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tarajoy90's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
3.0
Some really solid short stories in this collection. I don’t know that I would recommend the audio version as the transitions between stories was nonexistent. It was sometimes hard to tell a new story had started.
drewmoody321's review against another edition
4.0
Read my full review here: http://thepulitzerblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/entry-71-the-collected-stories-of-jean-stafford-by-jean-stafford-1970/
literatehedgehog's review against another edition
3.0
I jumped around this story collection, looking for well known ones and particular settings or characters.
The tone of some stories remind me of Dorothy Parker, but with less dark humor and more introspective bleakness, heavier on the physical and emotional description. It's not the specifics of the where, when, and who of the stories that grab - it's the unsettling feelings, amorphous not quite depression, or pessimism, not quite happiness or loneliness - like that one moment when you suddenly don't want to be at a party, and there are hours before you can leave.
The tone of some stories remind me of Dorothy Parker, but with less dark humor and more introspective bleakness, heavier on the physical and emotional description. It's not the specifics of the where, when, and who of the stories that grab - it's the unsettling feelings, amorphous not quite depression, or pessimism, not quite happiness or loneliness - like that one moment when you suddenly don't want to be at a party, and there are hours before you can leave.
rhiannoncs's review against another edition
4.0
Before I read this, I thought Jean Stafford just wrote stories about society parties where vapid people say horrendous things and a select few see through them and are branded as outsiders (and narrators). And those are her best stories. But she also wrote about kids growing up in the West and all sorts of social awkwardness found outside of society parties, too. A good 75% of these stories are best described as "painful," but they're pretty wonderful, too.
radioisasoundsalvation's review against another edition
4.0
Stafford quickly endeared me to her style, despite a few fairly overused phrases that she favored. There were of course a few stand outs, and a few that I practically skimmed; but over all Stafford touches on loneliness and isolation, while keeping broad in terms of environments. The American-ness of this collection (ah, the Pulitzers) reminded me somewhat of Fitzgerald, in it's celebration of differences (even when it seemed that Stafford wasn't comfortable in these abnormalities and eccentricities).
This will be the last book of '09 that I read... tra-la-la.
This will be the last book of '09 that I read... tra-la-la.
lifewithmisskate's review against another edition
1.0
It’s currently the 11th of January, and this is my 5th finish of the year.
So, I am not a slow reader by any means.
However; this cacophony of nonsense took me over a year to complete. Had it not stood in the way of me progressing towards my goal of reading all the Pulitzer Prize fiction winners, I would have thrown this away months ago.
The pages are filled with story after story of dull people leading dull lives who then realize that they live dull meaningless lives, over and over and over again.
There’s no use wasting your time here. Pick literally anything else to read.
So, I am not a slow reader by any means.
However; this cacophony of nonsense took me over a year to complete. Had it not stood in the way of me progressing towards my goal of reading all the Pulitzer Prize fiction winners, I would have thrown this away months ago.
The pages are filled with story after story of dull people leading dull lives who then realize that they live dull meaningless lives, over and over and over again.
There’s no use wasting your time here. Pick literally anything else to read.
graywild's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
I just could not get into her style or content of any of these short stories. I didn't find myself being engaged in the characters and many times I thought the story went nowhere. Not recommended