Eugenides.
I've had this on hold at the library since before it was even published. I'm generally a big Eugenides fan, and [b: Middlesex|2187|Middlesex|Jeffrey Eugenides|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1437029776s/2187.jpg|1352495] has to be one of my all time faves. Plus I've read nothing but novels this fall, so some short stories were a good change of pace.
That said, I felt like the first story, which was one of the previously unpublished and more recent works, was such a snooze and I was worried I'd be left disappointed. However, once the author got "warmed up", there were some really strong pieces.
My favourites from the collection were definitely, "Find the Bad Guy", "The Great Experiment" and the titular work. That I most enjoyed the entries that involves some aspect of crime says a lot about me, but in the other stories, I felt like the plot wasn't always been driven along and they never had a wow moment that made them feel truly special.
I also felt that "The Oracular Vulva" was good, but the themes had been explored to greater effect in Middlesex, which probably isn't fair to compare but context matters. And in terms of context, there were a couple of lines about the relationships between men and women in the earlier works that just made me cringe, because they seemed like outdated, sexist ideas that weren't necessarily in-line with the "human touch" and empathy I usually expect from Eugenides.
bettyvd's review against another edition
3.0
Drie van de tien verhalen vond ik echt goed. Complainers (twee vrouwen en een bijl), Find the bad guy (grappige verwerking van handboek relatietherapie) en het intrigerende Capricious gardens (vier gefrustreerde individuen en wat artisjokken).
iehrina's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
unitedwellfail's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked those short stories and the way they are linked by morally ambigous but memorable characters and impacting endings.
My favorite ones where :
Complainers, The oracular vulva and Great Experiment
My favorite ones where :
Complainers, The oracular vulva and Great Experiment
kdhanda's review against another edition
5.0
Compilation of short stories, each unique in its own way. My favorite was Complainers about the friendship of two women who look after each other even when spouses and family drift away. Air Mail was heartbreaking in its account of a young American seeking to find enlightenment whilst traveling in Asia. In the acerbic Fresh Complaint, an Indian American girl causes damage to an older man while trying to escape her own arranged marriage. A must read for short story lovers.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
4.0
As a compilation of stories written over several decades, it is an interesting cross section of the author's work. Overall, I enjoyed the stories while I was listening to them, though there weren't any that stayed with me after I was finished.