jebowker's review against another edition
4.0
I was shocked to see so many negative reviews for this collection. I feel like many of the poor reviews were due to not enjoying this “stream of consciousness” type of prose. Maybe the target audience was missed here?
Many of the stories here were revelatory & precise, albeit redundant. However, I often thought to myself, “This is exactly the type of prose I like to read, and exactly the type of prose I wish I could write.” Many of her stories reminded me of the uncanny, which I really enjoy.
If you’re not into stories that require you to pay careful attention to detail, then this collection is not for you.
Many of the stories here were revelatory & precise, albeit redundant. However, I often thought to myself, “This is exactly the type of prose I like to read, and exactly the type of prose I wish I could write.” Many of her stories reminded me of the uncanny, which I really enjoy.
If you’re not into stories that require you to pay careful attention to detail, then this collection is not for you.
jessica_h's review against another edition
2.0
This one is a hard one to review for me. Rather than short stories, at least in the sense that I am familiar with, these super short stories are more likely to be considered flash fiction. Whilst I did enjoy the quirky writing style, the often curious imagery, and the blunt dialogue I encountered whilst flicking through this, I can't say that anything specific about this read has really stayed with me. I finished this collection with the same feeling I often get when I've completed a poetry collection. Whilst I can appreciate the writing in a cosmetic sense, I don't feel that I have fully understood what I have read, or taken anything real from it that others might. Although I would still pick up some more Diane Williams if I came across a book of hers in a charity shop or something (as I'm intrigued as to whether her style is consistently this experimental), I can't say that I'm rushing out to find more by her on the basis of this book.
sm_almon's review against another edition
3.0
It's hard to know what to make of this collection of short stories, but it was interesting.
brimby's review against another edition
4.0
Very unique and powerfully confounding vignettes. The bizarreness of life really pours out from these stories.
tambling's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly helps if you consider it free-verse poetry instead of prose. Nice, rain-slicked little impressionistic morsels.
sharonbakar's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't really "get", but was intrigued by, these very short pieces. These brittle little shards of disenchantment are more akin to poetry I think, than to fiction. The expression is in places decidedly odd in places and word choice jars in an interesting way.
I was wondering ... what would happen if someone cut up the stories and moved whole paragraphs from one story to another - would a reader realise?
Will appeal to fans of Lydia Davis perhaps.
I was wondering ... what would happen if someone cut up the stories and moved whole paragraphs from one story to another - would a reader realise?
Will appeal to fans of Lydia Davis perhaps.