joshgauthier's review against another edition
4.0
I've decided that I prefer Barry's novels over his short stories, but I think this is partly a reflection of my own reading preferences. But, even in shorter form, there is something about Barry's writing that draws me back to it time and again.
So much about his work is subdued - the humor, the tone, the pacing. Not that it's slow, and it's certainly not always quiet, but there is a... thoughtfulness that permeates his work. And whether Barry is writing about partying teenagers or overworked genies, there is a strength and distinctiveness to his voice and style that I absolutely love.
As with any collection, some of the stories contained here are better than others, but all of them are the work of a highly skilled writer. Peering into some of the grittier aspects of life, these stories rarely feel as though they provide complete closure. Rather, with dark humor and striking insight, they carry the narrative through enough of an arc so as to complete the story without closing the door on the story completely, so to speak. These characters, and their stories, are bigger than the world in which they themselves exist - as is the case with all great stories.
Displaying Barry's range in terms of tone and content, "There are Little Kingdoms" is a collection that showcases Barry's talents - holding treasures of greatness within Irish culture and beyond.
So much about his work is subdued - the humor, the tone, the pacing. Not that it's slow, and it's certainly not always quiet, but there is a... thoughtfulness that permeates his work. And whether Barry is writing about partying teenagers or overworked genies, there is a strength and distinctiveness to his voice and style that I absolutely love.
As with any collection, some of the stories contained here are better than others, but all of them are the work of a highly skilled writer. Peering into some of the grittier aspects of life, these stories rarely feel as though they provide complete closure. Rather, with dark humor and striking insight, they carry the narrative through enough of an arc so as to complete the story without closing the door on the story completely, so to speak. These characters, and their stories, are bigger than the world in which they themselves exist - as is the case with all great stories.
Displaying Barry's range in terms of tone and content, "There are Little Kingdoms" is a collection that showcases Barry's talents - holding treasures of greatness within Irish culture and beyond.
kclikesthings's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
scooby's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
absolute_gemma's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
callymac's review
3.0
Had one or two really great stories that I will remember for a while, but overall just a decent collection about (mostly) small-town Ireland. He obviously has a great knack for description and imagery -- particularly the kind that sort of anthropomorphises everything to have human emotions, anxieties, psychological states and so on, which I just love. I also think that the characters were really fleshed out and had a lot going on -- lots of brimming tensions and the like -- which would make him a great novelist. So, I will probably pick up some of his novels.
drewsof's review against another edition
4.0
The weaker stories here make me want to revise my opinion of Dark Lies the Island a little bit higher – there are a few tales here that do, for whatever reason, fall a bit short of the mark. But that doesn’t make this a bad collection. Far from it; as a debut, it pretty much crushes it and even looking at it retrospectively, you can see the talent that comes to the fore in Barry’s more recent works. I’ve said this twice now and I’ll say it at least once more before the year is out – but you need to read Kevin Barry. He’s an uncommon talent, all the more uncommon for how simple and life-like his insights can be.
More at RB (http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2013/09/30/there-are-little-kingdoms/) and at TNBBC (http://thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/drew-reviews-there-are-little-kingdoms.html)
More at RB (http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2013/09/30/there-are-little-kingdoms/) and at TNBBC (http://thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/drew-reviews-there-are-little-kingdoms.html)
eeriemusick's review against another edition
3.0
I was originally assigned some stories from this collection for a Contemporary Irish Literature class my final term of undergrad, and I'm sad to say I JUST got around to actually reading them (and the others in the collection).
I definitely enjoyed the collection as a whole, and it opened me up to the world of Irish literature that I was previously not involved in, but there were a few stories that left me feeling a little dirty - something I hope was the intent of Kevin Barry.
A lot of the stories did a great job exploring the grit in contemporary Ireland and exposing the hyper masculinity that seems to be alive in the culture, but there were a couple stories ("See The Tree, How Big It's Grown" in particular) that seemed to want you to feel bad for the main character even after Barry lists some nonredeemable qualities.
I did love the detail and insane characters we meet through out the book, as well as the fantastical events that take place, sometimes turning Ireland into a magical realm. I plan on hopefully rereading in the future!
I went into some deeper thoughts on the blog.
https://musickcity.wordpress.com/2018/06/18/exploring-little-kingdoms/
I definitely enjoyed the collection as a whole, and it opened me up to the world of Irish literature that I was previously not involved in, but there were a few stories that left me feeling a little dirty - something I hope was the intent of Kevin Barry.
A lot of the stories did a great job exploring the grit in contemporary Ireland and exposing the hyper masculinity that seems to be alive in the culture, but there were a couple stories ("See The Tree, How Big It's Grown" in particular) that seemed to want you to feel bad for the main character even after Barry lists some nonredeemable qualities.
I did love the detail and insane characters we meet through out the book, as well as the fantastical events that take place, sometimes turning Ireland into a magical realm. I plan on hopefully rereading in the future!
I went into some deeper thoughts on the blog.
https://musickcity.wordpress.com/2018/06/18/exploring-little-kingdoms/
_inge_'s review
I'm reading a bunch of short story collections, to learn how to analyse them. Therefore, rating anon.
First impression: the stories are not that memorable to me, I struggle to recall what I've read. They did get better towards the end, though. Maybe the book just needs a closer, more active read.
First impression: the stories are not that memorable to me, I struggle to recall what I've read. They did get better towards the end, though. Maybe the book just needs a closer, more active read.