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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.
ffictionist's review against another edition
2.0
I think Joyce Carol Oates writes interesting themes well, but reading her books often feels like being force-fed. She's constantly trying to talk about subjects she doesn't wanna mention openly, which means that she's going to repeat herself several times to make her meaning obvious to the reader. But trust me, when you say "yea, ok, I get it", she's still not done. She keeps repeating and repeating herself, until I can't stand any of her characters and their spiraling thoughts.
sausome's review against another edition
3.0
A breathy collection of short novellas by Oates, these are less "novellas of suspense" and more novellas of gendered trauma and building fears of violence and loss. Intensely dark and ultimately depressing, Oates illuminates the trauma of puberty, of loss of parents, of the creeping and leering gaze of males in positions of power, all through the lens of women and girls. Like many of her other works, Oates shows us the world of women and girls and makes us wonder how any of us are so lucky to get out alive.
clarbineds's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent stories, kind of creepy. All female protagonists--a plus for me!
hatseflats's review against another edition
4.0
The common thread running through this collection of four novellas is a subtle mixture of both dread and paranoia. It is striking how well JCO has mastered instilling unease in the reader through mere hint and suggestion. Reading her work is akin to visiting a place that you've been told is haunted, and finding yourself becoming increasingly jumpy and second guessing your senses. If you read this before turning in at night, you might have unpleasant dreams. I sure did!
826conner's review against another edition
2.0
I am a fan of JCO, and have read many of her books.
This one did not do it for me
Great writing as usual but somehow the stories did not come together .
This one did not do it for me
Great writing as usual but somehow the stories did not come together .
paeliz's review against another edition
2.0
DNF -- Cardif, by the Sea 2/5
probably not what I was supposed to take away from this short story but it made me want to move to a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, Maine. anyways, maybe this just wasnt the right book to try to get into Joyce Carol Oates with. I didnt finish the book, though I finished the first short story, Cardiff, by the Sea. I really wanted to like it and the premise was interesting enough, but I feel as if it really suffers from being a short story instead of a full length novel. the main character is unbearably annoying (not to mention forgettable--I cannot even remember her name), always going on about how she cant trust anyone, familial or otherwise. I feel like, given time to flesh out a backstory for the reader, this wouldnt have been nearly as annoying as it was--many of the thoughts the main character has suffer this same consequence. it makes it extremely hard to empathise with the character and all of her actions. the motivation of the character, too, feels very confusing and not very well fleshed out. she suddenly finds out that she was left land in a will of her biological grandmother, whom she had never met as she was adopted at the age of two. this is fine and well, except for as soon as she heard this news, she instantly forsook her adopted family and would not stop talking (thinking?) about it. this is probably coming from a place of bias (family is family, after all), but, again, it made it very hard for me to see the character as a likeable person. also, like, girl you were two years old when your biological parents die please stop going on about how you remember seeing them killed you literally do not. you were two years old you don’t remember anything! you’re literally gaslighting yourself into creating memories!
the uncle was chill as hell though
probably not what I was supposed to take away from this short story but it made me want to move to a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, Maine. anyways, maybe this just wasnt the right book to try to get into Joyce Carol Oates with. I didnt finish the book, though I finished the first short story, Cardiff, by the Sea. I really wanted to like it and the premise was interesting enough, but I feel as if it really suffers from being a short story instead of a full length novel. the main character is unbearably annoying (not to mention forgettable--I cannot even remember her name), always going on about how she cant trust anyone, familial or otherwise. I feel like, given time to flesh out a backstory for the reader, this wouldnt have been nearly as annoying as it was--many of the thoughts the main character has suffer this same consequence. it makes it extremely hard to empathise with the character and all of her actions. the motivation of the character, too, feels very confusing and not very well fleshed out. she suddenly finds out that she was left land in a will of her biological grandmother, whom she had never met as she was adopted at the age of two. this is fine and well, except for as soon as she heard this news, she instantly forsook her adopted family and would not stop talking (thinking?) about it. this is probably coming from a place of bias (family is family, after all), but, again, it made it very hard for me to see the character as a likeable person. also, like, girl you were two years old when your biological parents die please stop going on about how you remember seeing them killed you literally do not. you were two years old you don’t remember anything! you’re literally gaslighting yourself into creating memories!
the uncle was chill as hell though
imassardo's review against another edition
5.0
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me an advance review copy.
Four wonderful novellas from Joyce Carol Oates. "Cardiff, by the sea": A young researcher, adopted as a young child, gets in touch with her biological family after receiving an inheritance. As she gets to know her family history, things don’t seem to be quite as they appear on the surface.
Miao Dao: A young girl experiences massive changes in her life with the only constant comfort in her life being a once feral cat that she has adopted
Phantom wise:1972: A young university student struggles when a romantic relationship with a professor goes too far.
The surviving child: a stepmother tries to make a success of her new blended family and to connect with her new stepson, who has survived the tragic loss of his mother.
Reading books by Joyce Carol Oates can be quite an intense experience. This collection is no different, four compelling and deeply disturbing novellas about troubled romance, death, life, relationships. Joyce Carol Oates never disappoints.
Four wonderful novellas from Joyce Carol Oates. "Cardiff, by the sea": A young researcher, adopted as a young child, gets in touch with her biological family after receiving an inheritance. As she gets to know her family history, things don’t seem to be quite as they appear on the surface.
Miao Dao: A young girl experiences massive changes in her life with the only constant comfort in her life being a once feral cat that she has adopted
Phantom wise:1972: A young university student struggles when a romantic relationship with a professor goes too far.
The surviving child: a stepmother tries to make a success of her new blended family and to connect with her new stepson, who has survived the tragic loss of his mother.
Reading books by Joyce Carol Oates can be quite an intense experience. This collection is no different, four compelling and deeply disturbing novellas about troubled romance, death, life, relationships. Joyce Carol Oates never disappoints.
jodzy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved the general atmosphere of the book, I love the way she handled heavy topics and how she vividly described certain things, situations, feelings - I felt like I was there.