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star_ansible's review
2.0
Oh sooooo deep wowowow. no this is some vapid shit, guy thinks he's tough cause he bludgeons bad news into short stories.
willsank's review
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
3.75
It was funny, weird, and over quickly. Nice
booklovingmom_'s review
4.0
I received this in a Goodreads give away a while ago and am finally getting around to reading and reviewing. I kept putting this book off because I am not the biggest fan of short stories, but I wish I wouldn't have waited so long. This was a well written compilation of short stories that pulled me in and kept me reading. I liked the changes from story to story and am glad I gave this book a chance. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good, well written group of short stories.
karenleagermain's review
5.0
Thank You to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advanced copy of Joshua Ferris' The Dinner Party and Other Stories, in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT- The Dinner Party and Other Stories, is the first short story collection from award-winning novelist, Joshua Ferris.
LIKE- I can't think of another author who writes stories that leave me feeling riddled with anxiety. I say this in the best possible sense, as Ferris leaves me feeling rattled and affected: His stories move me. I often pause to admire his creative descriptions or phrasing, and the way he writes short, sharp sentences that punch. He's just so darn talented!
This is a fabulous collection, but I want to comment on a few of my favorite stories.
The Dinner Party - Everyone experiences friendship fall-out, but where the blame lies, is usually subjective. Amy and her husband have invited Amy's long time friend and her husband over for dinner, but they never show. As they wait, Amy and her husband ( unnamed), make catty comments about their "friends" and bitch about them, often being quite cruel. Eventually as the night grows late and their phone calls go unanswered, their grumpiness turns to worry. Amy's husband drives over to their friend's house, only to discover that their friends, have thrown their own party on the same night. Rather than scuttle away, the husband decides to enter the party and be confrontational, especially when he finds other mutual friends at the party. The Dinner Party is often hilarious, but also holds a mirror up to our human tendency to gossip and complain about others, even those we consider to be friends.
The Valetudinarian - This story is hilarious and unpredictable, following a grumpy senior widower, Arty, as he experiences a birthday surprise. The characters really pop, they're quirky, fitting with the Florida setting. Arty is a bit of a mess and desperate for attention, even if he has to get it through negative behavior. I couldn't help but both like him and shake my head at his antics. This story was so unexpected and funny.
The Pilot - This one made my stomach knot and gave me anxiety. Leonard is a budding screenwriter and he has been invited to a Hollywood wrap party with highly influential people. This could lead to connections and his big break, but Leonard can't seem to shake his worries. He's paranoid that he wasn't meant to be invited in the first place, he stresses over what to wear, he worries over the other people invited, et...he just can't seem to relax. This level of tension is continued through the entire story and it's infectious. The worst of it, is having lived in Los Angeles and been around industry friends, Leonard is a character that I know well.
A Fair Price - Jack needs help moving his stuff out of a self-storage unit and he hires Mike, a middle-aged man who has been recommended by Jack's gardener. The two men couldn't be any more different. Mike is quiet, blue-collar, and rough around the edges. Jack is white-collar and concerned about manners. Right off the bat, Jack feels that Mike hates him. To make matters worse, Mike reminds him of Jack's abusive step-father. As the morning progresses, Jack magnifies every perceived slight and soon, his anger towards Mike grows out of control. I loved the pacing in this story, the building of a sense of danger. Jack's internal dialogue is both funny and unhinged.
DISLIKE- Nothing. The collection is very strong, although there were a few stories that were less memorable than the ones mentioned above.
RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're a short story fan, The Dinner Party and Other Stories is a fine collection, and if you are unfamiliar with Ferris, I'd like to direct you to any of his novels. He's a gifted storyteller and a must-read author.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT- The Dinner Party and Other Stories, is the first short story collection from award-winning novelist, Joshua Ferris.
LIKE- I can't think of another author who writes stories that leave me feeling riddled with anxiety. I say this in the best possible sense, as Ferris leaves me feeling rattled and affected: His stories move me. I often pause to admire his creative descriptions or phrasing, and the way he writes short, sharp sentences that punch. He's just so darn talented!
This is a fabulous collection, but I want to comment on a few of my favorite stories.
