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chasegirl's review
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As someone who discovered Freudenberger on the most beautiful of whims— being handed an Advanced Reader’s Copy of her novel Lost and Wanted at the age of 14 at a book convention— and finally reading it four years later at the age of 18— it was fascinating to discover through the reviews on this ancient website and other online sources the nonsense “controversy” that surrounded her in her early years. Jealousy is vicious, a young, attractive woman in an academic field is exactly ripe for that sort of thing. It did shock me a little, though— all I knew of Nell was that she was semi-obscure, married, and taught writing in The Bronx. I’m sure I would’ve sided with her anyway, but I do wonder. As someone with neither an MfA or an ambient belief in the inherent inferiority of intellect in the face of beauty, I hope I would have been fine.
Freudenberger’s stories in this collection touched me deeply, each of them, stories of love. The dual perspectives in The Tutor, my favorite story, was one of my favorite of her literary tricks; the same situation is alternately sweet, slightly notable, and teenage and cosmic, huge, and all-consuming. Its closing moments remain sweet and emotionally real.
The final story made me cry.
The rest are excellent too, The Orphan frustrating in a way that lets you know you care, Lucky Girls sad but never somber, Outside the Eastern Gate about what its missing.
In many ways the stories are the same. At the end of my book, in an interview, Freudenberger names David Mitchell one of her favorite writers. In many ways, this is her Cloud Atlas.
Freudenberger’s stories in this collection touched me deeply, each of them, stories of love. The dual perspectives in The Tutor, my favorite story, was one of my favorite of her literary tricks; the same situation is alternately sweet, slightly notable, and teenage and cosmic, huge, and all-consuming. Its closing moments remain sweet and emotionally real.
The final story made me cry.
The rest are excellent too, The Orphan frustrating in a way that lets you know you care, Lucky Girls sad but never somber, Outside the Eastern Gate about what its missing.
In many ways the stories are the same. At the end of my book, in an interview, Freudenberger names David Mitchell one of her favorite writers. In many ways, this is her Cloud Atlas.
kylakavanagh's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rebeccatulloch's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
maedo's review
2.0
The best story in this collection is its first, "Lucky Girls," about a young white American expatriate in India deciding if she wants to stay in her adopted country after the death of her married lover, for whom she moved in the first place. The idea of defining what makes a place feel like home is personally appealing, especially as I contemplate making a drastic change of my own.
But everything after "Lucky Girls" feels too similar - only one of the five stories in the collection is set at any length in America, yet all are written from the perspective of relatively prosperous white Americans who seem to be able to afford multiple international moves on a whim. There is rarely a feeling of real narrative tension that comes from conflicts that can't be resolved, and when the conflict of the story is of the unresolvable sort - as in "Outside the Eastern Gate," - it doesn't feel amplified enough.
But everything after "Lucky Girls" feels too similar - only one of the five stories in the collection is set at any length in America, yet all are written from the perspective of relatively prosperous white Americans who seem to be able to afford multiple international moves on a whim. There is rarely a feeling of real narrative tension that comes from conflicts that can't be resolved, and when the conflict of the story is of the unresolvable sort - as in "Outside the Eastern Gate," - it doesn't feel amplified enough.
nadya_'s review
4.0
Beautiful novels about women who due to life events end up in foreign countries having to face cultural differences while trying to get together their own lives. Five different stories, different countries, different challenges, different experiences. Some who is fascinated by cultural experiences, South-east asian countries and travel in general will enjoy the book, as much as i did.
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