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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Short stories that are impossible to read quickly - some are dark, some are heavy, some are both. I will devour anything Roxane Gay writes, though I think I prefer her non-fiction, but this was as great as I expected it would be.
What a powerhouse she is! I basically need to read everything that Roxane Gay has written.
No fewer than five times reading this collection, at the end of a story, I had to put the book down and walk away, muttering "Jesus Christ" under my breath. This was my introduction to Gay's writing, and shit what a statement. This is the rare collection where, truthfully, I don't think there's a weak link. There is, however, one story that, for me, rose above the rest: "Break All the Way Down." Damn thing hits like a brick to the stomach.
Regardless of your chosen genre, this is absolutely a collection I would recommend to all aspiring and established short fiction authors.
Regardless of your chosen genre, this is absolutely a collection I would recommend to all aspiring and established short fiction authors.
A short story collection of dark plot lines. Some I enjoyed, others made me uncomfortable but I understand that was the point.
I've read Roxane's essays before and stupidly assumed this was also non-fiction when I got it from the library. Whoops! That being said, I loved it. I love her writing and her ability to highlight the flaws of her characters in a respectful way.
This was well written and held my attention better than most short stories. But there was so much in this book that was just difficult to read. The themes of sexual abuse and assault, and complicated emotions related to the loss of a child - born or unborn - as well as physical abuse as a form of punishment - were all dominant throughout.
There were some stories I liked better than others. The one about the gated community in FL told from different perspectives was great. But overall, it was dark, depressing, and such a negative picture of men. A lot of the stories also seemed to end very much unresolved, which in some ways I guess you want from a short story - but is also very unsatisfying.
This was well-written - and a different perspective I think than I am used to reading. So I am glad I read this - but I didn't like it. And because much of the time I didn't like what I was reading - even though I was engaged - I don't know that I'd recommend it.
There were some stories I liked better than others. The one about the gated community in FL told from different perspectives was great. But overall, it was dark, depressing, and such a negative picture of men. A lot of the stories also seemed to end very much unresolved, which in some ways I guess you want from a short story - but is also very unsatisfying.
This was well-written - and a different perspective I think than I am used to reading. So I am glad I read this - but I didn't like it. And because much of the time I didn't like what I was reading - even though I was engaged - I don't know that I'd recommend it.
Not sure how I felt about this AT ALL. The women seemed not 'difficult' as such but rather 'troubled'. The writing in its technical elements was wonderful, but the stories all felt a bit same-y and overblown. I did not like 'Untamed' either, however, so perhaps Roxane Gay's fiction is simply not for me.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A series of intense, intimate stories of how people keep on going after impossible things happen.
Powerful, riveting stories that made me want more of each of them. The tightly coiled dramatic threads of them made me remember why I used to cling to angsty poetry late at night in my teens--sometimes fear, anger, revulsion, sorrow, pain are a little less crushing secondhand, and all the more desirable for it.