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1.07k reviews for:
Krótka historia Stowarzyszenia Nieurodziwych Dziewuch i inne opowiadania
Helen Oyeyemi
3.76 AVERAGE
1.07k reviews for:
Krótka historia Stowarzyszenia Nieurodziwych Dziewuch i inne opowiadania
Helen Oyeyemi
3.76 AVERAGE
In the end I adored this book! The stories were a bit slow for me at the beginning, because Oyeyemi's style of writing is very lush and vague in certain ways that it took me some getting used to. Once I fell into her world, however, it was wonderful! The thing that I liked most about this work is that all the stories seem to take place in the same world, it could be the one I live in or one that's adjacent, and even though some of the stories aren't necessarily "contemporary" in the way others are, they all have commonalities that imply they exist all together. I liked that there is character overlap in the stories, and the motif of puppetry throughout was intriguing. Thoroughly enjoyable!
I had a hard time with this book. I believe it would be enjoyable to someone who likes short stories. I found most of the stories to be disturbing and to have no conclusion.
I'm gonna go ahead and give this five stars because Helen Oyeyemi's talent is on full stretch here, as is her reach. It's a pity that the latter still outpaces the former, though this is first of all indicative of her metaphoric ambition, which she has (secondly) been giving as good as she gets throughout her literary career, and succeedingly better and better. When I first read Icarus Girl I thought that Oyeyemi was trying to do something extraordinary rather than actually doing it, and now she's done it, but she's still not there yet, you can tell she's not satisfied.
Lots of people have talked about the dizzying manner in which she switches frames throughout each short story- sometimes this works to dazzling effect, as in "Books and Roses", and sometimes it all doesn't quiiiite fit together as in " 'Sorry' Doesn't Sweeten Her Tea". “If a Book Is Locked There’s Probably a Good Reason for That Don't You Think" and other stories display Oyeyemi's wondrous talent for telling fables in which the metaphor's clear as a bell, but there's more to it than the metaphor, truly. The story about the Homely Wenches Society is probably Oyeyemi's most conventional, and therefore probably the most successful as a short story, because she's not struggling against the constraints of the form. (I've read so much of Helen Oyeyemi over the years though that I've started to find the struggle between her reach and her ability one of the most compelling things about her as a writer, though!)
My favourite favourite story? Probably "Books and Roses", which switches frames, yes, but with a certain smoothness that isn't apparent in the other stories, which has such wonderful descriptions and images in it (the entire origin story of Montserrat; the laundry and her father-monks, the pretty thieves who steal from each other, the book, the way someone dies, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING), and proceeds from plot to plot with the ease of a key flowing to fit its lock.
Lots of people have talked about the dizzying manner in which she switches frames throughout each short story- sometimes this works to dazzling effect, as in "Books and Roses", and sometimes it all doesn't quiiiite fit together as in " 'Sorry' Doesn't Sweeten Her Tea". “If a Book Is Locked There’s Probably a Good Reason for That Don't You Think" and other stories display Oyeyemi's wondrous talent for telling fables in which the metaphor's clear as a bell, but there's more to it than the metaphor, truly. The story about the Homely Wenches Society is probably Oyeyemi's most conventional, and therefore probably the most successful as a short story, because she's not struggling against the constraints of the form. (I've read so much of Helen Oyeyemi over the years though that I've started to find the struggle between her reach and her ability one of the most compelling things about her as a writer, though!)
My favourite favourite story? Probably "Books and Roses", which switches frames, yes, but with a certain smoothness that isn't apparent in the other stories, which has such wonderful descriptions and images in it (the entire origin story of Montserrat; the laundry and her father-monks, the pretty thieves who steal from each other, the book, the way someone dies, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING), and proceeds from plot to plot with the ease of a key flowing to fit its lock.
Very interesting collection of stories. Some weird, some strange, some beautiful. The first story was my favourite of the bunch for sure
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Haunting and immersive, never predictable. Sometimes I felt invited into the world of the story and sometimes challenged to understand what was really being said, but I always wanted to keep going, keep figuring it out. The characters themselves are often opaque, or difficult to understand, as a result of occupying disjointed and eerie settings and narratives. But the strength of the writing drew me in, and kept me there amid the fascinating images and turning of expectations. The stories did tend to end very abruptly, maybe my main complaint.
I really thought this will be another 5-star read for me. It started like it. I was excited, fully immersed in the stories until… until I wasn’t. Until they got so tangled up that only the author herself probably knew what she was writing about. Because 'What is not yours is not yours' is classified as magical realism, I knew this won't be an easy-to-navigate book, but in some stories, it seemed that Helen Oyeyemi tried to push it even further, tried to make it even more confusing, even more weird and it was just a tad bit overdone. ⠀
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The stories in this short story collection, although exploring different plots, have some of the same characters. Just when you thought you were done with one, he or she resurfaces again in another story. I quite liked that, although at times some connections felt artificial and there just for the sake of it. The stories are also thematically linked by keys of all shapes and sizes. This detail I enjoyed a lot more than the recurring characters.⠀
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What I loved about the book was that it was very diverse in its characters. Different races, different sexualities, different religions, and upbringings. The book really shined in this aspect. I also really enjoyed the way the endings of the stories are left to be open-ended. That way you can continue the story in your head and create hundreds of possible scenarios.⠀
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Overall, I think it's definitely an interesting collection of short stories and will appeal to anyone who enjoys magical realism and going down the less clear path plot-wise. Or perhaps it will appeal to everyone, since we all need a little magic in our lives right now.
⠀
The stories in this short story collection, although exploring different plots, have some of the same characters. Just when you thought you were done with one, he or she resurfaces again in another story. I quite liked that, although at times some connections felt artificial and there just for the sake of it. The stories are also thematically linked by keys of all shapes and sizes. This detail I enjoyed a lot more than the recurring characters.⠀
⠀
What I loved about the book was that it was very diverse in its characters. Different races, different sexualities, different religions, and upbringings. The book really shined in this aspect. I also really enjoyed the way the endings of the stories are left to be open-ended. That way you can continue the story in your head and create hundreds of possible scenarios.⠀
⠀
Overall, I think it's definitely an interesting collection of short stories and will appeal to anyone who enjoys magical realism and going down the less clear path plot-wise. Or perhaps it will appeal to everyone, since we all need a little magic in our lives right now.
I actually give this collection of short stories 2,5/5. Not that they are bad, some short stories are really nice and fun to read, some are more complicated and ask of you to re-read them to make sure you truly understand what Oyeyemi is trying to convey.
No, I give this book 2,5/5 because although I enjoyed it, I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to reading more of her since I enjoyed "Boy, Snow, Bird" so much. I guess I should not have had such high expectations. That being said, I'll probably read her other novels like Mr Fox and White is for Witching.
No, I give this book 2,5/5 because although I enjoyed it, I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to reading more of her since I enjoyed "Boy, Snow, Bird" so much. I guess I should not have had such high expectations. That being said, I'll probably read her other novels like Mr Fox and White is for Witching.
Looking forward to a second read when I can piece together all the overlapping characters a bit better.
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated