sam_bizar_wilcox's review against another edition
5.0
Paley's short stories--and these stories are short--are so wonderfully breezy and smart. There's a serious depth to her writing that permeates the collection. Certainly, there are stories that seem lighter -- "Gloomy Tune" stands out--but the overall project is mischievously sophisticated. It's the title intimation: enormous changes that last a minute. These stories are structured around clipped but shattering events, yet told with a cleansing breath of levity. I'm reminded of Cynthia Ozick for the way Paley authentically digs into her Jewish heritage, something that has always felt homey for me (Paley, Ozick, and I share an Ashkenazic background); I'm reminded, too, of Joy Williams, for the crisp lines by which Paley builds her featurettes. Like Williams, these stories feel quite post-modern, but unlike Williams, she doesn't seem to get enough credit for her writing (there's this NYB article from 2017: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/10/12/grace-paley-postmodern-mom/ but it's paywalled). A shame that is: I wish I'd discovered Paley sooner.
veelaughtland's review against another edition
2.0
This collection wasn't really for me. There were some stories that I enjoyed more than others (Wants, Faith in a Tree, A Conversation with My Father, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute), but I'm not entirely sure those will even stay with me much longer. Although I can tell Grace Paley was a talented and accomplished writer, her style is just not my thing. I found most of the stories quite hard to follow, frequently losing my train of thought, and I'm not particularly a fan of stories in general that are incredibly heavy on the dialogue and less so on plot. I'm glad I read it though as it was definitely something different!
kitabe_bohot_si's review against another edition
1.0
dnf
moral of the story- never pick up short stories or books just because you like the cover
moral of the story- never pick up short stories or books just because you like the cover
kitabe_bohot_si's review against another edition
none of the stories appealed to me or made me want to read more of this book
smayp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jrl6809's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid slice of life stories dealing with a broad range of topics including class, gender, and motherhood. They're mostly quiet and internal stories focusing on individuals going through persinal reckonings. A lot of the characters are kind of ethically questionable in a lot of ways. These stories feel very deep and I think there was probably much to unpack that went over my head. I would love to have read this for a class or a book club and been able to hear others thoughts and analysis. I can definitely see myself revisiting many of these stories in the future and getting more and more out of them. The narration is challenging and stylish in a slightly off-beat way. All-in-all a very cool collection.
I will say some of the very shortest stories just didn't hit me quite right, I walked away from them not sure what exactly I was supposed to take from them. The title story and "Faith in the Afternoon" were the biggest stand outs for me.
I will say some of the very shortest stories just didn't hit me quite right, I walked away from them not sure what exactly I was supposed to take from them. The title story and "Faith in the Afternoon" were the biggest stand outs for me.
margaret_adams's review against another edition
Okay, Paley, I get why you're a big deal. My favorite story was the first one "Wants," which you should read immediately.
Here's a passage from "A Conversation with My Father":
Here's a passage from "A Conversation with My Father":
"I would like you to write a simple story just once more," he says, "the kind de Maupassant wrote, or Chekhov, the kind you used to write. Just recognizable people and then write down what happened to them next."
I say, "Yes, why not? That's possible." I want to please him, though I don't remember writing that way. I would like to try to tell such a story, ifhe means the kind that begins: "There was a woman..." followed by plot, the absolute line between two points which I've always despised. Not for literary reasons, but because it takes all hope away. Everyone, real or invented, deserves the open destiny of life.
anna_harmsen's review
Ich habe etwas Anderes von dem Buch erwartet. Mit Feminismus hatten die Storys bisher nichts zu tun. Nur mit Slutshaming, Bodyshaming, emotionale Erpressung usw.. Genauso wenig ging es um politische Veränderung. Ich habe mich nur aufgeregt und wollte nicht mehr weiter lesen.
litrarydiversty's review against another edition
4.0
These stories are phenomenal. Most are less than 10 pages, but in that time you learn what you need to about character relationships and motivations. Paley gets at the tension, claustrophobia, comfort, community, and betrayal in the racial and ethnic neighborhoods of NYC. Most of the stories focus on the interiority of Jewish women, living lives that are banal, frustrating, not that exciting, descended from those who survived/are surviving the pogroms, holocausts, & anti-Semitism. Another story is an enraging account of how white discomfort can lead to the death of a Black child. Paley’s prose is piercing, perceptive, full of raw fidelity that illuminates the technique needed to make “less is more” really work.