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utahmomreads's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally posted on my blog : https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1417629034785050535#editor/target=post;postID=8398816137234275875;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname
I often find myself watching people--in the doctor's office waiting room, at the grocery store, as I drive around town. Now and then, I can't help wondering about their lives and what brought them to that particular moment. In that kindly voyeuristic way, Back Talk by Danielle Lazarin is a collection of short stories that feature women and girls. Marriage, friendship, motherhood and other family relationships are explored in thoughtful and compelling prose.
I enjoyed reading Back Talk but as I go through the stories again to write my review, I find that I'm struggling to find the right words to explain how I feel about it. I mentioned it to a friend who suggested that the book might just be that--an enjoyable read and nothing more. But I don't think so. It's desperately trying to be more.
Most of the women in the stories feel like they are just barely hanging on. They date. They care for their children. They visit their parents. No one is angry or vindictive or mean. They're all just quietly resigned to lost friendships and marriages breaking up and not finding the right partner. And it's very sad and lonely. A quiet resignation. And while I didn't exactly find myself within any of the stories, I recognized the emotion.
Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that I did and do like Back Talk by Danielle Lazarin. It's a meaningful collection of stories that remind us that we're all struggling. We're all trying to find love and understanding and a place to fit in this world. Perhaps if we remember that, we can all be a little more kind and thoughtful to those around us.
I often find myself watching people--in the doctor's office waiting room, at the grocery store, as I drive around town. Now and then, I can't help wondering about their lives and what brought them to that particular moment. In that kindly voyeuristic way, Back Talk by Danielle Lazarin is a collection of short stories that feature women and girls. Marriage, friendship, motherhood and other family relationships are explored in thoughtful and compelling prose.
I enjoyed reading Back Talk but as I go through the stories again to write my review, I find that I'm struggling to find the right words to explain how I feel about it. I mentioned it to a friend who suggested that the book might just be that--an enjoyable read and nothing more. But I don't think so. It's desperately trying to be more.
Most of the women in the stories feel like they are just barely hanging on. They date. They care for their children. They visit their parents. No one is angry or vindictive or mean. They're all just quietly resigned to lost friendships and marriages breaking up and not finding the right partner. And it's very sad and lonely. A quiet resignation. And while I didn't exactly find myself within any of the stories, I recognized the emotion.
Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that I did and do like Back Talk by Danielle Lazarin. It's a meaningful collection of stories that remind us that we're all struggling. We're all trying to find love and understanding and a place to fit in this world. Perhaps if we remember that, we can all be a little more kind and thoughtful to those around us.
duashamsi's review against another edition
5.0
beautiful. subtle and beautiful and completely infused with everything feminine. east coast centered. never seen heartbreak (romantic, platonic, familial) written about so well.
kdurham2's review against another edition
3.0
A short story collection that I loved! I have been trying this year to read more short story collections and so far I haven't enjoyed them that much, but this one I loved!
I feel like most of the stories in the collection took place in New York City and I liked that there was this thread throughout the book. The stories had characters from all age ranges and all stages in life and they had all sorts of dramas going on and I liked each one in varied degrees.
I hope that Danielle Lazarin has a few more collections up her sleeve, I liked how she put the stories together. There were stories of varied length and I liked the order that they were presented. It was just the right collection from beginning to end.
I feel like most of the stories in the collection took place in New York City and I liked that there was this thread throughout the book. The stories had characters from all age ranges and all stages in life and they had all sorts of dramas going on and I liked each one in varied degrees.
I hope that Danielle Lazarin has a few more collections up her sleeve, I liked how she put the stories together. There were stories of varied length and I liked the order that they were presented. It was just the right collection from beginning to end.
cookeebookee's review against another edition
3.0
Favorites:
Overall Rating: 3.5
Favorites
1. Hide and Seek
2. Lovers Lookout
3. Second Chance Family
4. Looking for a Thief
5. Dinosaurs
Did not enjoy:
1. Gone
2. Floor Plans
It's been extremely difficult for me to find a short story collection that makes me feel like I'm not doing homework. After spending a good portion of my life reading literary fiction and finding it supremely formulaic, I tend to stay away from it, which is a bit like breaking some sort of golden rule about being a writer. Nevertheless, Backtalk was a pleasant surprise. Did I enjoy all of the stories? Not at all, but luckily they all kept my interest and weren't extremely depressing. By far, my favorite story was Hide and Seek, with an honorable mention to Spider Legs for being in two of my favorite settings for any literary fiction. Gone was my least favorite, but I'm betting most will like it exactly for the reasons I didn't.
Overall Rating: 3.5
Favorites
1. Hide and Seek
2. Lovers Lookout
3. Second Chance Family
4. Looking for a Thief
5. Dinosaurs
Did not enjoy:
1. Gone
2. Floor Plans
It's been extremely difficult for me to find a short story collection that makes me feel like I'm not doing homework. After spending a good portion of my life reading literary fiction and finding it supremely formulaic, I tend to stay away from it, which is a bit like breaking some sort of golden rule about being a writer. Nevertheless, Backtalk was a pleasant surprise. Did I enjoy all of the stories? Not at all, but luckily they all kept my interest and weren't extremely depressing. By far, my favorite story was Hide and Seek, with an honorable mention to Spider Legs for being in two of my favorite settings for any literary fiction. Gone was my least favorite, but I'm betting most will like it exactly for the reasons I didn't.
hillsax's review against another edition
2.0
I’m not sure I deserve an opinion because I didn’t finish the book, but none of the stories really stood out to me halfway through, so I threw in the towel. Would maybe try again.
erklel's review against another edition
3.0
These short stories closely examine the interiority of upper/middle-class white girls and women, which I imagine might feel radical if you’ve mostly been reading Franzen and Roth or something. I just felt a disconnect though, I just didn’t care much about what was happening.
It is so much about the interior, there’s barely any plot - which wasn’t the problem for me, I don’t think. She had a few incisive, observant details on shifting friendship dynamics, strained and complicated familial relationships, which resonated but nothing monumental.
My favorite of the bunch was “Looking for a Thief,” about a mother contemplating the path her life had taken.
It is so much about the interior, there’s barely any plot - which wasn’t the problem for me, I don’t think. She had a few incisive, observant details on shifting friendship dynamics, strained and complicated familial relationships, which resonated but nothing monumental.
My favorite of the bunch was “Looking for a Thief,” about a mother contemplating the path her life had taken.
marie_kreuter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
annexelizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
a quiet, thoughtful exploration of the lives of ordinary yet complex girls and women. favorites were spider legs, weighed and measured, american men in paris I did not love, and second-chance family
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
3.0
I guess my favorite was "appetite" but I didn't love any of these. Some were really short. Since the content is all about girls lives, I thought I would like this more than I did (I lost interest in some of the stories). I liked the writing style, so I am eager to read Lazarin's future books. Lots of potential. In the afterword, the author said this was twenty years in the making, and I wasn't surprised because some of the stories seem written by a college writing student, others were more mature and hefty.