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smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
Really cool pandemic project from the New York Times Magazine, commissioning short stories from 29 of the most talented writers today, including Margaret Atwood, Tommy Orange, Mona Awad, Esi Edugyan, among others. I liked that it was inspired and named for Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron, a similar collection of stories written during the Bubonic plague in 14th century Italy. Some grabbed me more than others: the parents struggling with letting their toddler have screen time, a dog owner auctioning off the privilege to walk his dogs (a desirable job as it gave people a sanctioned excuse to be outside), a couple attempting to make use of the greater time along together by taking more interest in each other’s favourite books but still choosing to read their own favourites lol.
cojack's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I liked the idea of a collection inspired by the 14th century Decameron, but many of these stories didn't land for me. I think one of the problems is that we need distance from a situation to properly reflect and write on it. Some of these felt really dashed off. Also, I didn't like the interface at all. I inadvertently skipped some stories, and the flipping-card style of the titles made it hard for me to see what I had read and hadn't. A regular table of contents would have been nice.
The stories that resonated with me: “One Thing,” Edwidge Danticat; “Systems,” Charles Yu; “Tales from the LA River,” Colm Toibin; “Keepsakes,” Andrew O’Hagan; “The Cellar,” Dina Nayeri; “ Barcelona: Open City,” John Wray.
The stories that resonated with me: “One Thing,” Edwidge Danticat; “Systems,” Charles Yu; “Tales from the LA River,” Colm Toibin; “Keepsakes,” Andrew O’Hagan; “The Cellar,” Dina Nayeri; “ Barcelona: Open City,” John Wray.
foggy1218's review against another edition
3.0
This was definitely an interesting idea put forth by the New York Times. These stories were written during the height of the pandemic, but that doesn't mean that COVID-19 was the main conflict. In fact, in most of these stories, COVID-19 took a back seat to the plot, and each story focused more so on how the pandemic affected the characters and settings.
I struggled between 3 stars and 4 stars for this one - it's tough to rate a whole collection of short stories with just one number. The quality of the stories varied - some of them were really entertaining and thought-provoking, some were just average, and some of them didn't grab my attention at all. But I'll highlight my top ten favorites (in no particular order):
- "Recognition" by [a:Victor LaValle|1762294|Victor LaValle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1280959466p2/1762294.jpg]
- "The Rock" by [a:Leïla Slimani|8555975|Leïla Slimani|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565224812p2/8555975.jpg]
- "Outside" by [a:Etgar Keret|34065|Etgar Keret|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317329699p2/34065.jpg]
- "Keepsakes" by [a:Andrew O'Hagan|5689|Andrew O'Hagan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1275485730p2/5689.jpg]
- "The Girl With The Big Red Suitcase" by [a:Rachel Kushner|164139|Rachel Kushner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1392737021p2/164139.jpg] (probably my favorite)
- "If Wishes Was Horses" by [a:David Mitchell|6538289|David Mitchell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1409248688p2/6538289.jpg]
- "The Perfect Travel Buddy" by [a:Paolo Giordano|493232|Paolo Giordano|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263211421p2/493232.jpg]
- "The Cellar" by [a:Dina Nayeri|2989460|Dina Nayeri|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309299916p2/2989460.jpg]
- "Origin Story" by [a:Matthew Baker|19524989|Matthew Baker|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
- "Barcelona: Open City" by [a:John Wray|408387|John Wray|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1540920872p2/408387.jpg]
These particular stories were great, and made the whole collection worth reading. Would recommend to anyone who wants to read a variety of 1-2 short stories at a time to fill up some gaps in the day.
I struggled between 3 stars and 4 stars for this one - it's tough to rate a whole collection of short stories with just one number. The quality of the stories varied - some of them were really entertaining and thought-provoking, some were just average, and some of them didn't grab my attention at all. But I'll highlight my top ten favorites (in no particular order):
- "Recognition" by [a:Victor LaValle|1762294|Victor LaValle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1280959466p2/1762294.jpg]
- "The Rock" by [a:Leïla Slimani|8555975|Leïla Slimani|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565224812p2/8555975.jpg]
- "Outside" by [a:Etgar Keret|34065|Etgar Keret|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317329699p2/34065.jpg]
- "Keepsakes" by [a:Andrew O'Hagan|5689|Andrew O'Hagan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1275485730p2/5689.jpg]
- "The Girl With The Big Red Suitcase" by [a:Rachel Kushner|164139|Rachel Kushner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1392737021p2/164139.jpg] (probably my favorite)
- "If Wishes Was Horses" by [a:David Mitchell|6538289|David Mitchell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1409248688p2/6538289.jpg]
- "The Perfect Travel Buddy" by [a:Paolo Giordano|493232|Paolo Giordano|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263211421p2/493232.jpg]
- "The Cellar" by [a:Dina Nayeri|2989460|Dina Nayeri|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309299916p2/2989460.jpg]
- "Origin Story" by [a:Matthew Baker|19524989|Matthew Baker|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
- "Barcelona: Open City" by [a:John Wray|408387|John Wray|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1540920872p2/408387.jpg]
These particular stories were great, and made the whole collection worth reading. Would recommend to anyone who wants to read a variety of 1-2 short stories at a time to fill up some gaps in the day.
cvengeance's review against another edition
4.0
I'm torn here. This is more like a 3.75 but some of these stories were too good.
adamskiboy528491's review against another edition
5.0
When reality is surreal, only fiction can make sense of it. The Decameron is a classic work of Italian literature, written c.1350-53 by Giovanni Boccaccio. In the midst of The Black Death, ten wealthy young Florentines decamp to the countryside with their entourage, & pass their days in storytelling, an attempt to reclaim a world that everywhere is dying. Over ten days, the three young men & seven young women tell a hundred stories, full of generous aristocrats, clever tricks, toilet humour, lustful women, wicked churchmen & lots of illicit sex. Boccaccio himself steps out of the shadows twice (once in the introduction to the fourth day, once in the epilogue) to deliver impassioned, hilarious, self-deprecating, & (in the case of the epilogue) incredibly obscene defences of his work.
The Decameron Project is the 21st-century update of Boccaccio’s familiar work. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, twenty-nine critically-acclaimed authors have written short stories centred during this painful time. Even though this book is an anthology & the stories have no connection whatsoever, each one is their wit & humour to help keep our spirits up at a time like this. Most of these stories are short or really short of bringing out the on-point topics of communication, technology, seclusion, reality, and above all…hope. Each tale fleshes out the lockdown life & takes on new angles to this dystopian-esque world we’re occupying at the moment.
We are all sharing the same nightmare. The one thing we need is to keep the art of fiction to spreading more than the coronavirus. Without our stories, what would do to pass the time?
The Decameron Project is the 21st-century update of Boccaccio’s familiar work. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, twenty-nine critically-acclaimed authors have written short stories centred during this painful time. Even though this book is an anthology & the stories have no connection whatsoever, each one is their wit & humour to help keep our spirits up at a time like this. Most of these stories are short or really short of bringing out the on-point topics of communication, technology, seclusion, reality, and above all…hope. Each tale fleshes out the lockdown life & takes on new angles to this dystopian-esque world we’re occupying at the moment.
We are all sharing the same nightmare. The one thing we need is to keep the art of fiction to spreading more than the coronavirus. Without our stories, what would do to pass the time?
margaret21's review against another edition
4.0
In a world overwhelmed by a global pandemic, The New York Times approached authors to contribute a short story encompassing their take on this discomfiting period. It brings Lockdown galloping back into my mind, even though few stories tackle this directly. The strangeness of the world at that time is brought into focus by a visit to a Barcelona dog owner with John Wray, or Com Toibin bicycling in Los Angeles. Not every story is a success. I wasn't a fan of Margaret Atwood's Impatient Griselda. But as a memorial to a moment in history, with fine writing as standard, this collection is unbeatable.
nuhafariha's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Available Nov 10 2020
Honestly, this collection was just fun to read. That's really all I have to say. From Mona Awad's chilling tale of plastic surgery gone wrong in "A Blue Sky Like This" to Margaret Atwood's hilarious alien comic in "Impatient Griselda" to the emotional connection between a New York City taxi driver and his nephew in Dinaw Mengestu's "How We Used to Play", The NYT's The Decameron Project is a richly textured, multifaceted collection that offers a kaleidoscopic view into the current pandemic. Some stories are available online in the New York Times Magazine, but it's a different experience reading the stories together and realizing the vast impact of the pandemic on all aspects of life.
