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A review by chasegirl
Lucky Girls by Nell Freudenberger
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
As someone who discovered Freudenberger on the most beautiful of whims— being handed an Advanced Reader’s Copy of her novel Lost and Wanted at the age of 14 at a book convention— and finally reading it four years later at the age of 18— it was fascinating to discover through the reviews on this ancient website and other online sources the nonsense “controversy” that surrounded her in her early years. Jealousy is vicious, a young, attractive woman in an academic field is exactly ripe for that sort of thing. It did shock me a little, though— all I knew of Nell was that she was semi-obscure, married, and taught writing in The Bronx. I’m sure I would’ve sided with her anyway, but I do wonder. As someone with neither an MfA or an ambient belief in the inherent inferiority of intellect in the face of beauty, I hope I would have been fine.
Freudenberger’s stories in this collection touched me deeply, each of them, stories of love. The dual perspectives in The Tutor, my favorite story, was one of my favorite of her literary tricks; the same situation is alternately sweet, slightly notable, and teenage and cosmic, huge, and all-consuming. Its closing moments remain sweet and emotionally real.
The final story made me cry.
The rest are excellent too, The Orphan frustrating in a way that lets you know you care, Lucky Girls sad but never somber, Outside the Eastern Gate about what its missing.
In many ways the stories are the same. At the end of my book, in an interview, Freudenberger names David Mitchell one of her favorite writers. In many ways, this is her Cloud Atlas.
Freudenberger’s stories in this collection touched me deeply, each of them, stories of love. The dual perspectives in The Tutor, my favorite story, was one of my favorite of her literary tricks; the same situation is alternately sweet, slightly notable, and teenage and cosmic, huge, and all-consuming. Its closing moments remain sweet and emotionally real.
The final story made me cry.
The rest are excellent too, The Orphan frustrating in a way that lets you know you care, Lucky Girls sad but never somber, Outside the Eastern Gate about what its missing.
In many ways the stories are the same. At the end of my book, in an interview, Freudenberger names David Mitchell one of her favorite writers. In many ways, this is her Cloud Atlas.