The Dinner Party - Everyone experiences friendship fall-out, but where the blame lies, is usually subjective. Amy and her husband have invited Amy's long time friend and her husband over for dinner, but they never show. As they wait, Amy and her husband ( unnamed), make catty comments about their "friends" and bitch about them, often being quite cruel. Eventually as the night grows late and their phone calls go unanswered, their grumpiness turns to worry. Amy's husband drives over to their friend's house, only to discover that their friends, have thrown their own party on the same night. Rather than scuttle away, the husband decides to enter the party and be confrontational, especially when he finds other mutual friends at the party. The Dinner Party is often hilarious, but also holds a mirror up to our human tendency to gossip and complain about others, even those we consider to be friends.
The Valetudinarian - This story is hilarious and unpredictable, following a grumpy senior widower, Arty, as he experiences a birthday surprise. The characters really pop, they're quirky, fitting with the Florida setting. Arty is a bit of a mess and desperate for attention, even if he has to get it through negative behavior. I couldn't help but both like him and shake my head at his antics. This story was so unexpected and funny.
The Pilot - This one made my stomach knot and gave me anxiety. Leonard is a budding screenwriter and he has been invited to a Hollywood wrap party with highly influential people. This could lead to connections and his big break, but Leonard can't seem to shake his worries. He's paranoid that he wasn't meant to be invited in the first place, he stresses over what to wear, he worries over the other people invited, et...he just can't seem to relax. This level of tension is continued through the entire story and it's infectious. The worst of it, is having lived in Los Angeles and been around industry friends, Leonard is a character that I know well.
A Fair Price - Jack needs help moving his stuff out of a self-storage unit and he hires Mike, a middle-aged man who has been recommended by Jack's gardener. The two men couldn't be any more different. Mike is quiet, blue-collar, and rough around the edges. Jack is white-collar and concerned about manners. Right off the bat, Jack feels that Mike hates him. To make matters worse, Mike reminds him of Jack's abusive step-father. As the morning progresses, Jack magnifies every perceived slight and soon, his anger towards Mike grows out of control. I loved the pacing in this story, the building of a sense of danger. Jack's internal dialogue is both funny and unhinged.
DISLIKE- Nothing. The collection is very strong, although there were a few stories that were less memorable than the ones mentioned above.
RECOMMEND- Yes! If you're a short story fan, The Dinner Party and Other Stories is a fine collection, and if you are unfamiliar with Ferris, I'd like to direct you to any of his novels. He's a gifted storyteller and a must-read author.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
philibin's review
3.0
(2.5 Stars)
Some good stories, some not as good... Overall was an enjoyable book. Reminds me of Donald Barthelme.
Some good stories, some not as good... Overall was an enjoyable book. Reminds me of Donald Barthelme.
thatkorigirl's review
4.0
A quick read, several stories, philosophical in nature. Quite enjoyable read too, I read it in one go when it arrived.
thematinee's review
3.0
Just like most short story collections, there were some entries I loved and some I merely endured. Certainly found that the way he writes about relationships clicks with what I look for, so those stories tended to bubble up a bit more.
Will certainly look for other works by Ferris, though I know he's not a lot of people's cup of tea.
Will certainly look for other works by Ferris, though I know he's not a lot of people's cup of tea.
nixieknox's review
4.0
I was lucky enough to pick up at galley at ALA - this book kept me company at dinner (Gus' Famous Fried Chicken, delicious!) and at the Atlanta airport while I waited for my delayed flight. I don't usually read short stories because I don't feel invested in the characters before the end, but in almost every one of these, I did. I found fault with only one, and that is more a reflection on me and what I like to read rather than the story.
This is mostly a collection of stories about flawed middle aged white guys, of which I know plenty so I was comfortable being both sympathetic and infuriated at once. Don't want to give too much away, esp. because the ones I liked the most had a bit of a twist. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed.
The first one was maybe my favorite. Or maybe the second (?) to last. Can't check now because I already gave it to someone else.
LOVED THIS.
This is mostly a collection of stories about flawed middle aged white guys, of which I know plenty so I was comfortable being both sympathetic and infuriated at once. Don't want to give too much away, esp. because the ones I liked the most had a bit of a twist. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed.
The first one was maybe my favorite. Or maybe the second (?) to last. Can't check now because I already gave it to someone else.