Available Nov 10 2020
Honestly, this collection was just fun to read. That's really all I have to say. From Mona Awad's chilling tale of plastic surgery gone wrong in "A Blue Sky Like This" to Margaret Atwood's hilarious alien comic in "Impatient Griselda" to the emotional connection between a New York City taxi driver and his nephew in Dinaw Mengestu's "How We Used to Play", The NYT's The Decameron Project is a richly textured, multifaceted collection that offers a kaleidoscopic view into the current pandemic. Some stories are available online in the New York Times Magazine, but it's a different experience reading the stories together and realizing the vast impact of the pandemic on all aspects of life.
nuhafariha's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!
Available Nov 10 2020
Honestly, this collection was just fun to read. That's really all I have to say. From Mona Awad's chilling tale of plastic surgery gone wrong in "A Blue Sky Like This" to Margaret Atwood's hilarious alien comic in "Impatient Griselda" to the emotional connection between a New York City taxi driver and his nephew in Dinaw Mengestu's "How We Used to Play", The NYT's The Decameron Project is a richly textured, multifaceted collection that offers a kaleidoscopic view into the current pandemic. Some stories are available online in the New York Times Magazine, but it's a different experience reading the stories together and realizing the vast impact of the pandemic on all aspects of life.
Available Nov 10 2020
Honestly, this collection was just fun to read. That's really all I have to say. From Mona Awad's chilling tale of plastic surgery gone wrong in "A Blue Sky Like This" to Margaret Atwood's hilarious alien comic in "Impatient Griselda" to the emotional connection between a New York City taxi driver and his nephew in Dinaw Mengestu's "How We Used to Play", The NYT's The Decameron Project is a richly textured, multifaceted collection that offers a kaleidoscopic view into the current pandemic. Some stories are available online in the New York Times Magazine, but it's a different experience reading the stories together and realizing the vast impact of the pandemic on all aspects of life.
anniebutkiewicz's review against another edition
4.0
I remember buying this book with my mom at Barnes and Noble during the pandemic because I was intrigued by the legacy of the Decameron, a book of short stories by Giovanni Boccaccio told by men and women sheltering in a villa outside Florence to escape the plague sometime in the 14th century.
The Decameron Project is a collection of short stories written by contemporary authors during the pandemic about various pandemic experiences. I enjoy the contrasting writing styles and experiences of all the authors, particularly those who I’ve read before (Atwood, Danticat, Slimani, Awad). It was amusing to see that their styles carried over to their Covid shorts. Still not sure that I really like Mona Awad’s style.
The Decameron Project is a collection of short stories written by contemporary authors during the pandemic about various pandemic experiences. I enjoy the contrasting writing styles and experiences of all the authors, particularly those who I’ve read before (Atwood, Danticat, Slimani, Awad). It was amusing to see that their styles carried over to their Covid shorts. Still not sure that I really like Mona Awad’s style.
robotswithpersonality's review against another edition
The story behind the book (collaborative art in a time of crisis) is as compelling as the stories contained within. Covers not just various POVs of human experience during Covid lockdown/quarantine, including increase in Black Lives Matter activism after George Floyd's murder, but also stories that are a bit more esoteric/escapist. Glad to see diverse voices, not just Americans even though it's New York Times magazine. On an separate note, I can now say I'm a big fan of SHORT, short stories. Many of these are ten pages or less, and it allows me to sample a number of voices without getting too bogged down - if one isn't working for me - to continue the anthology.
Short list of faves below:
An Obliging Robber by Mia Couto
Line 19 Woodstock/Gildan by Karen Russell
A Time of Death, The Death of Time by Julían Fuks
Prudent Girls by Rivers Solomon
⚠️SA, child death
Short list of faves below:
An Obliging Robber by Mia Couto
Line 19 Woodstock/Gildan by Karen Russell
A Time of Death, The Death of Time by Julían Fuks
Prudent Girls by Rivers Solomon
⚠️SA, child death