market_not_pennymarket's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
inkletter7's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
palomapepper's review against another edition
5.0
Six stories revolving around memory, featuring characters old and young living all over the world. Brims with sincerity; revels in the beauty of the world.
Favorites:
- Memory Wall - In South Africa, an elderly widow suffering from severe dementia uploads her memories onto cartridges using new technology… the cartridges draw the interest of an exploitative trespasser and a teenage memory thief.
- Village 113 - Thanks to the construction of a new dam, a Chinese village is scheduled to be demolished and flooded, forcing its inhabitants to relocate.
- The River Nemunas - A newly orphaned 15-year-old girl from Kansas moves to Lithuania to live with her grandfather.
- Afterworld - In the final season of her life, a Holocaust survivor’s seizures allow her to re-live her childhood.
Meh:
- Procreate, Generate - A married couple in Wyoming attempts to conceive a child.
- The Demilitarized Zone - A newly divorced father in Idaho reads letters from his military son.
Favorites:
- Memory Wall - In South Africa, an elderly widow suffering from severe dementia uploads her memories onto cartridges using new technology… the cartridges draw the interest of an exploitative trespasser and a teenage memory thief.
- Village 113 - Thanks to the construction of a new dam, a Chinese village is scheduled to be demolished and flooded, forcing its inhabitants to relocate.
- The River Nemunas - A newly orphaned 15-year-old girl from Kansas moves to Lithuania to live with her grandfather.
- Afterworld - In the final season of her life, a Holocaust survivor’s seizures allow her to re-live her childhood.
Meh:
- Procreate, Generate - A married couple in Wyoming attempts to conceive a child.
- The Demilitarized Zone - A newly divorced father in Idaho reads letters from his military son.
dllh's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this, but it was a little sluggish at times. All the stories are solid work, just not as gripping or affecting on the whole as All the Light We Cannot See. I really liked the river story a lot.
soph2962's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bear_paw's review against another edition
4.25
Avg: 8.3/10
Favorite: Memory Wall
Others I Liked: Village 113, Afterworld
This is a very cohesive and consistent collection of stories. Doerr is a great writer. His writing has a beautiful rhythm and flow, with evocative settings and characters. The stories are melancholy, but tinged with hope and full of compassion. Really, one of the best collections I've ever read.
Favorite: Memory Wall
Others I Liked: Village 113, Afterworld
This is a very cohesive and consistent collection of stories. Doerr is a great writer. His writing has a beautiful rhythm and flow, with evocative settings and characters. The stories are melancholy, but tinged with hope and full of compassion. Really, one of the best collections I've ever read.
margocabuy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nordstina's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.0
I have adored the two novels I've read by Anthony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See, Cloud Cuckoo Land), so I was intrigued about his earlier work. Consider the size and scope of those novels, I was curious as to how he would be able to capture that in a short story. This early story collection continues some themes that Doerr explores in his future novels. Multiple stories have to do with memory loss. The story that the book takes its title from is about a women who has dementia, but was able to have memories extracted and she's able to "plug in" to them and reexperience them. Additionally, there are stories that involve orphans. A young girl moves to Lithuania to live with her grandfather after both her parents die of cancer in a short timespan and she interacts with her neighbor who is suffering from memory loss. The final story of the collection is about a German Jewish girl who has epilepsy in an orphanage which then cuts forward to her time in the US when she is close to death and keeps having visions of the other orphans. This story in particular gave me All the Light We Cannot See vibes. A lovely collection that was fun to see the seeds of Doerr's future work.
redheadorganist's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, and Cancer