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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I can’t rate this book. The writing has no peer but the stories of how awful humanity is, especially in the South with white behavior towards black people are appalling and very difficult to read (another tribute to the writing skill.). Be warned that the author uses racial epithets to be true to the times and the stories. Very hard to read but I know the author means to teach us lessons.
Exquisite and searing portraits of the family, race, change, and memory.
I'm not yet convinced of O'Connor's "genius," (as the New York Times blurb on the back cover says), but this is one place where I don't want to jump to the lazy tag of "overrated." There were plenty of things I liked in this collection: the racist, ignorant Southern protagonists (it's like I'm reading about myself!), and O'Connor's relentless and unsparing treatment of them; and the fire-and-brimstone religious allusions.
But, honestly, I just wasn't blown away by anything here. I thought "A View Of The Woods," "The Lame Shall Enter First," and "Revelation" were all excellent, but nothing here really screamed "genius" to me. Maybe it had something to do with O'Connor's (in my opinion) relatively bland prose style. Certainly, she has a skill with getting quite a bit, in terms of characterization, out of brief, pungent details. But I was never really impressed by any of her sentences. Maybe that shouldn't necessarily be a major concern for every writer. Maybe I've been tainted by reading Raymond Carver in my views as to what constitutes great short fiction. Maybe I should revisit Ms. O'Connor someday, when I'm all ready. I don't know anymore.
But, honestly, I just wasn't blown away by anything here. I thought "A View Of The Woods," "The Lame Shall Enter First," and "Revelation" were all excellent, but nothing here really screamed "genius" to me. Maybe it had something to do with O'Connor's (in my opinion) relatively bland prose style. Certainly, she has a skill with getting quite a bit, in terms of characterization, out of brief, pungent details. But I was never really impressed by any of her sentences. Maybe that shouldn't necessarily be a major concern for every writer. Maybe I've been tainted by reading Raymond Carver in my views as to what constitutes great short fiction. Maybe I should revisit Ms. O'Connor someday, when I'm all ready. I don't know anymore.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I probably will never be a Flannery O'Connor nut like my husband or younger daughter, but I did really enjoy this collection. I listened to the Blackstone audio edition. My ranking of stories follows from favorite to least favorite:
A View of the Woods
Judgement Day
The Enduring Chill
The Lame Shall Enter First
Parker's Back
Everything that Rises Must Converge
Revelation
Greenleaf
The Comforts of Home
A View of the Woods
Judgement Day
The Enduring Chill
The Lame Shall Enter First
Parker's Back
Everything that Rises Must Converge
Revelation
Greenleaf
The Comforts of Home
A collection of short stories that make you wince due to sheer honesty and sharp dialogue. Filled with moral convictions and ideas of superiority, O'Connor's narrators are individuals that you agree with, root for, and see common kinship with right up to the crash; when moments are taken too far, opinions trumpeted too loudly. By then it's too late.
Oh boy. I generally love O'Connor's work. A Good Man is Hard to Find was a fabulous collection. This one was really hard to get through by comparison. The stories became progressively more difficult to parse and stomach. I can see the quality and the value, but this one was just rough for me.
The lame will enter first is so so haunting. As are the rest of them. But that one’s really stuck with me
challenging
dark
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes