joyhui's review against another edition
2.0
the last story (‘It Was Summer’) was definitely my favourite, but overall it wasn’t anything incredible and so i wouldn’t actively recommend it; it was definitely interesting to read, just not all that memorable.
chloebethx_'s review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
davianareads's review against another edition
3.0
A great idea with an unfortunately bad execution. I kept hoping for it to get better and it never did.
afterhours's review against another edition
3.0
7 Love stories but a bit unconventional and with a different twist :)
emmap2023's review against another edition
1.0
Despite reading 5 of the stories contained within this 7 story collection, I was unfortunately unable to finish and put the book aside.
Now I would like to say from the outset that if from the title you are expecting romantic stories this is not the case, the premise behind this book is that each of the seven stories are written around the Greek terms for different forms of love.
I however, did go in with my eye's open but was disappointed to find two dimensional characters, un-relatable and selfish characters and a female character with pretty much no self respect.
There are two stories I enjoyed, the first was relating to the love one has for oneself, this felt extremely of the moment on a valid and relatable subject. The characters were emotive and I was invested in the story they were telling.
The shining light however, in this collection, from those that I read was that of Carys Bray. As a first exposure to her writing I was delighted and completely immersed in her story telling style. The pace flowed with an absorbing grace that took you into the situation her characters were feeling and wrapped around you like a welcoming blanket.
Due to this story alone I will be pursuing purchasing all of Carys Bray's works but unfortunately this group of stories was not to my taste, but I would never take one persons word for it.
Now I would like to say from the outset that if from the title you are expecting romantic stories this is not the case, the premise behind this book is that each of the seven stories are written around the Greek terms for different forms of love.
I however, did go in with my eye's open but was disappointed to find two dimensional characters, un-relatable and selfish characters and a female character with pretty much no self respect.
There are two stories I enjoyed, the first was relating to the love one has for oneself, this felt extremely of the moment on a valid and relatable subject. The characters were emotive and I was invested in the story they were telling.
The shining light however, in this collection, from those that I read was that of Carys Bray. As a first exposure to her writing I was delighted and completely immersed in her story telling style. The pace flowed with an absorbing grace that took you into the situation her characters were feeling and wrapped around you like a welcoming blanket.
Due to this story alone I will be pursuing purchasing all of Carys Bray's works but unfortunately this group of stories was not to my taste, but I would never take one persons word for it.
amyjanesmith's review against another edition
4.0
Nearly five stars but didn't love last two stories quite as much. This is my favourite short story collection - really powerful and made me want to read more by almost all the authors.
lucyduller's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This little book holds so much vivid emotion, it is made up of eight short stories, all of which tell a story of a different kind of love.
This is my first short story collection in which all of the stories are written by different authors. I found it a little difficult to adjust to every author’s unique style of writing and didn’t necessarily find myself obsessed with all of them, but some of them were really special. In particular the stories: One more thing coming undone, Codas, and It Was Summer.
Reading on holiday can sometimes be hard when you feel torn between living your own life like its a story and living in the stories you’re reading, but there is a really lovely balance of the two that is tricky to strike but when you do is a wonderful feeling.
I love the focus on love, I was drawn to this book in the bookshop in Biggar and I’m so glad I picked it up, I love love. There are so many diversities of it but in the introduction, written by Emma Herdman, it is highlighted that every one of these stories depicts love as an action that results in a transformation. “Love is a tool for change.”
This reminds me of the Sociology book I really want to read, ‘All About Love!’ I have it on my book trolley, just need to wait for the right time to strike.
Overall this book was just inspiring. Every story was so unique and beautifully written, it made me want to write my own little one. I cannot say they’ll have anything on these fantastic stories, but if you want to feel inspired, short story collections are the way to go! They feel so much like people-watching, little vignettes and peeps into the intricacies of people’s lives, even if they’re fictional, there’s something comforting in knowing that lives are made up of hundreds of stories.
HAPPY READING!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Eating disorder
lukenotjohn's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a sucker for a cleverly framed anthology, and was really excited for this one. As someone who's a bit curmudgeonly about the proliferation of romantic love in all things media, I was really intrigued by the book's intentional exploration of love in its diverse capacities beyond that one. And, reading through, I enjoyed the ways it was parsed about and examined in its unique particularities, with one story focusing on the painful ache of an unrequited love, another on the tender sweetness of familial love, another on the raw, bodily possessiveness of erotic love, and so on. I think it accomplished what it set out to do and though I've only given it three stars, they reflect my satisfaction and enjoyment of the collection as a whole alongside the knowledge that, ironically, I didn't necessarily -love- any of the stories.
That's not to say there aren't some good ones. "Codas," focusing on familial love (storge) contains a number of sweetly tender, quiet moments between its characters that that feel true in a way that's rare and truly impressive (the conversation between the mother and her son on his bed especially). "Before It Disappears," which is about the pain of unrequited love (la douleur exquise) opens the collection and sets it off exceptionally well; I was immediately entranced by the complicated characters, the sharply precise writing, the intriguing magical realism, and the writer's ability to awaken a similar simultaneous hope and dread that the characters were experiencing. Having written that, I've realized that story is the standout one for me. All the rest have strengths, most often exceptional writing, and I actually enjoyed those that were a bit stranger and slightly experimental for their uniqueness ("The Love Story"s choice to focus on eros through the distanced perspective of a young girl playing with dolls, the frenzied pace and darkened mood of "Magdala, Who Slips Sometimes" which focuses on manic, obsessive love). Unfortunately, "The Human World" focused on agape was the story I was most primed to adore and the one that fell most flat. Characterizing God as a divine Black woman who was omnipresent and omniscient but not omnipotent...I was ready to savor this story as an all-time favorite for its set-up, only to discover it stopped being a story. Instead, for pages and pages, it just became a list of injustices in the world, and while it felt fitting and even meaningful for God to acknowledge and pay attention to them, it ultimately still just reads as a list for the bulk of the story, despite its excellent framework and resonant conclusion.
That's not to say there aren't some good ones. "Codas," focusing on familial love (storge) contains a number of sweetly tender, quiet moments between its characters that that feel true in a way that's rare and truly impressive (the conversation between the mother and her son on his bed especially). "Before It Disappears," which is about the pain of unrequited love (la douleur exquise) opens the collection and sets it off exceptionally well; I was immediately entranced by the complicated characters, the sharply precise writing, the intriguing magical realism, and the writer's ability to awaken a similar simultaneous hope and dread that the characters were experiencing. Having written that, I've realized that story is the standout one for me. All the rest have strengths, most often exceptional writing, and I actually enjoyed those that were a bit stranger and slightly experimental for their uniqueness ("The Love Story"s choice to focus on eros through the distanced perspective of a young girl playing with dolls, the frenzied pace and darkened mood of "Magdala, Who Slips Sometimes" which focuses on manic, obsessive love). Unfortunately, "The Human World" focused on agape was the story I was most primed to adore and the one that fell most flat. Characterizing God as a divine Black woman who was omnipresent and omniscient but not omnipotent...I was ready to savor this story as an all-time favorite for its set-up, only to discover it stopped being a story. Instead, for pages and pages, it just became a list of injustices in the world, and while it felt fitting and even meaningful for God to acknowledge and pay attention to them, it ultimately still just reads as a list for the bulk of the story, despite its excellent framework and resonant conclusion.