jessrad505's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ileniazodiaco's review against another edition
5.0
Racconti spiazzanti, racconti che ti mettono a disagio, che spezzano le convenzioni consolidate sulle relazioni, a cominciare dall'assunto per il quale ci sia una perfetta corrispondenza di sentimenti tra due amanti, che amare significa prima di tutto comprendere, che il desiderio sia sempre trasparente e innocuo, che il sesso sia un atto d'intimità. L'autrice mette a nudo l'asimmetria presente in ogni dinamica relazionale contemporanea e per far questo mette in scena degli incubi, spesso grotteschi, che non sono altro che le fantasie e i desideri dei protagonisti. Desideri spesso repressi che diventano più mostruosi e inquietanti ogni volta che li ignoriamo.
Non fatevi ingannare dallo stile chiaro, diretto e quasi rude. Questa raccolta è tutt'altro che scontata.
Non fatevi ingannare dallo stile chiaro, diretto e quasi rude. Questa raccolta è tutt'altro che scontata.
cherylsarnoski's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely dark but so well written you’ll be trapped. 4.5
suzannalundale's review against another edition
5.0
Dear Ms. Roupenian,
Fuck yes.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Parker, Dorothy if you're nasty
Fuck yes.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Parker, Dorothy if you're nasty
supernumeraryemily's review against another edition
dark
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I certainly can't say I enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio version and almost didn't finish. The stories were extremely disturbing. The stories are mostly about sex, power, and pain. The author is very skilled at detailing the inner turmoil and anxieties of characters. The author also skilled at revealing the darkest and worst, most shameful thoughts of each character in a way that is quite unsettling and often repulsive on the reader's end--and often seemingly without enough purpose behind it. I thought many stories were thought-provoking and interesting while also being terribly dark, like "Bad Boy," "The mirror, the bucket, and the old thigh bone," and "good guy." "Look at your game, girl" was thought-provoking and only slightly less dark. "Biter" and "Milkwishes" were actually enjoyable stories, and I was grateful that the collection finished with these stories that were pensive and even amusing.
halaurll's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
5.0
Haunting short stories on the horror of being a woman, sex, and other things that will keep you up at night. Like "Cat Person," Kristin Roupenian elucidates and illuminates dark experiences that are mostly untold.
ruthlessly's review against another edition
2.0
I truly truly despised the opening three stories of this (I didn't like the fourth one either, but it coming back to back with the fifth story made more sense to me) and I will not sway from that, but some of these are much better and I enjoyed a handful of them. This is not a ringing endorsement I know but it was okay.
Out of all of these, later, I think I only liked maybe two or three and a handful more were okay. It's not that these are badly written because they're not, I just feel like not many of them stick their landing at all. What's the point of them? If you're writing a short story, doesn't it need to have a clearer point? Or, if you're making the point, I just feel like it shouldn't feel like such a cheap shot. There's a story in here about a Nice Guy which is the longest one and it was like, okay. It was fine. The fact it was so long maybe would have been fine but it's clearly one of two central pieces in here (the other being Cat Person) and I just don't think it shines. She definitely does not stick that landing.
I hadn't read Cat Person before this and it was okay I guess.
Not surprising probably, but my favourite stories here were the ones about the princess and the one where a woman summons a man and uses his blood for other spells. They were both interesting, short, played with horror and fairy tale tropes in a way that I thought was easily some of the most exciting work here. They also were compact, with a definitive structure and end. I liked Biter for the same reason, but I think ending on a good note made me less ambivalent about it momentarily and I won't be taken in that way!
Anyway this was fine I guess and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it, but I wouldn't recommend it either. Short stories can be a fun way of seeing if an author works for you, sometimes, but I still don't know if this one does!
Out of all of these, later, I think I only liked maybe two or three and a handful more were okay. It's not that these are badly written because they're not, I just feel like not many of them stick their landing at all. What's the point of them? If you're writing a short story, doesn't it need to have a clearer point? Or, if you're making the point, I just feel like it shouldn't feel like such a cheap shot. There's a story in here about a Nice Guy which is the longest one and it was like, okay. It was fine. The fact it was so long maybe would have been fine but it's clearly one of two central pieces in here (the other being Cat Person) and I just don't think it shines. She definitely does not stick that landing.
I hadn't read Cat Person before this and it was okay I guess.
Not surprising probably, but my favourite stories here were the ones about the princess and the one where a woman summons a man and uses his blood for other spells. They were both interesting, short, played with horror and fairy tale tropes in a way that I thought was easily some of the most exciting work here. They also were compact, with a definitive structure and end. I liked Biter for the same reason, but I think ending on a good note made me less ambivalent about it momentarily and I won't be taken in that way!
Anyway this was fine I guess and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it, but I wouldn't recommend it either. Short stories can be a fun way of seeing if an author works for you, sometimes, but I still don't know if this one does!