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A review by erboe501
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis
5.0
These are some of the best pieces of writing I've ever read. I tried to describe Davis's style to my mom: rhythmic phrases/sentences that cascade and build and that are easy to flow through, but that also deserve a very slow, careful read on a word by word by comma level. She is definitely one of my favorites now, and I want to read the rest of her oeuvre.
A few of my favorite stories:
"French Lesson 1: Le Meurtre"--which shows how clever Davis is with turns of phrase and playing with words, circling back around and around to mine words for all they're worth and more.
"What an Old Woman Will Wear"--for how Davis writes about the realities and dissatisfactions of womanhood, for women "past their prime."
"Old Mother and the Grouch"--for the absurdity and humor and sharply drawn details of the characters that make them feel uniquely individual and of a type.
"Traveling with Mother"--for how short but packed her stories can be.
And so so many more!
A few of my favorite stories:
"French Lesson 1: Le Meurtre"--which shows how clever Davis is with turns of phrase and playing with words, circling back around and around to mine words for all they're worth and more.
"What an Old Woman Will Wear"--for how Davis writes about the realities and dissatisfactions of womanhood, for women "past their prime."
"Old Mother and the Grouch"--for the absurdity and humor and sharply drawn details of the characters that make them feel uniquely individual and of a type.
"Traveling with Mother"--for how short but packed her stories can be.
And so so many more!