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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
this collection contains numerous short stories by lucia berlin, and while my liking for each of them varies in degrees, a manual for cleaning women nevertheless demonstrates why berlin's work is considered a classic in american literature.
though the stories are a mildly discombobulating mix and read very slow initially, the book's second half is markedly compelling and more intense somehow, w/ some of my favorites being "grief," "let me see you smile," and "here it is saturday."
berlin's trademark of - as a review on the back cover puts it - "brutal one-liners and swift reversals" always keeps the reader subconsciously on edge, and even make me flinch on occasion when the ball drops. there are no obvious happy endings or resolution of plot points, as the stories are akin to snapshot of moments in time, yet they also ring true, noted in their emotional resonance that are never gratuitous.
i also greatly appreciate the genuine portrayal and inclusion of society's marginalized, whether it be in terms of race, gender, class, the imprisoned, nationality, disability, etc. to be honest i was very surprised by how aware berlin is of all the aforementioned groups and issues, never reducing anyone to caricatures. esp considering the time period during which she wrote the stories, it seems like she's ahead of her time, and attests to the fact that pre-'woke' stories and literature can be diverse - it reflects the actual world, after all - and need not be blandly uniformed.
overall, i enjoy this book for its real stories, diverse rep (who would have thought?), unpredictability, though will have to reread it once im in the right headspace to more greatly appreciate the first half.
though the stories are a mildly discombobulating mix and read very slow initially, the book's second half is markedly compelling and more intense somehow, w/ some of my favorites being "grief," "let me see you smile," and "here it is saturday."
berlin's trademark of - as a review on the back cover puts it - "brutal one-liners and swift reversals" always keeps the reader subconsciously on edge, and even make me flinch on occasion when the ball drops. there are no obvious happy endings or resolution of plot points, as the stories are akin to snapshot of moments in time, yet they also ring true, noted in their emotional resonance that are never gratuitous.
i also greatly appreciate the genuine portrayal and inclusion of society's marginalized, whether it be in terms of race, gender, class, the imprisoned, nationality, disability, etc. to be honest i was very surprised by how aware berlin is of all the aforementioned groups and issues, never reducing anyone to caricatures. esp considering the time period during which she wrote the stories, it seems like she's ahead of her time, and attests to the fact that pre-'woke' stories and literature can be diverse - it reflects the actual world, after all - and need not be blandly uniformed.
overall, i enjoy this book for its real stories, diverse rep (who would have thought?), unpredictability, though will have to reread it once im in the right headspace to more greatly appreciate the first half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment