Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - The Office of Historical Corrections

a nice collection of short stories and a novella, the office of historical corrections depicts the stories of various women, all of whom are braving against sth, w/ "richard of york...", "why wont women..." and "anything could disappear" being my favorites.

woven thruout many of the stories are both casual and uncasual racism, whose depiction that encompasses a wide range of seriousness demonstrates how corrosive it is, how constant the strain is in black characters, how it could turn fatal and life-threatening w/ the drop of a hat.

while evans explores her characters - even the unpleasant ones - interestingly enough, some of the stories stand more than others, while a few is forgettable. the book's also not as impactful as it could be, i think, but perhaps it's the author's intention to make this collection an understated one.

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tenten's review against another edition

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emotional funny

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ALL BANGERS. NO SKIP ALBUM.

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literarylion's review against another edition

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challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Pros:

Strong voice and narrative structure
Unique plots , masterful integration of racial issues
Good pacing

Cons:

Some of the characters in different stories seemed almost indistinguishable from one another
A lot of the stories had very similar messages

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cheye13's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is one of the best collections I have read in a while and definitely one of the best books I've read this year. I bumped a star because some passages were a bit too rambly for me to follow and I think the more subtle messages went over my head but, boy, were they all beautiful (if painful) to read.

★★★★★|Why Won't Women Just Say What They Want; Anything Could Disappear; The Office of Historical Corrections
★★★★|Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain; Boys Go To Jupiter
★★★|Happily Ever After; Alcatraz

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thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

As a history major, the title of this book piqued my interest. I didn’t realize it was a collection of short stories + a novella until after I purchased it.

Plot:

N/A

Characters:

All of Evans’ characters seem rather blank, as though they are floating through life passively. I think this was on purpose, and it is rather unsettling. None of them asked to be born into the messed-up world in which they live, but the past haunts them nonetheless.

Setting:

N/A

Themes:

Evans explores themes of loss, racism, and (obviously) history/the past. Her commentary is subtle but powerful. Every story is filled with pain.

Writing Style:

Evans is an excellent writer. I don’t really know how to describe it. Her style isn’t particularly distinctive, but it flows well and allows for the themes to seep through. She certainly comes up with creative ideas for her stories.

Conclusion:

The Office of Historical Corrections is well-written and powerful. Unfortunately, I did not give it the time it deserved simply because I didn’t want to spend my time with something so sad.

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bodiesinbooks's review against another edition

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reflective tense medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

- Every single story in this collection feels like it could be its own novel, and yet somehow I am not left wanting more from any of them - they are all perfectly self-contained.
- Some feel ripped from modern headlines (Boys Go to Jupiter) and some are steeped in family history (Alcatraz) but every one feels populated with real people and real history.
- And when everyone tells you the novella that closes this book is phenomenal, everyone is right - holy cats, wow!

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jenn_reads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Wow, you really need to read this book, I don't know what else to say.

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