Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Neighbors and Other Stories

Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver

4 reviews

mariball's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An astounding collection of short stories from an author cruelly taken away before she even had the chance to grow into the literary sensation she would have become. Vivid with simple prose, tenderly written characters, and dilemmas so astutely observed it reads fresh decades later.

Content Warnings

thecriticalreader's review

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Whoever chose the cover art for the US edition of Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver did an amazing job: the art is not only stunning, but it perfectly reflects the feelings evoked by this collection of short stories. On the cover, two glamorous and attractive Black people collapse on the sofa as if utterly exhausted, their facial expressions almost shell-shocked. Oliver’s stories, written in the 1960s, capture the everyday heaviness and hardship that came from merely existing as a Black American in the Jim Crow era. The majority of stories take place from the perspective of Black women from various locales and class backgrounds. No matter the woman’s particular situation in life—rich, poor, Southern, Northern, young, old, etc.—they face undue peril and adversity in ordinary circumstances. For instance, in “Closet in the Top Floor,” Oliver depicts the unraveling of a freshman who is the only Black student at her Southern girl’s college, driven to increasingly obsessive-compulsive and self-isolating behaviors as a result of her intense alienation. In “Health Service” and “Traffic Jam,” a woman with five children struggles to keep afloat in the face of dire poverty and an unreliable partner. Additionally, stories such as “Neighbors” and “Before Twilight” will remind modern audiences that the individuals who put their lives on the line to protest Jim Crow segregation were not fearless figures of historical myth, but ordinary people who had to contend with terror, confusion, and doubt. Oliver’s evocation of dread and terror is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s style of horror in the mundane, but her work is rendered all the more horrific in its realism.

Many of the stories in this collection are fairly straightforward with clear messages, but others favor nuance or experimentation. “Spiders Cry Without Tears,” which features the perspective of a white Southern widow who enters into an ill-defined relationship with a married light-skinned Black doctor, demonstrates Oliver’s grasp of how the lines between the oppressor and the oppressed can blur. “Frozen Voices,” an overly long experimental piece that plays with repeated sentences and impressionistic imagery, proves less compelling, but it does feature some of the more poetic writing in the collection.

TL;DR: Although the collection Neighbors and Other Stories was published about sixty years after the premature death of its author, it’s still a collection that warrants the attention and praise of modern audiences in its evocation of everyday hardships and horrors of life for Black Americans in mid-century America.

Content Warnings

utalit's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

oodlesofsins's review

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I was browsing NetGalley when I came across this novel. I was in a reading slump and was hoping to find something that kept my attention. I read the blurb for this one and was intrigued by the slight spooky description of some of the stories. Be warned that this is not a horror anthology or story collection although maybe two stories capture that vibe.
This collection of stories was written by Diane Oliver- an author I wasn’t familiar with possibly because she passed away early into her career and left behind this unfinished work. The introduction by Tayari Jones compared Miss Oliver to Toni Morrison and a few other great authors from the time period which interested me even more. I appreciated the supplemental information included in the introduction that helped paint the backdrop for the stories told. My only complaint is that the introduction spoiled a few of the stories.
As a fan of historical fiction and especially historical fiction focusing on POC’s I found so many of the stories relatable. As a black woman born and raised in the Deep South I was able to see the similarities of some of my ancestors in the characters. There are so many examples of the everyday plight of these people in each story and they showcase different walks of life. I found myself relating to a very similar situation as the main character in Closet on the Top Floor. This story is not horror, but there is a haunting feel to it, definitely more of a psychological story. Speaking of horror, No Mint Juleps Served Here was great. Not what I expected at all but 10/10 eerie story.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were a few stories that didn’t grab me but the ones that did definitely out way that. If you like collections or anthologies- especially focusing on specific time periods I would say give this one a go!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Content Warnings

More...