Scan barcode
lindseymosley's review against another edition
emotional
relaxing
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
2.5
amesjo's review against another edition
3.0
This was a bit hard to follow on the audiobook. I couldn't tell if it was multiple characters/stories?
jjyork's review against another edition
Enjoyed some of the short stories but not all and didn’t feel compelled to continue. Short story collections aren’t really my thing anyway though.
uhohbrynetime's review against another edition
3.5
I really enjoyed these stories up until "The Flower Hunters" – there was a tone shift in the second half of the book that I can't quite put my finger on but didn't enjoy.
purplemuskogee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
I loved these short stories, some not so short, which means the characters felt developed enough, and I liked Florida as a loose theme (one of the stories is based in Normandy, as a woman travels there with her children to drink wine and research Guy de Maupassant). Snake Stories was maybe my favourite.
carolynu's review against another edition
2.0
Gotta admit that short stories aren’t my favorite genre. The beginning was much stronger than the second half of the book. I’m left scratching my head at some of the endings.
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I don’t always like short stories but this was one of the best I’ve read! Groff is able to give us insight into each character whether we follow them for 10 or 50 pages. Some stories and characters I connected with more than others of course, some I wanted to stay with and others did have confusing endings where I didn’t fully understand what the point was. I think I’ve found that I enjoy short stories more when I’ve read the author’s novels first, and can therefore better understand their writing style and appreciate the stories and characters more!
I marked quite a few pages/passages-I love Lauren Groff’s lyrical writing and exploration on humanity! I enjoyed the first half of the collection much more than the second half.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Rape, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Suicide, and Vomit
piapaya's review against another edition
4.0
Lauren Groff strikes again with her short stories that nearly always feel like they should be novels. I prefer her stories to her novels (so far-- I haven't read Arcadia).
I can't say why I like Lauren Groff's work. Sometimes she overwrites or lapses into clichés and plots feel contrived, but still, I like her. She's kind of like the crush you can't get over who you know is kind of bad for you in practice, but in theory and fantasy feels like a drug.
The standouts: "For the God of Love, for the Love of God" and "Above and Below."
I can't say why I like Lauren Groff's work. Sometimes she overwrites or lapses into clichés and plots feel contrived, but still, I like her. She's kind of like the crush you can't get over who you know is kind of bad for you in practice, but in theory and fantasy feels like a drug.
The standouts: "For the God of Love, for the Love of God" and "Above and Below."