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julesceasara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
The first book was a little confusing and vague but atmospheric and suffocating. The way the great aunts’s conversations were written had an almost claustrophobic feeling, very overwhelming and rapid without any chance to get a word in let alone think to much about their words, which made Clare’s confusion make perfect sense.
I thought I would like the second book more than I did. The writing was good as the first, however not much happened for one of the longer stories in the book. It was a good amount of vague and had a satisfying ending though. Miao dao is such a cute name for a cat also.
I enjoyed the third book more than I thought I would. It was very short but not lacking in substance. Alyce made for a sympathetic character and the ending while tragic wasn’t out of the blue and didn’t feel like it was used simply for shock value. The change of format for the ending was also interesting and fit well.
The final book whilst probably the shortest was by far my favourite and I honestly don’t know why. Sometimes short stories feel rushed or lacking but this one felt whole. It was very atmospheric and tense and through the authors choice of words you felt the same confusion and hysteria the main character Elisabeth felt. The author is very good at this. It was well paced or maybe not but it fit within context of the story. In such a short time I grew attached to Elisabeth and Stefan and want an epilogue of the two of them running far away together. The cult following of N.K was also incredibly realistic towards people’s real feeling towards “celebs” and their relevancy only when they die young.
I thought I would like the second book more than I did. The writing was good as the first, however not much happened for one of the longer stories in the book. It was a good amount of vague and had a satisfying ending though. Miao dao is such a cute name for a cat also.
I enjoyed the third book more than I thought I would. It was very short but not lacking in substance. Alyce made for a sympathetic character and the ending while tragic wasn’t out of the blue and didn’t feel like it was used simply for shock value. The change of format for the ending was also interesting and fit well.
The final book whilst probably the shortest was by far my favourite and I honestly don’t know why. Sometimes short stories feel rushed or lacking but this one felt whole. It was very atmospheric and tense and through the authors choice of words you felt the same confusion and hysteria the main character Elisabeth felt. The author is very good at this. It was well paced or maybe not but it fit within context of the story. In such a short time I grew attached to Elisabeth and Stefan and want an epilogue of the two of them running far away together. The cult following of N.K was also incredibly realistic towards people’s real feeling towards “celebs” and their relevancy only when they die young.
cinephilegirl_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I only like Miao Dao.
honnari_hannya's review against another edition
4.0
TW: Murder, suicide, assault, abuse, rape, sexual assault, pedophilia, animal death, child death, drug abuse, mentions of abortions, miscarriage, etc.
Working my way through Joyce Carol Oates' body of work has been a delight. These four "novellas of suspense" were captivating, all of them unsettling in their own particular ways. I find it quite hard to recommend things for fans of Daphne du Maurier, but I think those that enjoy her works might want to give Oates a try as well; there is something about the way Oates builds atmosphere that seems indebted du Maurier, though there is definitely a little more grit.
Cardiff, by the Sea is the first and titular novella in this collection. This is the story of a young woman who was adopted by an older couple when she was around three years old. Almost three decades later, she inherits some property from a recently deceased paternal grandmother, as well as the dark history of what truly happened in her past. It was fairly obvious, in my opinion, what happened to her and her family but I don't necessarily think that is the point of this story. The suspense lies more in the weight of expectations—whether or not they will be fulfilled, and in what way, waiting for an inevitable disaster that you're sure is about to happen. Enjoyed the way JCO explored psychological trauma here too, through various characters and their reactions to the same incident over the course of their lives.
I really loved Miao Dao. This one teetered more in the speculative/not-speculative realm that I know some people hate, but I think those kind of suspense narratives (when done well) have such a edge to them. I love themes of the monstrous feminine, of young women turning their rage to deadly results, and the morally complicated violence of that kind of righteous anger. I also liked in this particular story the way body horror and transformation and puberty and claustrophobia and perception were linked, though that is not necessarily a novel way of looking at things, especially when we are talking about the monstrous feminine.
Phantomwise:1972 was probably the one I enjoyed least at first, because it is another story about a woman being taken advantage of by men. But I do enjoy that JCO writes about women who are complicated victims, and who struggle against the power dynamics that they find themselves in. They don't necessarily want to escape; some even want to turn back to the way things were, to revert back to the before stage, pre-pubescent, pre-transformation, pre-pregnant, etc. The ambiguity of the ending was done really well here, in the very typical JCO style that I like, and I know which one I definitely preferred.