LOVED THIS.
moirastone's review
2.0
Or, Men Who Are Very, Very Bad at Imagining the Inner Lives of Other People and the Women Who Leave Them
(Ferris is a solid writer, and particularly good as always in describing the weird, deadening routines of office life; I'm just really not in the mood for these kinds of stories right now.)
(Ferris is a solid writer, and particularly good as always in describing the weird, deadening routines of office life; I'm just really not in the mood for these kinds of stories right now.)
nerdyrev's review
4.0
I think by now, I have established that I am a bit of a book nerd. So, it would not be weird, knowing this information, that I do things like- Short Story Saturday! Not that I would actually do or name out loud such an activity. Ok, ok, I may have cried out to my wife- it is Short Story Saturday this last Saturday and there may or may not have been a party hat involved. Tee shirts are definitely not on the way.
If I had to name a type of book that I keep going back to, it is the short story. If I want to grab a quick read, I will often go for the short story/essay knowing I can pick it up and put it down or plow through all of the stories in one sitting. With The Dinner Party by Joshua Ferris, it was the latter type of reading, due to the..um...totally not Short Story Saturday declaration.
I always go into short stories knowing this- there will be hits and there will be misses. Ferris' book is no different in that sense. My hope is there will be a lot more hits than misses. The other good news is that Ferris' book does that too. I also desire a short story to be the right length for a short story- about 18 pages or so, but definitely not over 50. The final good news is that Ferris' book excels in that too.
The only negative is I remembered reading a lot of these stories. I read the New Yorker often, so I had read or I was reminded I read many of the stories as I was going along, so I may have gotten through them faster than originally intended. So, I will warn, if you read the New Yorker, this is a collection taken mostly from that magazine. That was the only negative though.
There were more positives in this collection. Many of the stories deal with people, particularly males, struggling with connection and relationships. The first story for example is about a husband and wife, who are hosting a dinner party. The husband complains about how much he hates the people he is going to have dinner with, who are his wife's best friends. They are stood up and when the husband storms out to go find the couple, it turns out they are hosting their own party and he and his wife were not invited. Why? Well, I won't spoil the story.
Many of the stories have that type of vibe- an old man who only complains about his aches and pains, until a prostitute enters his life, a playwright struggling to write the pilot while his actors move on to other projects, a man who cannot interact with others, etc.
I found most of the stories were right on target and I loved this collection. The stories were well written, the right length for a short story, and a tight narrative that got the reader into the world quickly. I recommend this one.
I gave it 4 stars.
* I wish to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
If I had to name a type of book that I keep going back to, it is the short story. If I want to grab a quick read, I will often go for the short story/essay knowing I can pick it up and put it down or plow through all of the stories in one sitting. With The Dinner Party by Joshua Ferris, it was the latter type of reading, due to the..um...totally not Short Story Saturday declaration.
I always go into short stories knowing this- there will be hits and there will be misses. Ferris' book is no different in that sense. My hope is there will be a lot more hits than misses. The other good news is that Ferris' book does that too. I also desire a short story to be the right length for a short story- about 18 pages or so, but definitely not over 50. The final good news is that Ferris' book excels in that too.
The only negative is I remembered reading a lot of these stories. I read the New Yorker often, so I had read or I was reminded I read many of the stories as I was going along, so I may have gotten through them faster than originally intended. So, I will warn, if you read the New Yorker, this is a collection taken mostly from that magazine. That was the only negative though.
There were more positives in this collection. Many of the stories deal with people, particularly males, struggling with connection and relationships. The first story for example is about a husband and wife, who are hosting a dinner party. The husband complains about how much he hates the people he is going to have dinner with, who are his wife's best friends. They are stood up and when the husband storms out to go find the couple, it turns out they are hosting their own party and he and his wife were not invited. Why? Well, I won't spoil the story.
Many of the stories have that type of vibe- an old man who only complains about his aches and pains, until a prostitute enters his life, a playwright struggling to write the pilot while his actors move on to other projects, a man who cannot interact with others, etc.
I found most of the stories were right on target and I loved this collection. The stories were well written, the right length for a short story, and a tight narrative that got the reader into the world quickly. I recommend this one.
I gave it 4 stars.
* I wish to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book. I received it in exchange for an honest review.