Reviews

Birds of America: Stories by Lorrie Moore

zhzhang's review against another edition

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4.0

Some books are more likely to be enjoyed when you hold the actual book and read the text, and some books are the other way around - audio book with a great narrator could give you a totally different experience and you could just emerge yourself into the narration. For me, usually I prefer the latter, cause I need to walk my dog and do the chores and cooking. Yet, this book, I believe I could have enjoyed a lot more if I read it with text. I might come back to read the paper book. Each protagonist in different story is so different, which reflect all aspects of life you can imagine.

joelletribbiani's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kittoo's review against another edition

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5.0

every story slapped in this collection. how did you do that. mothership.

iguana_mama's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.75

gajeam's review against another edition

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4.0

Moore is unequivocally one of our best fiction writers, but I only had the strength to stare into the bleak abyss of life and the inevitable demise of love for about two hundred pages.

jadom's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

holdenn93's review against another edition

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4.0

Writing stories that are inherently minimalist in their style and setting, Moore focuses on introspection and exploration, foggy minded every day people just going from place to place, talking to people, looking out the window, thinking about their relationships, coping with grief and falling out of touch with their spouses, sharing conversations in hotel rooms and in dining halls with academics who dont like screenwriters (Moore's slightly random scenarios are pretty funny). She explores characters who navigate through trauma and maintaining relationships, telling stories of characters who fluctuate between emotionally distancing and intimate closeness with the people in their lives. All the while the writing is loaded with abstract and even slightly bizarre trains of thought to help us understand how the characters think and navigate their relationships. All round a decent read.

zoeheller's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

biblestudy10's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective sad slow-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

robindallav's review against another edition

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4.0

(4.5) Pretty near perfect. These are the kinds of stories that are as funny as they are tragic, Moore weaves a perfect balance that feels so much like life. My favourite stories were "Which is More Than I Can Say About Some People" and "Real Estate".