lindseyloeper's review
4.0
I love short stories and I was looking forward to picking up this book. I don't know if it's because Stephen King is this year's guest editor, or if the world in general is just feeling a little down, but every story in this book is kind of a bummer. Some are sweet and sad, some are funny and sad, some are scary and sad, etc and sad. But all fantastically written! Great contribution from on of my favorite authors, Alice Munro.
cosmiccloudbird's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
teachocolateandbooks's review
2.0
Normally, I love the Best American ____. This was an edition that I had difficulty in getting through most of the stories. I tried to read the stories and normally gave up midway through most of them. Not my favourite by far.
the_dave_harmon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
this is the 5th Best American Short Stories installment that i've read, and until now they've all been disappointing. i was starting to wonder if i just didnt like Heidi Pitlor's choices; and when i saw that for the 2007 edition Stephen King had also spent the entire year reading stories instead of just choosing from her suggestions i became hopeful. and i was not disappointed at all. which is somewhat surprising considering that i'm not really a fan of King's books these days. these stories are all excellent. i thought these were especially excellent:
My brother Eli
where will you go when your skin cannot contain you?
findings & impressions
the bris
St. Lucy's home for girls raised by wolves
My brother Eli
where will you go when your skin cannot contain you?
findings & impressions
the bris
St. Lucy's home for girls raised by wolves
spiderfly's review
3.0
I enjoyed a lot of the stories. Several were really good, but nothing blew me away.
rossjenc's review
3.0
With the exception of two stories that I couldn't really get through I really enjoyed this book. A few of the stories I really loved and will stay with me a long time. Short stories might be small in size but their intensity requires a lot of your time. I like that.
crissytrap's review
5.0
There were a couple of stories I really enjoyed. Others I just could have done without.
escapegrace's review
4.0
I don't always see eye to eye with Stephen King, but I can say one thing: we definitely have the same taste in short stories. I think this is one of the strongest BASS collections in years.
library_brandy's review
5.0
Stephen King is not the kind of guy who will do anything half-assed, and his selections for this year's BASS collection are no exceptions. Unlike most editors, he didn't just go through the pile the series editor forwarded him--he bought and read nearly every short-story periodical that exists, and read far and wide from them. As a result, the anthology he put together includes an impressive variety of stories, from the French revolution to futuristic military plague-carriers to a road trip through a snowstorm toward a funeral. What the stories have in common, though, is the heart--each story has a voice and a point, an emotional impact that's been lacking in much of my other recent reading.
Each story is also marked by King's aversion to brevity, but there were only one or two I felt were running long. This is an improvement over some recent years' BASS collections.
Each story is also marked by King's aversion to brevity, but there were only one or two I felt were running long. This is an improvement over some recent years' BASS collections.