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emlocke's review
3.0
Huh. Sort of a downgrade upon a complete reading. The best stories are "Willing," "Community Life," and "Agnes of Iowa," which are all somewhat similar, now that I think about them, and are all in the first half of the book. Once, I liked "Charades" best, but the prat fall didn't crack me up this time. I couldn't read "Dance in America" without hearing Louise Edrich gasp and croak it out loud, which she did for a New Yorker Fiction podcast a few months ago. "Don't let the emphysematic narrator near the sickly child!" And I guess once you've already heard the most climactic line in the story, it will never have the same impact. "Beautiful Grade" was funny but became so confusing it was dull.
I still love Lorrie Moore. I just shouldn't read her more than once. Her characters speak like I do and her similes, though they tend to stand up and wave frantically at you, maybe in a t-shirt that says "SIMILE" with a big smile caricature or something ridiculous like that, make me think. I appreciate that.
I still love Lorrie Moore. I just shouldn't read her more than once. Her characters speak like I do and her similes, though they tend to stand up and wave frantically at you, maybe in a t-shirt that says "SIMILE" with a big smile caricature or something ridiculous like that, make me think. I appreciate that.
annadirknowitzki's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It feels like the 90s. Some of the main characters feel a little too similar. But all of the stories are emotional, affecting, and scratching at something big and true about being human. I quite enjoyed it.
amoskane's review
5.0
Loved it but was sad(?) to find 5 St. Vincent song titles in the text. I sure hope Annie called Lorrie and they talked this out.
liambetts's review against another edition
5.0
It's been about two months since I've finished a book, so it's good to be back!
I spent the month of June and first week of July taking a playwriting/screenwriting class, so although I didn't read/write any fiction I read a TON of plays and scripts and wrote a lot of scenes. And then I just got back on the 25th from Camp Kesem, a week long summer camp that was absolutely amazing and exhausting.
In the interim I found out that I was accepted into Lorrie Moore's creative writing workshop at Vanderbilt, which I am super stoked/star-struck for! To prepare I've decided to read loads of short stories, and where better to start than with Moore herself.
I've read a few of her stories in the New Yorker before and was always impressed with them (Juniper Tree). Birds of America contains 12 of them. My favorites were definitely Dance in America, Real Estate, Terrific Mother, and of course People Like That.
It's clear that Moore is incredibly intelligent in the way that she crafts her sentences and metaphors. In the space of a few pages she manages to create complete worlds, characters, and relationships. She approaches dark and heart wrenching subjects with wit and her style is very inspiring.
There's more I could say but I'm a little rusty at this. I'm just very excited to get to be a student of hers next semester.
I spent the month of June and first week of July taking a playwriting/screenwriting class, so although I didn't read/write any fiction I read a TON of plays and scripts and wrote a lot of scenes. And then I just got back on the 25th from Camp Kesem, a week long summer camp that was absolutely amazing and exhausting.
In the interim I found out that I was accepted into Lorrie Moore's creative writing workshop at Vanderbilt, which I am super stoked/star-struck for! To prepare I've decided to read loads of short stories, and where better to start than with Moore herself.
I've read a few of her stories in the New Yorker before and was always impressed with them (Juniper Tree). Birds of America contains 12 of them. My favorites were definitely Dance in America, Real Estate, Terrific Mother, and of course People Like That.
It's clear that Moore is incredibly intelligent in the way that she crafts her sentences and metaphors. In the space of a few pages she manages to create complete worlds, characters, and relationships. She approaches dark and heart wrenching subjects with wit and her style is very inspiring.
There's more I could say but I'm a little rusty at this. I'm just very excited to get to be a student of hers next semester.
bookchantment's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
sandygx260's review
5.0
I must give these stories five stars for the beauty of Moore's writing. Sometimes her character's dialog is a little over the top, but I wish more people spoke in such a hilarious manner in real life. It would make the work day move along that much faster.
Most collections have stories that don't quite connect with a reader, and this is no different. The problem I had with a few stories is that Moore builds the structure, puts in the windows, the doors, paints the place, but never puts on the roof. I like a roof on my stories, a finish, an ending. The one story titled "Real Estate" is a terrific tale until the lack of a roof.
I did wander away from this collection to read a novel or two. That's the beauty of short stories— they forgive your wandering.
The last two stories in Birds of America: "People Like That are the Only People Here" and "Terrific Mother" not only have roofs, but they have ornate bronze balconies and leering gargoyles. They are stories which smack the reader's emotional tender spots. "Willing", "Dance in America" and "Charades" are also top notch tales.
Come for the utterly lovely language—stay for the roofs.
Most collections have stories that don't quite connect with a reader, and this is no different. The problem I had with a few stories is that Moore builds the structure, puts in the windows, the doors, paints the place, but never puts on the roof. I like a roof on my stories, a finish, an ending. The one story titled "Real Estate" is a terrific tale until the lack of a roof.
I did wander away from this collection to read a novel or two. That's the beauty of short stories— they forgive your wandering.
The last two stories in Birds of America: "People Like That are the Only People Here" and "Terrific Mother" not only have roofs, but they have ornate bronze balconies and leering gargoyles. They are stories which smack the reader's emotional tender spots. "Willing", "Dance in America" and "Charades" are also top notch tales.
Come for the utterly lovely language—stay for the roofs.
botanigal's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
laurren's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5