Reviews

Zero-Sum by Joyce Carol Oates

internetrex's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

betterthanitsseams's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

yegua_blanca's review against another edition

3.0

Short stories veering towards the uncomfortable, gruesome, horrifying. JCO explores the obsessive thoughts of her characters, their fascination with themselves. I particularly loved how she writes about motherhood and the body in stories like The Baby-Monitor.

"But it is some sort of irony, to be inhabiting a female body: (ravaged) uterus, (splayed) pelvis, (stubbly-haired) groin, heavy-hanging udders grazing her upper belly."

Favorite stories: Zero-Sum, The Suicide, The Baby-Monitor, A Theory Pre-Post-Mortem

mere579's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kinakule's review against another edition

The writing style was consistently not my vibe accross all the stories. Mr Stickum was very good, though

jojodoesntread's review against another edition

only understood one story out of all!

cozycoe's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

nic_m_hud's review against another edition

3.0

Some stingers, some snoozers in here. A good variety though.

theciz's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

An odd collection of short stories, mostly baffling. I felt like I finished each one saying to myself "well, that happened". Nothing groundbreaking or especially entertaining or insightful - I’d single out The Suicide for being the most tedious. I think I’d sum it up with some interesting ideas, with very obvious executions.

what_g_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75