I’d like to claim I’m always spot on when reviewing these short stories, but it’s clear with this next video that I’m a long way off on some of them, today’s story being a perfect example. I suppose that’s the beauty of reading-we all come away with something different, but in this case I’ve come away with a new nightmare!
Dream Sequence by Adam Foulds is a little gem of a novel. Short, beautifully written, engaging characters and an exciting ending; what else could a reader ask for? There are two main characters; Kristin is an attractive young woman who’s just gotten a divorce from a wealthy man, previously her boss (insert eyebrow raise here),…
This is one of the best, if not the best book I have read so far this year. Bold statement I know, but The Incarnations by Susan Barker is worth the praise. So why did I like it? There are so many reasons why, I have to put them in bullet form: It’s got a…
People who work at or attend universities seem to make numerous appearances in Amina Gautier’s collection of short stories The Loss of All Lost Things. Is this a problem? No, of course not, and it makes a lot of sense when you discover that Gautier is a professor of creative writing at the University of…
You know you’re in for a good time when you pick up a Jennifer Weiner book. Although often relegated to the ‘chick lit’ genre, her stories typically include an element of romance but they also deal with serious issues that affect women, which is why I was so absorbed in her latest book, The Breakaway….
It’s been awhile since I’ve really LOVED a short story collection, but I can finally say that The Dead Husband Project by Sarah Meehan Sirk is definitely one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Each piece in this collection is strong and emotionally affecting, but there are a few that really stood…
Barbara J. Taylor has done an extremely good job with this book. Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night was a dark, but enjoyable book to read, and I will be shocked if she isn’t nominated for some kind of award for her efforts. Although I can’t speak for the American book scene, I know…
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Woohoo! I’ve actually heard of Ken Liu! First one! Truthfully, I haven’t enjoyed the stories of his I’ve read much, but he’s a great translator who’s brought some excellent Chinese stories to the English-speaking market. I should say, I haven’t enjoyed his stories because they’re not my style – I do think he’s very good at what he does though. (But I do think an author should be able to get his point across on the page even in a short story, and readers shouldn’t have to look for extra info… )
yes yes, I totally see what you mean. This was me just not being able to get over the whole ‘not being able to read’ thing, entirely my fault indeed. I’m not a big science fiction fan either, but I still haven’t heard of him! (hrmph).
You were getting into literary theory there at the end, Anne! In grad school I took a class in literary interpretation, and one theory is about reading an author’s bio and history in order to understand where they are coming from in terms of their experiences, the contemporary history, their economic situation, etc. to understand the story. If course, there is a whole camp that completely disagrees with that.
I was never good at literary theory, which is why my Marks in my English literature degrees were low haha