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captaincocanutty's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
This is a compilation of all the short stories Ann Petry wrote. Her writing style puts you right in a characters head and environment, some stories in the beginning are from the point of view of the same character, but as the collection goes on you are introduced to new ones each time. They are usually regular people caught up in either mundane or extraordinary events. She does a lot more showing than telling, which I really prefer.
I think enjoyment of each one will depend on readers preference in short story format and storytelling. I would recommend finding a synopsis of the stories and reading them in order of interest, not in publication order. I did not enjoy Miss Muriel as much as some of the other stories and it almost made me give up on reading the collection as a whole, but it really picks up as you go along if you read in publication order.
I think enjoyment of each one will depend on readers preference in short story format and storytelling. I would recommend finding a synopsis of the stories and reading them in order of interest, not in publication order. I did not enjoy Miss Muriel as much as some of the other stories and it almost made me give up on reading the collection as a whole, but it really picks up as you go along if you read in publication order.
lindc9's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read as part of Storygraph's reading challenge. Made me remember how much I missed short stories. Gave an insightful look into a variety of black lives in the early - mid 1900s. Well written, but I was not "hooked in"
c8_19's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
For whatever reason, the first story was a chore to get through, which hindered my momentum and desire to keep going. I'm glad I did, though, because the rest of the stories were more engaging.
passionyoungwrites's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
The topics were sometimes nothing related to the titles which I found weird. A few stories were narrated by an “unnamed girl” where she explored life of her family’s drugstore business and the stories expand from her childhood into adulthood. Others include and angry man, a man going to find the woman he loves, parenting woes, a child and her imaginary friend, a drummer reminiscing while on set, and an exhumation gone wrong.
And honestly, I only liked 8/13. Now that’s not to say they were bad but some of the meanings weren’t extremely clear.
Though, it’s still #readannpetry , so far I think I enjoy her novels the most.
And honestly, I only liked 8/13. Now that’s not to say they were bad but some of the meanings weren’t extremely clear.
Though, it’s still #readannpetry , so far I think I enjoy her novels the most.
walkie_check's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Bullying, Murder, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Death, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Child death, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
starklinqs's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.5
I think like with a lot of short stories, this is hard for me to rate properly because there are definitely some stories that I vibe with and others that just didn't hit hard for me. I very much enjoyed the middle stories, but the opening chapters and final chapters were a bit slower for me to get through, personally. The writing is truly wonderful, though; I only heard of Ann Petry but never got to read anything from her so this was delightful to read.
booksbythecup's review against another edition
BEST BOOK DISCUSSIONS
Don't they start with yourself? And those conversations or discussions are further enriched when you engage in meaningful discussion with others who bring more perspective? Reading this collection makes me feel each few stories need their own conversation, room to breathe.
ᴍɪꜱꜱ ᴍᴜʀɪᴇʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ a is collection of 13 short stories by Ann Petry. I could have finished this collection months ago, but I purposely savored these. #SteepedInShortStories
Petry's craft as a superior storyteller is evident. Some stories are longer than others but even so, the stories have an impact—you think about the people, their lives and circumstances after. You see a lot in a little and that makes you think about the applicability of these stories in the time we live in right now.
Don't they start with yourself? And those conversations or discussions are further enriched when you engage in meaningful discussion with others who bring more perspective? Reading this collection makes me feel each few stories need their own conversation, room to breathe.
ᴍɪꜱꜱ ᴍᴜʀɪᴇʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴇꜱ a is collection of 13 short stories by Ann Petry. I could have finished this collection months ago, but I purposely savored these. #SteepedInShortStories
Petry's craft as a superior storyteller is evident. Some stories are longer than others but even so, the stories have an impact—you think about the people, their lives and circumstances after. You see a lot in a little and that makes you think about the applicability of these stories in the time we live in right now.
literary_lain's review against another edition
5.0
Every story is immersing the reader into the life of black american life.
beverleefernandez's review against another edition
4.0
Miss Muriel and Other Stories is a collection of short stories that embody the Black Experience in America. The characters are not written as “tragically colored” or a living minstrel show and that is reason enough to love Mrs. Petry’s writing. Much like the characters in The Street, they are portrayed as human-flawed to be sure because no one is perfect, but not evil. My personal favorite stories are Mother Africa for the perfect surprise ending, The Bones of Louella Brown-a truly haunting tale that should make one think twice of disrespecting people, The Witness & The Necessary Knocking on the Door for it’s take on respectability politics and the what would you do question presented, In Darkness & Confusion for capturing the rage of a people after repeated injustices. I believe these stories are timeless because the topics covered are relevant and still occur today. It’s a reminder that taking a step forward isn’t always easy, there will be an obstacle or several to try to keep success, freedom, happiness an abstract feeling.
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