freshmowngrass's review
4.0
Whether exploring the hidden webs of memory, the slow fracture of relationships (or the seemingly small but poignant moments that build them), or the way a single place or event connects us all, these stories are direct, intricate, and immediately personal. Shields is gently deprecating and never sentimental. A true master class in short story writing.
litdoes's review
4.0
Carol Shields' strength lies in her ability to craft precise descriptions of moments... Her most interesting stories come from the first 2 vollumes, while the last collection felt more experimental and to me, somewhat less enjoyable. But her prose is always a pleasure to savour...
ldv's review
2.0
Not your typical short stories.
Very few had a plot or even central conflict. It's more like you're a fly and you buzz in and out of homes to witness snippets of life happening all over space and time.
Many of the characters are middle-aged, often divorced or in unhappy marriages (sometimes just co-habituating) and/or there has been infidelity in the relationships.
Some of the stories are peculiar, making me wonder if I totally missed the point once I got to the end. Perhaps I did, as I raced through many of the stories instead of slowly digesting them one by one.
I liked the one where the meterologists go on strike and there's no weather, the one where the writer avoids the letter I and narrates the experience. There were a few others, too, but on the whole, I'd say I am more of a short story traditionalist.
Very few had a plot or even central conflict. It's more like you're a fly and you buzz in and out of homes to witness snippets of life happening all over space and time.
Many of the characters are middle-aged, often divorced or in unhappy marriages (sometimes just co-habituating) and/or there has been infidelity in the relationships.
Some of the stories are peculiar, making me wonder if I totally missed the point once I got to the end. Perhaps I did, as I raced through many of the stories instead of slowly digesting them one by one.
I liked the one where the meterologists go on strike and there's no weather, the one where the writer avoids the letter I and narrates the experience. There were a few others, too, but on the whole, I'd say I am more of a short story traditionalist.
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