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admacg's review against another edition
4.0
Another strong outing from Barry, his third collection of short stories, which are populated by oddballs, loners, the lost and sometimes unloved found in the darker parts of rural Ireland. Best for me was the tale of lonely bachelor and the Polish waitress of 'the coast of leitrim', the cat and mouse chase of 'ox mountain death song' and the title story, the pregnant seventeen year old waiting for her older boyfriend. I did enjoy the story of 'roethe in the bughouse' the story of American poet having a breakdown on Inishbofin, (not unrelated to John Lennon and 'Beatlebone' though it seemed different in tone from the other stories. As usual, the sentences are wild and lyrical and fizz with the energy needed, and theres a melancholy and darkness throughout. Perfect collection for my fuzzy and distracted 2020 head.
stephanierose19's review
dark
funny
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarahmac314's review against another edition
2.0
I can see the appeal, but most of the stories just failed to move me.
vcrl2104's review against another edition
2.0
This collection of stories is a MOOD. And the protagonist throughout is surely Ireland herself. Barry's language is often evocative and sharp, and there were a few lines that made me laugh out loud. But many more lines made me roll my eyes. One of the things I've lost in my thirties is any tolerance for aimless stories about casual sex between older men and much younger women.
kaitlin_rockett's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
drewsof's review
5.0
Even when he's working in steady and predictable modes, Kevin Barry remains perhaps my favorite word-for-word author working today. His ear for language and speech and a keen turn of phrase is unparalleled and while these stories aren't as daring as some of his earlier work (or his novels), they're no less pleasurable. Reading his work brings a smile to my face every single time.
lismort's review
reflective
slow-paced
I felt like I should have been sitting in HS English dissecting these short stories.
Definitely passed this one on to my dad when I finished ;)
Definitely passed this one on to my dad when I finished ;)
sarahc3319's review against another edition
4.0
When I read his work I hear Leonard Cohen's voice and miss Denis Johnson. I loved 'Roma Kid' so very much, one of my new favorite stories. The whole collection is rough and beautiful and funny at times.