Reviews

Thirteen Ways of Looking: Fiction by Colum McCann

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jennieleigh's review against another edition

2.0

ultimately, I think I'm just not a good reader of short fiction. It takes me far too long to get invested in a story or characters, and short fiction formats constantly leaving me feeling unsettled. I didn't particularly enjoy any of these pieces, even though I can objectively tell the writing was good. I didn't like this nearly as much as his other works.

laurapoulosky's review against another edition

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4.0

While this is not the best of McCann I've read so far (I loved _Let the Great World Spin_ and liked _Dancer_ quite a bit), it was still interesting, well-written, and worth reading. As usual, McCann does a great job of getting into the heads of his characters (at least the main characters) and helping you understand them. I'll be interested to hear what others in B & B Club think of it.

lambsears's review against another edition

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5.0

Wow.

I'm not a fan of short stories or novellas, but bought this after hearing McCann interviewed on the Australian ABC and I'm so glad I did.

The writing in these stories is masterful. Each sentence is finely crafted and McCann's use of words is simply exquisite - not one of them is wasted and each is a joy to read. Within these brief pieces McCann has created entire tableau's, conveying situations, personalities, locations and entire lives subtly - but also vividly, dramatically and enthrallingly. I was totally engrossed from his first word to his last.

This is probably some of the best writing I've ever read. McCann is clearly a writer at his peak and I'd recommend this to anyone. Fabulous.

elisabeth7291's review against another edition

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2.0

This was a hard book to rate because I loved 'Sh'khol' and 'Treaty' as much as I hated the title story, 'Thirteen Ways of Looking.' I remember have similar conflicting feelings about 'Let the Great World Spin' - moments of brilliance buried in mire.

kirsten0929's review against another edition

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5.0

The writing was poetic, lyrical and beautiful. Unique perspectives, especially on the novella (an 82 year old man on the day of his murder) and the first short story (an author on deadline, you're reading it as he's creating it). Convincing in many voices, young, old, male, female.

erinthompson11's review against another edition

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5.0

McCann has done it again. A masterpiece of beautiful words woven together into not one, but MULTIPLE short stories. As a lifelong fan of Colum McCann, I can attest to the fact that although he is trying something new here, it definitely works for him. McCann has a way of being able to fit an entire rainbow of emotions into one short story. I read this in a few flights, so I recommend it for a short and quick read!