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thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this collection. I listened to it in one sitting and once again the audio was stellar. Each story had a new narrator, so they stayed distinct from each other while the themes running through them kept them connected.
A lot of these stories felt really timely to today, and I guarantee they will make you think and give you new insight. I sometimes find that I have a hard time connecting with the characters in short stories but that was not the case here. Each story is character-driven with complex and real characters. (Though I will admit that I was disappointed each time a story ended because I wanted more story!)
I think my favorite one was the title story (maybe because it was the longest), but I also really liked Alcatraz, Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want, and Anything Could Disappear. But honestly, I enjoyed them all. I’m thinking of getting the print book because I already want to reread this and I like rereading in a new format.
Read if you like: literary fiction, correcting people’s mistakes with post-it notes, not being told what the right answer is.
A lot of these stories felt really timely to today, and I guarantee they will make you think and give you new insight. I sometimes find that I have a hard time connecting with the characters in short stories but that was not the case here. Each story is character-driven with complex and real characters. (Though I will admit that I was disappointed each time a story ended because I wanted more story!)
I think my favorite one was the title story (maybe because it was the longest), but I also really liked Alcatraz, Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want, and Anything Could Disappear. But honestly, I enjoyed them all. I’m thinking of getting the print book because I already want to reread this and I like rereading in a new format.
Read if you like: literary fiction, correcting people’s mistakes with post-it notes, not being told what the right answer is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, and Racism
deedireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Office of Historical Corrections is a collection of absolutely masterful stories that buzz with life and echo with resonance.
For you if: You like really really great literary short stories. (Or you think short stories “aren’t for you.”)
FULL REVIEW:
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Office of Historical Corrections is a collection of absolutely masterful stories that buzz with life and echo with resonance.
For you if: You like really really great literary short stories. (Or you think short stories “aren’t for you.”)
FULL REVIEW:
“But what did it matter what she deserved, faced with the hilarity of one more person telling her glibly that better was out there when she was begging for mediocrity and couldn’t have that?”
Wow. Wowowow. The Office of Historical Corrections deserves all the hype it’s gotten — it’s an absolute standout short story collection. In fact, during a recent book club meeting, we contemplated which of the stories we’d most like to see developed in a novel. My answer was that Danielle Evans is so good at this form, and these stories and novella are so perfectly paced and crafted, that I wouldn’t choose any. This is how these stories belong.
I listened to this collection on audiobook, which was a really great way to experience them. The voice actors did a great job, and these stories are electric enough to feel super self-contained and immersive. They deal with tough subjects that are hard to look at and away from, but through the lens of beautiful, complete characters who could feel like they could literally walk off the page.
The titular novella, in particular, is excellent. I find myself still thinking about it. So, too, with several others (really, all of them), but especially “Why won’t women just say what they want?” and “Boys Go to Jupiter.”
If you think that short story collections “aren’t for you,” I challenge you to try this one. And if you already know you love short stories, this one is definitely not to be missed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, and Cancer
solidsnake's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
kb_sherman's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Sexism, and Terminal illness
Minor: Racial slurs
abcahill1218's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, and Racism
edie_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
carolinebrooks's review
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Gun violence and Racial slurs
kmaron's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
mollyrose's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
readwithkat's review
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was my first book of 2021 as part of my goal to read more short story and essay collections. And wow, what a perfect one to start off with. On January 6 the Capitol was stormed by a group of white supremacists, incited and encouraged by President Trump. It was just another reminder of how entrenched our country is in racism and how white supremacy always has and continues to run rampant. This collection tells the story of multiple Black women and reconsiders history and the intricacies of our current society. It is visceral, relevant, and well structured. I found myself fully invested in each and every complicated character and was left wanting more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Death and Gun violence