Reviews

Open Secrets by Alice Munro

esperias's review against another edition

1.0

Non apprezzo i racconti brevi ma ho voluto dare un’opportunità a questo libro, sbagliandomi completamente.
La scrittura è difficile, le frasi sembrano non essere connesse le une con le altre e la trama è completamente assente.
Ci sono poi dei dettagli che intersecano i vari racconti senza però lasciarne un vero significato.

sonatine's review against another edition

eu tinha escrito umas notas sobre cada conto mas não sei usar essa rede ainda e perdi, mas acho que o que mais me intrigou foi “vândalos”. li esse texto depois de terminar tal conto, e achei útil não só como um auxílio em como abordar a literatura da Munro num geral, mas como uma boa análise da última história do livro: https://teachingpals.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/teaching-the-long-short-story-alice-munros-vandals-in-the-literature-classroom/

evadienke's review against another edition

4.0

I don't usually read short stories, but Alice Munro was recommended to me by a friend. Have enjoyed this book thoroughly, every story was a new world, each was full and complex and simultaneously easy to enter.
I think I might actually read it again someday, and I am 100% convinced it would be the kind of book in which you discover ten new things on every page.
Favorite story: The Albanian Virgin.

larabavery's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

martynahanna's review against another edition

5.0

My first encounter with Munro, in Polish translation. Boundless imagination, style brings to mind the works of Joyce Carol Oates. Enjoyed it immensely.

dinahrachel's review against another edition

Couldn't get into it 

jayrinehart's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

kricketa's review against another edition

4.0

i've been meaning to read some alice munro for several years but couldn't quite get around to it. finally my friend kevin gave me this collection for christmas- hooray!- and she has absolutely lived up to my expectations. normally with short stories i take a break between each story or so, but with this collection i just wanted to keep going. it helped that the first story featured a librarian who sassily drinks wine each night. off to a great start!

it's hard to put my finger on what i liked so much about these stories. each is somehow related to the small town of carstairs, ontario, but characters are not repeated. marriage plays a big part. there are unsolved mysteries, ex-wives in disguise, severed heads, and a teenage girl who happens upon space aliens. looking forward to more by this author!

moragab's review against another edition

2.0

I'm still not quite sure what did and didn't happen in this book.

ladyeremite's review against another edition

3.0

A luminous anthology of eight short stories centered around the common theme of women and their romantic relationships. Munro's prose is polished almost to a fault, and while certain stories-- such as "Carried Away," "A Wilderness Station" and "The Jack Randa Hotel" were truly absorbing, I doubt I will remember much from this collection a few years down the road.