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seasonedreadings's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
bobbygw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
espresoul's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
4.0
vegantrav's review
4.0
Ninety-Nine Stories of God is ever so strange--at times utterly delightful and thought-provoking and at other times so odd as to be puzzling or, in a few thankfully rare instances, a bit dull.
These are ninety-nine pericopes--some as short as a single sentence and none much longer than three pages. Many of them directly reference or hint at God or religious themes while others only very vaguely, if at all, allude to religious ideas. Those of us in the Christian tradition might be tempted to describe them as parables, but they are really more akin to Zen koans: most of them don't have a straightforward meaning and tend to be jarring, to throw the reader off balance, to defy the usual narrative logic of stories and even of life. We have to re-read what we just read and try to grasp the deeper meaning, and sometimes it seems that there is no deeper meaning--only a quixotic playfulness, a gentle mockery of the reader's expectation for some profound spiritual meaning.
I found myself frequently frustrated by these little vignettes but compulsively and hungrily continuing to read one after the other. This is a very short collection and can easily be read in an hour or so. If your taste inclines toward weird, often seemingly nonsensical stories that force you to think, you should pick this little gem up.
These are ninety-nine pericopes--some as short as a single sentence and none much longer than three pages. Many of them directly reference or hint at God or religious themes while others only very vaguely, if at all, allude to religious ideas. Those of us in the Christian tradition might be tempted to describe them as parables, but they are really more akin to Zen koans: most of them don't have a straightforward meaning and tend to be jarring, to throw the reader off balance, to defy the usual narrative logic of stories and even of life. We have to re-read what we just read and try to grasp the deeper meaning, and sometimes it seems that there is no deeper meaning--only a quixotic playfulness, a gentle mockery of the reader's expectation for some profound spiritual meaning.
I found myself frequently frustrated by these little vignettes but compulsively and hungrily continuing to read one after the other. This is a very short collection and can easily be read in an hour or so. If your taste inclines toward weird, often seemingly nonsensical stories that force you to think, you should pick this little gem up.
amjammi's review against another edition
5.0
Mother-in-law approved title, but content is decidedly NOT mother-in-law approved.
Easy to read in one sitting. I can't tell if it's truly profound or if this feeling will evaporate. I'm thinking about pigs, and arson, and old dogs, and green ink, and roses.
Easy to read in one sitting. I can't tell if it's truly profound or if this feeling will evaporate. I'm thinking about pigs, and arson, and old dogs, and green ink, and roses.
mikaelaw's review against another edition
Wondered often if I was smart enough to understand many, many of these stories. The rest were sublime.
kayay's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
lynecia's review against another edition
4.0
Rather than "short stories", I'd call this collection "micro-stories"-- and as the title suggests, Joy Williams writes 99 separate vignettes in which she portrays encounters with the Divine, in literal (my favorite ones were where "The Lord" was a main character) and not so literal ways. I thought this collection was creative and captivating. As an audiobook presentation, each story was able to vividly come to life in 1-2 minutes, and then it was on to the next. I recommend if you're in a reading slump or need a quick read.
lbykes's review
Oblique but still satisfying. Format allows her to be funny/ironic/mystic/sad as necessary. Joy Williams!!!