gohawks's review against another edition
4.0
Historical fiction for those not sure if they like historical fiction. This was a great find. I'll admit that I wasn't really considering this book when I saw it at the library, but it was so short I thought I should give it a try. It is a bunch of short stories that are written mostly in the17th - 19th centuries all based on some scrap of newspaper article, letters or journal entries. The unifying theme is supposed to be travel though not every story fits this unless you want to get metaphysical about it. Not every story is a true gem, but none are long enough to bore too badly. And a handful are quite surprising and moving. I have not yet read Donoghue's Room though it is on my bookshelf. What was thrilling about this particular book was the way the author manages to write in so many different voices and styles, possibly a feat made easier by the fact that she sometimes had examples of the character's writings. The most riveting aspect to this book was the context given to each story. After each tale, the author commits a page to the actual inspiration and historical relationship to the stories. Highly recommend this one as a change of pace read.
cathiestrover's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this delightful array of short stories based on true information gleaned by Emma Donoghue on the lives of immigrants to America.
laurelinwonder's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars: This short story collection by Emma Donoghue examines historic and personal moments that are based on real events. Each story is followed by background information from which the narrative is based, which was pretty cool. While these may be stories of old, as it were, they do manage to come up against some current issue, so you can relate even now. It's well written, I just couldn't get sucked in to any one story, and that is why I rate it a bit lower. I love "Room" and "Kissing the Witch" so it's just this one for me personally that isn't happening.
kimschmidt's review against another edition
3.0
I had high hopes for this book when I saw it displayed at the library. I found that I'm not a huge fan of short stories. Though Emma does a fascinating job of telling a story in a short amount of space, I was yearning for more from each character. The way the book is set up almost made me believe I'd be encountering the characters again (first few stories are about "departures", second set is "in transit", last is "arrivals and aftermaths") but no one reappears.
floribunda52's review against another edition
4.0
The author is a good storyteller, but this was nowhere near "Room"!
elisabeth1st's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not a short story reader. Thanks to my friend Shane and the amazing book Emma wrote, ROOM, I decided to give it a run. This was very interesting. She wrote fictionalized stories from snippets of true stories she found from the 1980s. Perhaps this is a standard practice, but not being a writer it never occurred to me before.
astroneatly's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
pharmdad2007's review against another edition
4.0
Neat collection of stories that "flesh out" old newspaper headlines or historical tidbits.
eeenou's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
krissyronan's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting collection of short stories. I love the novels I’ve read by Donoghue. I think many of the stories could be a whole novel so this short form ultimately felt unsatisfying. Probably a 2.5 but her writing is so good! Adult / older teen.