The last story, Surviving Child is the one that definitely made me think of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier the most. The borrowed elements are fairly obvious: young woman plucked from obscurity after the wife of her older now-husband dies under suspicious circumstances, and she is swept up into their life of glamour and luxury into a mysterious house that is haunted by the dead wife's memory. This has the added element of a step child being involved just for extra creepiness as well.
Working my way through Joyce Carol Oates' body of work has been a delight. These four "novellas of suspense" were captivating, all of them unsettling in their own particular ways. I find it quite hard to recommend things for fans of Daphne du Maurier, but I think those that enjoy her works might want to give Oates a try as well; there is something about the way Oates builds atmosphere that seems indebted du Maurier, though there is definitely a little more grit.
Cardiff, by the Sea is the first and titular novella in this collection. This is the story of a young woman who was adopted by an older couple when she was around three years old. Almost three decades later, she inherits some property from a recently deceased paternal grandmother, as well as the dark history of what truly happened in her past. It was fairly obvious, in my opinion, what happened to her and her family but I don't necessarily think that is the point of this story. The suspense lies more in the weight of expectations—whether or not they will be fulfilled, and in what way, waiting for an inevitable disaster that you're sure is about to happen. Enjoyed the way JCO explored psychological trauma here too, through various characters and their reactions to the same incident over the course of their lives.
I really loved Miao Dao. This one teetered more in the speculative/not-speculative realm that I know some people hate, but I think those kind of suspense narratives (when done well) have such a edge to them. I love themes of the monstrous feminine, of young women turning their rage to deadly results, and the morally complicated violence of that kind of righteous anger. I also liked in this particular story the way body horror and transformation and puberty and claustrophobia and perception were linked, though that is not necessarily a novel way of looking at things, especially when we are talking about the monstrous feminine.
Phantomwise:1972 was probably the one I enjoyed least at first, because it is another story about a woman being taken advantage of by men. But I do enjoy that JCO writes about women who are complicated victims, and who struggle against the power dynamics that they find themselves in. They don't necessarily want to escape; some even want to turn back to the way things were, to revert back to the before stage, pre-pubescent, pre-transformation, pre-pregnant, etc. The ambiguity of the ending was done really well here, in the very typical JCO style that I like, and I know which one I definitely preferred.
The last story, Surviving Child is the one that definitely made me think of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier the most. The borrowed elements are fairly obvious: young woman plucked from obscurity after the wife of her older now-husband dies under suspicious circumstances, and she is swept up into their life of glamour and luxury into a mysterious house that is haunted by the dead wife's memory. This has the added element of a step child being involved just for extra creepiness as well.
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Cardiff, by the Sea is a new collection of four novellas by Joyce Carol Oates. These 4 tales all take a look at women living their lives when something dark or bizarre comes their way. The title story is about a young professional woman who receives a call from a lawyer telling her that her grandmother has died and left her property in the small town of Cardiff, ME. Our protagonist was adopted as a toddler and has no memory of her grandmother or birth parents. She slowly unwinds her birth family's troubled past.
The other 3 stories are all just as contemplative and twisty. There is sexual harassment, assault, bullying, suicide, murder. So you know, all those dark twisted corners of society that females may face. Oates' writing kept me enthralled despite the dark topics. And the ending of each story threw me for a bit of a loop so I had to page back and re-read a bit. Definitely left me thinking. Disturbing!!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The other 3 stories are all just as contemplative and twisty. There is sexual harassment, assault, bullying, suicide, murder. So you know, all those dark twisted corners of society that females may face. Oates' writing kept me enthralled despite the dark topics. And the ending of each story threw me for a bit of a loop so I had to page back and re-read a bit. Definitely left me thinking. Disturbing!!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
saigegub04's review against another edition
3.25
wednesday. there was something captivating and enjoyable in each story, but they never went beyond being simply entertaining stories. reads like a precursor to a lot of what is popular now: the anxiety of being woman in someone else's space, men as vaguely menacing entities, creeping discomfort, dreamlike prose that digresses as the character loses her grip on reality. enjoyable but nothing that sticks. I really liked the weird aunts in the first story, they reminded me of Gormenghast.
pam2375's review against another edition
4.0
What can I say that will do these stories justice? This is a book of 4 novellas/short stories as only JCO is able to do. Each story is better than the rest!
My thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release on October 6, 2020.
My thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release on October 6, 2020.
netflix_and_lil's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't expecting this collection to be so thoroughly enthralling seeing as I picked it up without knowing anything about the author and contents. Each story has merit, but here's a breakdown on my thoughts...
CARDIFF, BY THE SEA: Deceptively, not set in Wales. All good, once I got over that I was captured by the eerie tone and unnerving characters. Politeness to the point of unease wasn't something that I thought could be done, and yet the over-enthusiasm of the main characters was genuinely frightening at times. Or maybe I relate to the asocial fear of estranged relatives being overly touchy. I thought the story was simultaneously too long and too short; I didn't think it told the complete story I would have like and some fat-adding scenes felt unnecessary. However, the author doesn't owe me a satisfying ending, just a spooky ride, and that it was. 3/5
MIAO DAO: My favourite of the collection. I found myself reminded of (elements of) Earthlings; a touch of magical realism and revenge, hyper aware protagonist, but a victim of circumstance and watches the world differently as a result. And, as things go, a much sweeter ending than I expected the further I got in. If this is Joyce Carol Oates at her core, I want more. 5/5
PHANTOMWISE 1972: My least favourite, though I didn't hate it or anything. It just felt a bit 'by the numbers' after reading the excellent Miao Dao. It reminded me of a Stan series I hate-binged, The Deceived, with all the elements I disliked in that cropping up here - student/teacher predation, poetry, naive protagonist who is liable to being annoying and indecisive, MURDER??? (though admittedly they were better executed in Phantomwise). While one of the student teacher relationships in this was portrayed as rightfully predatory, the author couldn't seem to make up her mind when it came to the other one, even though it did read to me as creepy. I liked the ending, it made me mad. 3/5
THE SURVIVING CHILD: Classic gothic vibes in this modern take on 'innocent woman marries emotionally distant man, has the shit haunted out of her'. I enjoyed the arch and the more conclusive ending (sue me I like a pay off) and Elisabeth was a more likeable character despite her sudden bouts of spinelessness, because she's not an idiot and the length of the book meant she figured things out a lot quicker the new wives who came before her in classic fiction. I wish it had been longer, because out of all of the novellas it felt like the one with the most potential to be expanded into a full-length novel. 4/5
CARDIFF, BY THE SEA: Deceptively, not set in Wales. All good, once I got over that I was captured by the eerie tone and unnerving characters. Politeness to the point of unease wasn't something that I thought could be done, and yet the over-enthusiasm of the main characters was genuinely frightening at times. Or maybe I relate to the asocial fear of estranged relatives being overly touchy. I thought the story was simultaneously too long and too short; I didn't think it told the complete story I would have like and some fat-adding scenes felt unnecessary. However, the author doesn't owe me a satisfying ending, just a spooky ride, and that it was. 3/5
MIAO DAO: My favourite of the collection. I found myself reminded of (elements of) Earthlings; a touch of magical realism and revenge, hyper aware protagonist, but a victim of circumstance and watches the world differently as a result. And, as things go, a much sweeter ending than I expected the further I got in. If this is Joyce Carol Oates at her core, I want more. 5/5
PHANTOMWISE 1972: My least favourite, though I didn't hate it or anything. It just felt a bit 'by the numbers' after reading the excellent Miao Dao. It reminded me of a Stan series I hate-binged, The Deceived, with all the elements I disliked in that cropping up here - student/teacher predation, poetry, naive protagonist who is liable to being annoying and indecisive, MURDER??? (though admittedly they were better executed in Phantomwise). While one of the student teacher relationships in this was portrayed as rightfully predatory, the author couldn't seem to make up her mind when it came to the other one, even though it did read to me as creepy. I liked the ending, it made me mad. 3/5
THE SURVIVING CHILD: Classic gothic vibes in this modern take on 'innocent woman marries emotionally distant man, has the shit haunted out of her'. I enjoyed the arch and the more conclusive ending (sue me I like a pay off) and Elisabeth was a more likeable character despite her sudden bouts of spinelessness, because she's not an idiot and the length of the book meant she figured things out a lot quicker the new wives who came before her in classic fiction. I wish it had been longer, because out of all of the novellas it felt like the one with the most potential to be expanded into a full-length novel. 4/5