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adastraperlibris's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
papelcaracol's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
lisawhelpley's review against another edition
4.0
Yes, as the cover promises, there is suspense. But each felt like something was missing. Is that just Joyce Carol Oates' style? Maybe.
poeticdevices's review against another edition
I didn't really identify with Oates' writing style. It contained too many unnecessary feelings from the main character of the first story. Or maybe I just didn't read it at the perfect time.
When the "perfect time" does come though, I'll pick this book up again. For now, it'll be a DNF.
When the "perfect time" does come though, I'll pick this book up again. For now, it'll be a DNF.
victoriathuyvi's review against another edition
5.0
Each novella was strong on its own and together reads as a testament to the suffering of women. Beautiful imagery and evocative sentiments.
jyaremchuk's review against another edition
3.0
I am generally a fan of JCO, but these novellas smacked of creative writing workshop :(
lesliewatwar's review against another edition
4.0
Surprisingly this is my first book by Oates I've read. And reading short stories is even more out of my comfort zone.
Each of these stories has just the right amount of suspense to make you want to curl up with blanket and hot tea during a thunderstorm with this book.
Thanks NetgGalley!
Each of these stories has just the right amount of suspense to make you want to curl up with blanket and hot tea during a thunderstorm with this book.
Thanks NetgGalley!
karenleagermain's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Grove Atlantic for providing me with a copy of Joyce Carol Oates’ collection, Cardiff, by the Sea: Four Novellas, in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a huge Joyce Carol Oates fan and I was thrilled for the opportunity to read her new novella collection, Cardiff, by the Sea. All four novellas focus on young women navigating isolating and unsettling situations. The collection is labeled a suspense, which is apt, as the pacing of each story feels like a ticking bomb and the edginess never fades.
In the first story and title of the collection, Cardiff by the Sea, a mid-twenties university researcher discovers that she has inherited an abandoned farm house in rural Maine. The woman had been adopted as a child and the inheritance leads her to blood relatives and a shocking revelation of her parent’s death. I was gripped by this story and it felt quite personal. I also had a similar family tragedy that happened to me at four years old, the same as the main character ( although I was not adopted) and I have quite a bit of mystery surrounding my blood relatives. I found myself deeply connecting to the point where I felt almost in a trance reading this story. It was an out-of-body experience that I have never had while reading. It has been a week and I feel haunted by Cardiff by the Sea.
The second story, Miao Dao follows a preteen girl struggling to survive absentee parents, a handsy new stepfather, and boys at school who both tease and touch her developing body. She escapes to a nearby abandoned lot that is filled with feral cats. Her favorite cat, “Miao Dao” becomes larger than life in her imagination and takes on a protector role, helping the girl fight back against those who harm her.
In Phantomwise:1972, a college student has two secretive relationships. The first is with a young professor who only uses her for sex when he is in the mood. She becomes pregnant and decides to keep the pregnancy a secret. In the early stages of her pregnancy, a much older visiting professor takes an interest in her and she becomes his assistant. She is flattered to have attracted the attention of a man that she admires, yet she knows that the situation is not right. He wants more. She struggles with the harmful and inappropriate attention of two men, while trying to figure out what to do with the secret growing in her uterus.
The final story is The Surviving Child. A new wife marries a wealthy older man and becomes stepmother to his young son, Stefan. Going into the marriage, she knew that her husband and stepson had suffered a terrible and highly publicized tragedy. Stefan’s mother had killed herself and his baby sister. The mother had tried to kill Stefan, but he survived. Stefan’s mother was a famous poet, who through her death achieved a feminist cult-like status akin to Sylvia Plath. Stefan is a strange child marked by tragedy and his stepmother arrives unprepared for this new role. She spends a lot of time wandering around the mansion, looking for clues left behind by her husband’s first wife.
Oates has written an exceptional collection. I highly recommend all four novellas. in particular, Cardiff, by the Sea was a profoundly affecting reading experience that has left me feeling rattled.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
I’m a huge Joyce Carol Oates fan and I was thrilled for the opportunity to read her new novella collection, Cardiff, by the Sea. All four novellas focus on young women navigating isolating and unsettling situations. The collection is labeled a suspense, which is apt, as the pacing of each story feels like a ticking bomb and the edginess never fades.
In the first story and title of the collection, Cardiff by the Sea, a mid-twenties university researcher discovers that she has inherited an abandoned farm house in rural Maine. The woman had been adopted as a child and the inheritance leads her to blood relatives and a shocking revelation of her parent’s death. I was gripped by this story and it felt quite personal. I also had a similar family tragedy that happened to me at four years old, the same as the main character ( although I was not adopted) and I have quite a bit of mystery surrounding my blood relatives. I found myself deeply connecting to the point where I felt almost in a trance reading this story. It was an out-of-body experience that I have never had while reading. It has been a week and I feel haunted by Cardiff by the Sea.
The second story, Miao Dao follows a preteen girl struggling to survive absentee parents, a handsy new stepfather, and boys at school who both tease and touch her developing body. She escapes to a nearby abandoned lot that is filled with feral cats. Her favorite cat, “Miao Dao” becomes larger than life in her imagination and takes on a protector role, helping the girl fight back against those who harm her.
In Phantomwise:1972, a college student has two secretive relationships. The first is with a young professor who only uses her for sex when he is in the mood. She becomes pregnant and decides to keep the pregnancy a secret. In the early stages of her pregnancy, a much older visiting professor takes an interest in her and she becomes his assistant. She is flattered to have attracted the attention of a man that she admires, yet she knows that the situation is not right. He wants more. She struggles with the harmful and inappropriate attention of two men, while trying to figure out what to do with the secret growing in her uterus.
The final story is The Surviving Child. A new wife marries a wealthy older man and becomes stepmother to his young son, Stefan. Going into the marriage, she knew that her husband and stepson had suffered a terrible and highly publicized tragedy. Stefan’s mother had killed herself and his baby sister. The mother had tried to kill Stefan, but he survived. Stefan’s mother was a famous poet, who through her death achieved a feminist cult-like status akin to Sylvia Plath. Stefan is a strange child marked by tragedy and his stepmother arrives unprepared for this new role. She spends a lot of time wandering around the mansion, looking for clues left behind by her husband’s first wife.
Oates has written an exceptional collection. I highly recommend all four novellas. in particular, Cardiff, by the Sea was a profoundly affecting reading experience that has left me feeling rattled.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
bookdragon14's review against another edition
3.0
it’s a 3,5⭐️ for me
I really liked the first novella and the third but the others didn’t catch my attention
I really liked the first novella and the third but the others didn’t catch my attention
jennie_cole's review against another edition
3.0
Now I have never read a Joyce Carol Oates story before and while We Were the Mulvaney's is her most know novel I liked getting an introduction to her via these four novellas. The first novella, Cardiff, by the Sea is about a woman who receives a call from Cardiff, Maine informing her that a grandmother she never heard of left her property. But is this new relative the only new thing she will learn. This is followed by Miao Dao in which a 12 year old girl, Mia, has her life turned upside down with a divorce, puberty, and a step-father. The third novella is Phan-tomwise: 1972 centers around Alice, a college student, who gets involved with the wrong man and now has to find a way forward. The last story is the Surviving Child about the son of a famous poet who killed herself and her daughter but the boy lived. Now Stefan has a new step-mother and weird things start to happen.
There is an element of violence, finding yourself, and mystery that runs through these stories. I really enjoyed them and will definitely look into some of her other stories.
There is an element of violence, finding yourself, and mystery that runs through these stories. I really enjoyed them and will definitely look into some of her other stories.