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colorfulleo92's review against another edition
2.0
This was my second try with Russel Banks. He's a talented writer but his stories don't work for me. Might be a bad choice to listen to his short story collection as I never enjoy them but I don't think I want to give Russel Banks another try. Maybe if a book sounds to intruging to pass up I will.
laynescherer's review against another edition
4.0
Having spent some time in the Adirondacks where some of the stories take place, it was quite easy to pick up the swift, but deft brushstrokes that Banks uses to establish the setting's tone. Even in some of the shortest stories, Banks can expand on the backstory of a moment, expanding inwards like a tunnel into a new universe. There's a dry humor these stories and an uneasily accurate capture of the sometimes awkward and unpleasant side of humanity.
susannaopal's review against another edition
2.0
I thought the book started off strong and I really enjoyed the first story having grown up in town and surrounding areas it took place in, but with each story it seemed to pewter off and in the end I didn't really enjoy this collection. I do think, that Banks strength is as a novelist and would still continue to recommend him as a solid writer!
corneliadolian's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't love all of the stories in this collection (I liked most of them), but I loved a few of them enough to give the whole book 4 stars. I really admire Banks's craftsmanship, his way of making single moments really striking.
My favorite stories in the collection, "Blue" and "Former Marine", are unexpected, tense and a little scarring. "Snowbirds" is also great. "The Green Door" and "The Invisible Parrot" are inhabited by some memorable and strange characters.
My favorite stories in the collection, "Blue" and "Former Marine", are unexpected, tense and a little scarring. "Snowbirds" is also great. "The Green Door" and "The Invisible Parrot" are inhabited by some memorable and strange characters.
sonia_reppe's review against another edition
4.0
I read this in two days; interested in checking out some of his other books now. Even though a lot of the stories were about loss, they didn't leave me depressed; probably because they were all pretty short. There wasn't that much time to spend with a character, yet the characters were written so well that you knew them in a short amount of time.
leilaniann's review against another edition
2.0
Maybe it is because I so recently read The Sweet Hereafter that I expected this book to be just as amazing as that one...I guess I shouldn't have gone into it with such high hopes. Unlike most of the negative reviews I have seen on here, it wasn't that all of the stories in this collection were too depressing for me (though it is true, they are bleak as all hell). It is that they were boring. I found my self trying to speed-read through them to get to the better parts. I basically slogged through it just so I can get it back the library. How can so many violent topics be written about so tediously?
kiramke's review against another edition
3.0
There's something really compassionate in his story-telling that I responded well to.
dannb's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely collection of short stories... full of heartbreak, loneliness, disappointment and tender moments
book_case7's review against another edition
3.0
Meh: Wouldn’t recommend but didn’t hate it.
It was very easy to pick up and read for short periods; and felt like very real-life characters and true stories, rather than a fictional world like most novels.
At first I thought it was neat/interesting how he’s constantly leave you hanging in the lurch and coming up with your own conclusions, which I enjoyed for some of them. But others just seemed pretty pointless, space fillers.
The chapters I enjoyed were: Former Marine, Transplant, and Looking For Veronica... otherwise they were all just moody and depressing, the only common theme is that everyone hates their spouse, unless they’re already divorced, and legit all the characters are assholes to each other. In fact I found most of the descriptions sexist/misogynistic.
In the end, I think it could have been an interesting and unorthodox way to read a book, I like the idea of a bunch of short stories; but tbh most of these stories just weren’t fulfilling/satisfying enough to make me truly enjoy reading.
It was very easy to pick up and read for short periods; and felt like very real-life characters and true stories, rather than a fictional world like most novels.
At first I thought it was neat/interesting how he’s constantly leave you hanging in the lurch and coming up with your own conclusions, which I enjoyed for some of them. But others just seemed pretty pointless, space fillers.
The chapters I enjoyed were: Former Marine, Transplant, and Looking For Veronica... otherwise they were all just moody and depressing, the only common theme is that everyone hates their spouse, unless they’re already divorced, and legit all the characters are assholes to each other. In fact I found most of the descriptions sexist/misogynistic.
In the end, I think it could have been an interesting and unorthodox way to read a book, I like the idea of a bunch of short stories; but tbh most of these stories just weren’t fulfilling/satisfying enough to make me truly enjoy reading.