A review by astoriedsoul
The Bigness of the World: Stories by Lori Ostlund
4.0
Lori Ostlund’s bestselling collection, The Bigness of the World, presents a series of short stories that observe the intricacies of the human condition through a range of perspectives and topics including loss, love, failure and defeat, and the ever-unfair and mysterious nature of who we are as our pasts always end up catching up with us.
This was my first time reading Lori Ostlund’s writing, so when I selected this collection of short stories, I went in blind, basing my choice only on the premise. This was one of those moments where jumping into something feet first and totally blind ends up paying off. I have discovered I love Ostlund’s writing. This collection is SO readable and engaging.
My two favorite stories in this collection is the titular “The Bigness of the World” and “Idyllic Little Bali”. “The Bigness of the World,” in which two children grapple with losing a beloved babysitter, while not understanding that their parents’ marriage is falling a part because the wife commits a horrible crime, is particularly heartfelt. At the same time, this is strangely magnified by the emotional absence of the children. I loved the perspective of this story; it was mysterious and yet completely innocent. The tone is sad, childlike, and this contributes to the shocking end. I was enthralled from start to finish.
I also love “Idyllic Little Bali” for how completely “un-idyllic” the story really is. A group of Americans (tourists?) sit around sipping coffee by the poolside and become witnesses to a man’s death as he runs from his spouse. All the while, the group reminisces about the “good times” in their past. The contrast between the American “ideal” and perception of the world vastly differs from “reality” here. Bali is supposed to represent the exotic and everything is supposed to be perfect when you’re away; but, that’s not the case here. The observations made through this story are quite heartbreaking and raw. The same emotions carry through in “The Day You Were Born,” where a mother is completely un-sympathetic when it comes to her husband’s seemingly emotional trauma, depression, or schizophrenia…something’s clearly wrong. The daughter is caught in the middle of this dysfunctional family and is forced to choose between the love she has for her father and that of her mother. I wanted to punch the mother in the throat. Such a heartbreaking and emotionally raw story. The imagery, description, and tones are so vivid and beautiful in looking at the disintegration of a family for seemingly selfish reasons.
Ostlund’s collection is emotional, tense, enthralling, and all-around well-written. She’s got a knack for building tension and pulling the band-aid off–or whatever makes you comfortable–at the right moment. I’ll definitely read more from her, and I highly recommend you do the same.
Disclaimer: I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review, which does not influence my opinions.
This review originally appeared on my website: The Literarium
This was my first time reading Lori Ostlund’s writing, so when I selected this collection of short stories, I went in blind, basing my choice only on the premise. This was one of those moments where jumping into something feet first and totally blind ends up paying off. I have discovered I love Ostlund’s writing. This collection is SO readable and engaging.
My two favorite stories in this collection is the titular “The Bigness of the World” and “Idyllic Little Bali”. “The Bigness of the World,” in which two children grapple with losing a beloved babysitter, while not understanding that their parents’ marriage is falling a part because the wife commits a horrible crime, is particularly heartfelt. At the same time, this is strangely magnified by the emotional absence of the children. I loved the perspective of this story; it was mysterious and yet completely innocent. The tone is sad, childlike, and this contributes to the shocking end. I was enthralled from start to finish.
I also love “Idyllic Little Bali” for how completely “un-idyllic” the story really is. A group of Americans (tourists?) sit around sipping coffee by the poolside and become witnesses to a man’s death as he runs from his spouse. All the while, the group reminisces about the “good times” in their past. The contrast between the American “ideal” and perception of the world vastly differs from “reality” here. Bali is supposed to represent the exotic and everything is supposed to be perfect when you’re away; but, that’s not the case here. The observations made through this story are quite heartbreaking and raw. The same emotions carry through in “The Day You Were Born,” where a mother is completely un-sympathetic when it comes to her husband’s seemingly emotional trauma, depression, or schizophrenia…something’s clearly wrong. The daughter is caught in the middle of this dysfunctional family and is forced to choose between the love she has for her father and that of her mother. I wanted to punch the mother in the throat. Such a heartbreaking and emotionally raw story. The imagery, description, and tones are so vivid and beautiful in looking at the disintegration of a family for seemingly selfish reasons.
Ostlund’s collection is emotional, tense, enthralling, and all-around well-written. She’s got a knack for building tension and pulling the band-aid off–or whatever makes you comfortable–at the right moment. I’ll definitely read more from her, and I highly recommend you do the same.
Disclaimer: I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review, which does not influence my opinions.
This review originally appeared on my website: The Literarium