tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
‘All the others were honeydew.’
When I requested a copy of this book of short stories, I had no idea what to expect. I’d not read any Edith Pearlman before. This collection of twenty short stories (each of them previously published in various journals) held my attention from the beginning of the first story to the end of the twentieth.
The longest of these stories is 22 pages, most are between 10 and 15 pages. And it’s a tribute to Ms Pearlman’s skill that she can construct a person, a group or family, a setting, a series of events, a lifetime in a way that is self-contained and satisfying to read. Words are not wasted. These stories are about relationships, about observing, about evaluating life choices. Some are unconventional love stories, others remind the reader that happiness can often be found along less conventional paths. Many (but not all) of these stories are set in a fictional Boston suburb inhabited by a multicultural cast of characters.
If you enjoy short stories about people, about possibilities and situations, then you may enjoy this collection. I did. I won’t identify a favourite story, because my view will probably change when I reread the book, but I particularly liked the character of Rennie in ‘Puck’ and in ‘Assisted Living’. Rennie has an antiques business called ‘Forget Me Not’ and while she observes much, Rennie is discreet, and does not offer advice. Each of these stories invites you through a significant event or moment into a life, and then to appreciate (at least part of) that life and to reflect on it. Consider ‘Hat Trick’, in which a recently widowed woman invites four 19 year old girls (including her daughter) to draw the names of their future husbands from a selection of names in a hat. And the result? Fifty years later, the mother is on her deathbed, and the daughter tells her what became of each of the girls: ‘You did a marvellous thing, .. we are all happy enough.’
Note: My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Hachette Australia for an opportunity to read a copy of this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
When I requested a copy of this book of short stories, I had no idea what to expect. I’d not read any Edith Pearlman before. This collection of twenty short stories (each of them previously published in various journals) held my attention from the beginning of the first story to the end of the twentieth.
The longest of these stories is 22 pages, most are between 10 and 15 pages. And it’s a tribute to Ms Pearlman’s skill that she can construct a person, a group or family, a setting, a series of events, a lifetime in a way that is self-contained and satisfying to read. Words are not wasted. These stories are about relationships, about observing, about evaluating life choices. Some are unconventional love stories, others remind the reader that happiness can often be found along less conventional paths. Many (but not all) of these stories are set in a fictional Boston suburb inhabited by a multicultural cast of characters.
If you enjoy short stories about people, about possibilities and situations, then you may enjoy this collection. I did. I won’t identify a favourite story, because my view will probably change when I reread the book, but I particularly liked the character of Rennie in ‘Puck’ and in ‘Assisted Living’. Rennie has an antiques business called ‘Forget Me Not’ and while she observes much, Rennie is discreet, and does not offer advice. Each of these stories invites you through a significant event or moment into a life, and then to appreciate (at least part of) that life and to reflect on it. Consider ‘Hat Trick’, in which a recently widowed woman invites four 19 year old girls (including her daughter) to draw the names of their future husbands from a selection of names in a hat. And the result? Fifty years later, the mother is on her deathbed, and the daughter tells her what became of each of the girls: ‘You did a marvellous thing, .. we are all happy enough.’
Note: My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Hachette Australia for an opportunity to read a copy of this book.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
whitneyborup's review against another edition
3.0
I loved a few of these stories. Especially "Wait and See" about a boy who is pentachromatic and "Hat Trick" about four girls who choose their future husbands' names out of a hat. But I have a hard time with short story collections in general. Maybe it's just me, but even by the end of the book I've almost completely forgotten a few of the stories, and in a year I probably won't even remember my favorites. If I read short stories one at a time, switching between authors and styles, I have a much easier time remembering. Not this collection's fault, but also this one was a little boring for me. I know that's not a very sophisticated review...
davidwright's review against another edition
5.0
My only regret about this book is having read it all at one go, rather than doling out these stories as little treats between other books, as there is so much richness here that as beautifully poised as these stories are, the whole experience winds up being a bit cloying by the end. This one begs a return journey, but suffice it to say these are among the best short stories I've read.
gill's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of short stories from the award winning author Edith Pearlman. Her previous collection Binocular Vision was so fantastic I bought it twice. Does anyone else do that? Buy a book not realising you've already read it and only realise a few pages in when the sense of deja vu is just too weird?
All these stories are based in the same small town in America and if you pay attention you'll notice a few characters appearing in more than one story. Each story is completely unique, dealing with different emotions and circumstances, in each the scene is set in a few sentences, the characters revealed in a few more. Words are in short supply, so Pearlman gets right to the heart of the matter, sketching scenes in a few words, a sentence drawing a complete picture.
I really enjoyed this, reading this was effortless. I started each chapter excited to learn more, with none of the weariness I sometimes feel in novels (there's always one character I dislike or an inevitable scene I'm not looking forwards to). In short stories there's none of that, I could read for ten minutes and finish a complete story, or read for an hour and learn about a whole town.
I would definitely recommend this and Binocular Vision.
All these stories are based in the same small town in America and if you pay attention you'll notice a few characters appearing in more than one story. Each story is completely unique, dealing with different emotions and circumstances, in each the scene is set in a few sentences, the characters revealed in a few more. Words are in short supply, so Pearlman gets right to the heart of the matter, sketching scenes in a few words, a sentence drawing a complete picture.
I really enjoyed this, reading this was effortless. I started each chapter excited to learn more, with none of the weariness I sometimes feel in novels (there's always one character I dislike or an inevitable scene I'm not looking forwards to). In short stories there's none of that, I could read for ten minutes and finish a complete story, or read for an hour and learn about a whole town.
I would definitely recommend this and Binocular Vision.
spacebee's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
slerner310's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful set of stories. Very much a woman's voice. Pearlman might be a little too fond of ending her stories with a kicker, but I don't mind. I read them one by one, savoring each one like a lovely grape or a piquant olive. Highly recommended.
loud_purrbox's review against another edition
I dropped this because I mostly just found it too boring. When I caught myself skimming parts and not feeling there any reward for working through the text, I thought: let's not. The stories are well constructed and somewhat creepy and in theory it could have worked. I can imagine someone else liking them and I tried, but no. Stopped at page ~86.
jonjeffryes's review against another edition
5.0
This ranks as one of my favorite reads of the year. A diverse range of stories (although most take place in Godolphin, Massachusetts). Pearlman successfully inhabits many characters and times. Every detail seems perfectly selected and each story evokes a variety of emotions.
elsayles's review
reflective
relaxing
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
4.5