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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
This was my first experience with Flannery O'Connor while I admit she is a very talented writer and story teller, all these stories were fairly depressing. I'm not asking that everything I read be happy, but I was hoping that at least one of these would be hopeful. However, that was not the case. Maybe it was the fact that I listened to it on audiobook, and a majority of the time on my way to or from work in the mornings/evenings, but it just never left me feeling really satisfied. It mostly just bummed me out. The narrators all did a spectacular job though and that's the only reason I really even gave this book 3 stars... Not really even sure I want to do that.
Anyways, maybe I just came in expecting something else and that's why it was just an average experience for me, but it wasn't anywhere near one of my favorite reads/listens. I'm sure I'll give O'Connor another shot eventually but I think I'll hang my hat up for now.
Anyways, maybe I just came in expecting something else and that's why it was just an average experience for me, but it wasn't anywhere near one of my favorite reads/listens. I'm sure I'll give O'Connor another shot eventually but I think I'll hang my hat up for now.
A beautifully written collection of short stories that takes on race, class, and morality—with a large dollop of irony. Pretty much all of her characters are flawed, hypocritical, and not nearly as nice or superior as they believe themselves to be. If you’re looking for happy endings, don’t look here.
re-read this for class. flannery o'connor is still one of the all-time greats. yes i am logging short stories now to help me towards my goodreads goal. do not judge me.
( read only the short story “everything that rises must converge” for uni. really, really interesting! )
Audio book review.
DNF.
Warning, before you go into this book, NONE of the stories has a happy ending. ALL of them are depressing and deep, with themes like racism, sexism, rage, prejudice, stereotypes, etc. I knew that going into it, but it still dragged me down, and I could not WAIT to finish the book. So much so that I actually put it down in the middle of the last story. I was very confused at what was going on in the final story, and possibly I was just incredibly eager to be finished with the whole thing, but I decided to end it early. I just needed to move onto something a little more upbeat.
The reason I gave it two stars is because the stories are incredibly powerful and thought-provoking, and the characters have genuine emotion and motivation. The author definitely knows how to flesh out her characters and their flaws, holy cow. Just not the book for me, I guess.
DNF.
Warning, before you go into this book, NONE of the stories has a happy ending. ALL of them are depressing and deep, with themes like racism, sexism, rage, prejudice, stereotypes, etc. I knew that going into it, but it still dragged me down, and I could not WAIT to finish the book. So much so that I actually put it down in the middle of the last story. I was very confused at what was going on in the final story, and possibly I was just incredibly eager to be finished with the whole thing, but I decided to end it early. I just needed to move onto something a little more upbeat.
The reason I gave it two stars is because the stories are incredibly powerful and thought-provoking, and the characters have genuine emotion and motivation. The author definitely knows how to flesh out her characters and their flaws, holy cow. Just not the book for me, I guess.
Genre: Southern Gothic, Short Stories
Triggers: derogatory terms and racial slurs, religion, elitism, racism
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for language and themes
My rating: ⭐⭐
My thoughts: What does it mean? 9 stories and I don't have a favorite or even a least favorite. I wouldn't reread any of these.
Recommend to others?: No. There are 2 types of unreleased tracks the ones you wonder why they weren't on the album and the ones you understand why they were cut and wonder if they should have stayed locked away. Most of these stories were released somewhere prior to this collection but I honestly wouldn't have missed them if they had not been released. I understand these stories were written in a different time and some weren't polished however I still find them completely unreliable and lacking. A huge issue for me is they are pro religion and anti racism but it does not feel that way when you read them. I would most definitely assume Flannery is an atheist based on the way these stories are presented but she's actually devout Catholic. Without overanalyzing these stories they feel incomplete, not looking over the cliff but standing a few feet away. I often had to reread the last page to clarify what occurred. I would not want to subject anyone to that type of literature unless they were not reading for pleasure but to enlighten themselves about the human condition.
Triggers: derogatory terms and racial slurs, religion, elitism, racism
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for language and themes
My rating: ⭐⭐
My thoughts: What does it mean? 9 stories and I don't have a favorite or even a least favorite. I wouldn't reread any of these.
Recommend to others?: No. There are 2 types of unreleased tracks the ones you wonder why they weren't on the album and the ones you understand why they were cut and wonder if they should have stayed locked away. Most of these stories were released somewhere prior to this collection but I honestly wouldn't have missed them if they had not been released. I understand these stories were written in a different time and some weren't polished however I still find them completely unreliable and lacking. A huge issue for me is they are pro religion and anti racism but it does not feel that way when you read them. I would most definitely assume Flannery is an atheist based on the way these stories are presented but she's actually devout Catholic. Without overanalyzing these stories they feel incomplete, not looking over the cliff but standing a few feet away. I often had to reread the last page to clarify what occurred. I would not want to subject anyone to that type of literature unless they were not reading for pleasure but to enlighten themselves about the human condition.
Everyone is Racist, Religious and dies.
Great writing and thought provoking but, in the end all of the stories kind of had the same tone/message.
Great writing and thought provoking but, in the end all of the stories kind of had the same tone/message.
I really don't know what to think about this collection of short stories. This is the first book by Flannery O'Connor that I have ever read and I just don't know.
These short stories are full of cynicism. I have a feeling that Flannery O'Connor and I would probably get along due to our cynical natures. I enjoyed the book yet I have been left wanting a lot more. I'm not usually a fan of short stories because I want more. I hate how disjointed they are and I tend to just want a novella or novel instead.
Some of the stories I loved and others I just wasn't fully impressed with. All in all, I'm glad that I read this book but I probably will not read anything else by Flannery O'Connor.
These short stories are full of cynicism. I have a feeling that Flannery O'Connor and I would probably get along due to our cynical natures. I enjoyed the book yet I have been left wanting a lot more. I'm not usually a fan of short stories because I want more. I hate how disjointed they are and I tend to just want a novella or novel instead.
Some of the stories I loved and others I just wasn't fully impressed with. All in all, I'm glad that I read this book but I probably will not read anything else by Flannery O'Connor.
The writing is beautifully done. I had trouble liking it because every character is so horrible. I know it’s a satire, but I can only handle so much meanness. I need a few average people to leaven the bread. If the writing wasn’t so excellent, that and the excessive use of racist epithets would have made me rate it lower. Like the grossness of the characters, the epithets are used for a purpose. They emphasize racial differences and the bigoted thoughts and practices that pervaded the south in the 50’s and 60’s. Although, many have speculated that she was a closeted racist due to language used in some of her correspondence. They can’t the impact she made towards racial equality in her fiction. I didn’t have to like the experience to realize the point. So, I gave her 4 stars. Quality probably 4-5. My enjoyment 2-3. I think if you like dark comedy (I hate) or satire you might really love it. Definitely worth a gander.
In small doses, this is one of the most valuable reads. Reading and listening along to a podcast book discussion (Close Reads) made the experience all the richer.