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readsnjava's review against another edition
4.0
Being in Northern Ireland as I read this really gave me the context I needed for these short stories about everyday life and people in Belfast. I enjoyed this book.
cinzia's review against another edition
2.0
I’m sorry, I can see there is some really important social commentary in this collection which I give so much kudos for, but the writing style and I did not get on. Just not my taste.
It’s a very distinctive style, very breezy and naturalistic; but perhaps too breezy for my dyslexic brain. I know that sounds weird, but I actually find it harder to read breezy books than hard ones because I tend to drift off too easily and not pay attention. There wasn’t anything that gripped my attention so I ended up disengaging and I couldn’t gel with the text. I didn’t engage with the writing so everything became empty and I wasn’t interested or invested in the collection.
I can see people really enjoying this read, the writer clearly has a skill for writing, but it was just a stylistic incompatibility for me.
It’s a very distinctive style, very breezy and naturalistic; but perhaps too breezy for my dyslexic brain. I know that sounds weird, but I actually find it harder to read breezy books than hard ones because I tend to drift off too easily and not pay attention. There wasn’t anything that gripped my attention so I ended up disengaging and I couldn’t gel with the text. I didn’t engage with the writing so everything became empty and I wasn’t interested or invested in the collection.
I can see people really enjoying this read, the writer clearly has a skill for writing, but it was just a stylistic incompatibility for me.
felineliteratuur's review
emotional
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
3.75
boekenhonger's review
4.0
Very surprised by this collection of short stories. I liked the clean writing style and how Erskine made the every-day life interesting, and sad.
elizabethmcintosh's review
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
alisonburnis's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
A collection of 10 short stories set in and around Belfast, this is a quiet group of stories, revealing the pain and emotion and hidden stories under the regular motions of every day life. There’s an esthetician who is being blackmailed into paying a mob boss, a woman who watches her niqab-wearing neighbours with fascination, an older couple who fall in love with the child of their cleaning lady and gardener, and a girl drawn to her friend’s mother’s boyfriend - a boyfriend the friend is also sleeping with.
This was a varied collection, quite well-rounded and written. Of course, not Alice Munro, but still very pleasant.
This was a varied collection, quite well-rounded and written. Of course, not Alice Munro, but still very pleasant.
laurenjohnsonz's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
lauramcnic's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
pking90's review
5.0
Absolutely amazing collection. Wendy Erskine is a master of complicated moods and striking imagery. There are moments from some of these stories that really stick with me, that are just fucking brilliant. Favorite favorites are To All Their Dues, Locksmiths, Sweet Home, Last Supper, Lady and a Dog, and 77 Pop Facts. Big ups.