A review by reading_rainbow_with_chris
Orange World and Other Stories by Karen Russell
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
“Orange World and Other Stories” by Karen Russell
Two women attend a ski lodge party which isn’t what it seems. A boy falls in love with a petrified girl. A widower invests everything to raise one last storm. A new mother makes a difficult bargain to protect her child. In these stories and others, Karen Russel dazzles and once again proves herself a modern master of short fiction.
I had been in something of a short story rut lately, with the last two collections I read failing to capture my imagination. Returning to Russell was like a breath of fresh air, despite the fact that her stories often rely on darkness, stagnation, a person place or thing suspended in time. What I love most about Russell’s writing is her ability to make her worlds recognizable, even as she introduces a new element of horror or speculation. Her settings are immersive, pulling readers in and allowing us to really feel. No other author in my memory makes me feel suspense, longing, and fear quite like Russell.
Having read much of Russell’s previous work, I can confidently say this feels like her most uniformly excellent book I have encountered, even if some of the stories in “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” left a deeper impact. This was an exceptional read and one I will treasure. The collection has no weak stories (with only eight stories, Russell focused on quality over quantity), but personal favorites include “The Bad Graft,” “Bog Girl: A Romance,” “The Tornado Auction,” and “Black Corfu.” This is a collection for all short story readers, but for those interested in horror and speculative fiction it is a must read.
Two women attend a ski lodge party which isn’t what it seems. A boy falls in love with a petrified girl. A widower invests everything to raise one last storm. A new mother makes a difficult bargain to protect her child. In these stories and others, Karen Russel dazzles and once again proves herself a modern master of short fiction.
I had been in something of a short story rut lately, with the last two collections I read failing to capture my imagination. Returning to Russell was like a breath of fresh air, despite the fact that her stories often rely on darkness, stagnation, a person place or thing suspended in time. What I love most about Russell’s writing is her ability to make her worlds recognizable, even as she introduces a new element of horror or speculation. Her settings are immersive, pulling readers in and allowing us to really feel. No other author in my memory makes me feel suspense, longing, and fear quite like Russell.
Having read much of Russell’s previous work, I can confidently say this feels like her most uniformly excellent book I have encountered, even if some of the stories in “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” left a deeper impact. This was an exceptional read and one I will treasure. The collection has no weak stories (with only eight stories, Russell focused on quality over quantity), but personal favorites include “The Bad Graft,” “Bog Girl: A Romance,” “The Tornado Auction,” and “Black Corfu.” This is a collection for all short story readers, but for those interested in horror and speculative fiction it is a must read.