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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
abigailcarol's review against another edition
4.0
Follow me on Instagram @bookmarkedbya / instagram.com/bookmarkedbya and see the full review at my blog: https://bookmarkedbya.wordpress.com/2019/08/01/turbulence-david-szalay/
*Thanks to Scribner for the free book.
A refreshingly approachable collection of short stories on the human desire to connect with others. The stories are centered around the cause and effect of small, happenstance interactions, and each story relates to the previous and the next.
Turbulence is a small book with a big message – you do impact those around you, whether you mean to or not. This collection of short stories is one of the most approachable and digestible I’ve come across to date (another is Look How Happy I’m Making You). What makes this collection particularly special is how closely related the stories are to one another. The first features a woman and a man chatting on a plane; the next that same man taking a taxi from the airport, and so on and so forth. While the stories are distinct in that they take place in new locations and with mostly new characters, the entire collection is fantastically cohesive and ultimately paints one picture of human nature. This collection is extremely short at 161 pages and is whip smart and thoughtful. You won’t finish the last page thinking “What was I supposed to take from that?” The message is clear and rich with depth, and the writing accessible. Turbulence is full of heart, empathy, and intelligence and I highly recommend it to veterans and newcomers of short stories alike.
*Thanks to Scribner for the free book.
A refreshingly approachable collection of short stories on the human desire to connect with others. The stories are centered around the cause and effect of small, happenstance interactions, and each story relates to the previous and the next.
Turbulence is a small book with a big message – you do impact those around you, whether you mean to or not. This collection of short stories is one of the most approachable and digestible I’ve come across to date (another is Look How Happy I’m Making You). What makes this collection particularly special is how closely related the stories are to one another. The first features a woman and a man chatting on a plane; the next that same man taking a taxi from the airport, and so on and so forth. While the stories are distinct in that they take place in new locations and with mostly new characters, the entire collection is fantastically cohesive and ultimately paints one picture of human nature. This collection is extremely short at 161 pages and is whip smart and thoughtful. You won’t finish the last page thinking “What was I supposed to take from that?” The message is clear and rich with depth, and the writing accessible. Turbulence is full of heart, empathy, and intelligence and I highly recommend it to veterans and newcomers of short stories alike.
byrd002's review against another edition
4.0
What an interesting book! I listened to this book and really enjoyed how one character from the short story was the subject of the next short story. Each tied together in such interesting ways. This is a really fine book that began with a story of airplane turbulence.
nan_patience's review against another edition
Where are we going with this? I don't know. A trip around the world and a single brief glimpse into the lives of a large cast of non-repeating characters and their situations: a modern and unpleasant variety of infidelities, illness, deaths, hotel rooms, loneliness, abuse, prodigal son, mother and son, husbands and wives, lovers... If there was a through-line or a overarching plot I'm not sure what it was, and maybe that's the point. Not really my cup of tea.
jhinkley90's review against another edition
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
jheher's review against another edition
3.0
A story that goes full circle - almost literally.
This is a very short novel - possibly a big novella - that touches on the lives of several seemingly unconnected people yet each is a link in a joined chain with each related to two others in some way. Each chapter is a vignette of one person that introduces the protagonist of the next.
I love the premise. Some of the connections were quite surprising but I wish that each chapter was deeper. I was just getting a feel for the new character and then he/she was gone!
This is a very short novel - possibly a big novella - that touches on the lives of several seemingly unconnected people yet each is a link in a joined chain with each related to two others in some way. Each chapter is a vignette of one person that introduces the protagonist of the next.
I love the premise. Some of the connections were quite surprising but I wish that each chapter was deeper. I was just getting a feel for the new character and then he/she was gone!
rachel_marie09's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
3.0
voldemort2001's review against another edition
3.0
The writing is elegant and engaging, the concept of linked characters from story to story is interesting but the content and plots of the stories themselves are, quite frankly, a little “meh”.
tumblyhome_caroline's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved this book so much.
Imagine sitting at an airport in the departure lounge, maybe your flight is delayed so you are watching the people come and go and idly thinking of the stories you might imagine for their lives. And then each person moves on and is gone into the crowd. Others take their place briefly moving into your view. This is how this book is. I would love to actually sit in a departure lounge and read it. The stories are almost flash fiction, which suits the theme of the book so well. But it isn’t ‘flash and gone’ reading. I will keep this book by me and reread quite a bit I think.
The stories (described in the summary here on Goodreads) are short but so expertly written. Each one contains so much of humanity. I see some people have said they needed to know more about each person in the stories, that it is too short, but really everything is said in just a few pages. It is like magic how so much can be conveyed in so few words by Szalay. In some ways ( in every way) more of the story would spoil the wonderful ness of the book.
Despite its brevity, some big themes linger...particularly a deep rooted racism. It is handled very well in that it is sometimes loud, sometimes subtle but never preaching...that is not the right word...I mean it is all the more shocking for the way so much is shown in maybe just a short sentence. Those short sentences are loaded and pointing right out at the reader.
Lastly I would say too that It isn’t a happy book, but it is a wonderful book
Imagine sitting at an airport in the departure lounge, maybe your flight is delayed so you are watching the people come and go and idly thinking of the stories you might imagine for their lives. And then each person moves on and is gone into the crowd. Others take their place briefly moving into your view. This is how this book is. I would love to actually sit in a departure lounge and read it. The stories are almost flash fiction, which suits the theme of the book so well. But it isn’t ‘flash and gone’ reading. I will keep this book by me and reread quite a bit I think.
The stories (described in the summary here on Goodreads) are short but so expertly written. Each one contains so much of humanity. I see some people have said they needed to know more about each person in the stories, that it is too short, but really everything is said in just a few pages. It is like magic how so much can be conveyed in so few words by Szalay. In some ways ( in every way) more of the story would spoil the wonderful ness of the book.
Despite its brevity, some big themes linger...particularly a deep rooted racism. It is handled very well in that it is sometimes loud, sometimes subtle but never preaching...that is not the right word...I mean it is all the more shocking for the way so much is shown in maybe just a short sentence. Those short sentences are loaded and pointing right out at the reader.
Lastly I would say too that It isn’t a happy book, but it is a wonderful book
rmadams103's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed how each story bled into the next. All the characters connect in small or big ways, and I loved how such simple stories make you stop and remember how truly connected we all are. I do wish we had each character for longer, but for such a tiny book, it packs a punch.