Reviews

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin

yvonnemh's review

4.0

What a fabulous writer. A grittier, rougher Alice Munro. "The only reason I have lived so long is that I let go of my past., Shut the door on grief on regret on remorse. If I let them in, just one self-indulgent crack, whap, the door will fling open gales of pain ripping through my heart blinding my eyes with shame breaking cups and bottles knocking down jars shattering windows stumbling bloody on spilled sugar and broken glass terrified gagging until with a final shudder and sob I shut the heavy door. Pick up the pieces one more time." Such beauty, such pain, such power in her words.

katom6878's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

keomeara's review

2.0

With god as my witness I finally finished this book. Some of the stories were moving and wonderful but some were so odd and I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what was going on !! Wayyy too many slurs… this is definitely a dated book. Published in 2015 isn’t really accurate as she wrote from the 70s to early 2000s max

teresatumminello's review against another edition

4.0

3.5

I had no preconceptions going into this volume of short stories, even vaguely wondered if it might be a translation due to my unfamiliarity with the name of the author and my maybe knowing ahead of time (from blurbs) that some of the stories’ locales are Mexico and South America. Though Berlin knew some Spanish, she’s an English writer, born in the United States, who led an extraordinary life—a life that fuels all of her stories. Due to this fueling, some of the stories, read close together, come to seem repetitive, as if she’s working out her themes. She likely was. As only one example, several stories about her sister culminate in “Wait a Minute,” the penultimate, and my favorite, of the collection. Her descriptions of time in this gorgeous story are masterful.

Though some stories might seem throwaways, they all juxtapose humor and darkness in varying degrees, are quirky and unique, none reminding me of any other writer. I could make a case for a better tighter collection if it held fewer stories, but in the long run, especially for her fans, it’s probably nice to have these all together.

Most of her stories have great endings, including “Mijito,” the story of a young immigrant mother that not only broke my heart but shattered it into little pieces. And as I finished the last paragraph of the last story and realized it was the last, I experienced a sense of loss—and satisfaction.

kalinab's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

megklaughtland's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

hcube3's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

nathanielpr's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Absolutely brilliant writing. Stories of the hardness and the beauty of life, of others, of loss, of struggle told with crisp clarity and so little moralizing it's almost astounding.

nancyadelman's review

1.0

This is a collection of very short stories: some are as short as two pages. Ms. Berlin is a talented author and writes in an interesting fashion, but it's just not my cup of tea. It's probably the shortness of her stories; I get attached to characters and prefer reading longer pieces.

magnalia's review against another edition

5.0

What a wonderful, even magical book. And the magic is, paradoxically, in how real all the stories are. I’ve been there, together with Lucia, living in Chile, Orlando, New Mexico, caring about her babies, working at the hospitals, talking to the people in jail, making love, enjoying life. Wondering, “what if”. Scared of my drinking problems. I think I know her better now than I know some of my friends. That curiosity for other people’s life (not polite kindness, as Lucia also mentions) but that real compassionate curiosity when you are interested not how people move but what moves them - I deeply miss this nowadays. I wish I could visit her house, talk to her, share my fears, laugh at them, drink with her, smoke, love. I would ask her to teach me writing. And to cook some of her Spanish recipes. And so many other things.
Finishing this book was like saying goodbye to a friend you know you won’t see ever again; yet the memories will stay forever, inspiring and moving.