toffishay's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The stories in this collection explore themes of death and destruction, isolation and community, family, womanhood, motherhood, life for immigrants and those experiences poverty in mid-century America, poetry and music. The style of writing is very beautiful; it feels in a similar vein to Ursula K. Le Guin (especially her work that isn't as science fiction), Edith Wharton, Shirley Jackson, and Toni Morrison a little. The stories really feel like you are plopped right into the middle of people's lives. My favorite stories were "Faith in the Afternoon", "Living", "Faith in a Tree", "A Conversation with My Father", and "The Immigrant Story"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, War, Violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Child death, Racism, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
Minor: Miscarriage, Fatphobia, Abortion, and Sexual content
janson's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Pockmarked. A bit too so for me, now.
natbaldino's review against another edition
5.0
I've never read sentences like these, Paley is just incredible.
kiramke's review against another edition
4.0
Sharp. Very much one time, one place, and one quirky mind.
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
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