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jackpep's review against another edition
5.0
Munro's a genius, nuff said. It's interesting how she tells 'essentially' the same story over and over but it never loses its power or meaning.
fien04's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Very very dark
lgiery's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Typically, when reading a collection, some stories captivate me while others fall flat. This is not true of Alice Munro. She does not miss. Her stories are introspective and filled with loveable, complex, and deeply flawed women characters, and nearly all reward a re-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Cancer, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
kari13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bookarino's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
doncoronado's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
skrrtvonnegut's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was just what I needed after kind of getting bogged down by my last two books; a book of stories kept my engagement high and got me engrossed pretty immediately. The stories themselves were definitely mostly bummers, but Munro's writing style, leaving plenty of blanks to be filled in by the reader, made great use of the small space they take up, fuller and richer than a typical short story. "Child's Play" was probably the most striking story to me, leaving a lot unsaid that did a great job of evoking a past horror that the narrator is trying to leave behind. "Wood" and "Free Radicals" are packed with tension and relief, especially when you compare it to some of the other stories in here, like "Dimensions," where the characters weren't as lucky. I'm not as versed in reading short stories so this was a nice entry for me; even with my unfamiliarity I could tell Munro was a master of the form.