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1.08k reviews for:
Krótka historia Stowarzyszenia Nieurodziwych Dziewuch i inne opowiadania
Helen Oyeyemi
3.76 AVERAGE
1.08k reviews for:
Krótka historia Stowarzyszenia Nieurodziwych Dziewuch i inne opowiadania
Helen Oyeyemi
3.76 AVERAGE
Stories were just too strange and long for my taste. Made it most of the way through but realized I dreaded having to pick it up
I just don't think Short story collections are my thing. Helen Oyeyemi is a very inventive writer, and my favorite of hers is Boy, Snow, Bird.
I've seen mixed reviews about Helen Oyeyemi's work, but personally I loved this collection a lot! Many of the stories meander through real and surreal events, which has been right up my alley lately. There was an interesting interconnection between most of them via a few recurring characters, as well. Only a couple felt like they went a little off-track.
My personal favorites out of this collection were "books and roses," "is your blood as red as this?" and "a brief history of the homely wench society." I look forward to trying out one of her novels next chance I get!
My personal favorites out of this collection were "books and roses," "is your blood as red as this?" and "a brief history of the homely wench society." I look forward to trying out one of her novels next chance I get!
What a strange collection of short stories...they do that intertwining thing and Oyeyemi's is a strange brand of magical realism.
-books and roses
-"sorry" doesn't sweeten her tea
-is your blood as red as this?
-drownings
-presence
-a brief history of the homely wench society
-dornička and the st. martin's day goose
-freddy barrandov checks...in?
-if a book is locked there's probably a good reason for that don't you think
-books and roses
-"sorry" doesn't sweeten her tea
-is your blood as red as this?
-drownings
-presence
-a brief history of the homely wench society
-dornička and the st. martin's day goose
-freddy barrandov checks...in?
-if a book is locked there's probably a good reason for that don't you think
This may be the best collection of short stories I have ever read. They create while worlds in so few pages it feels impossible. The emotions are real and strong and every story left behind thoughts and feelings that have stayed with me for days.
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
My favourite short stories were Drownings, Books and Roses, and Presence. In Drownings the author skilfully depicts poverty, desperation and the impact of tyrannical leaders. In Books and Roses a lesbian romance between two thieves is detailed as well as the life of a young woman given to a monastery by her birth mother as a child. Presence reads like a black mirror episode as an emotional distant couple trial a new technology to support people through grief.
Many of the stories explore and/or feature queer relationships (including a gender nonconforming puppet/person), class and work, and the unexplainable.
Would recommend.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought the stories were all a little slow to start but they invariably drew me in so that it was hard putting the book down in the middle of a story. I liked when bits of the others stories would pop up in later ones, like fun little Easter eggs, so you would see how the different characters are intertwined.
Three stars isn’t a bad rating and this isn’t a bad short story collection, but I have to say, I’m disappointed. I knew that I liked Helen Oyeyemi’s writing going into this (and I still do!), plus, the blurb sounded super intriguing and all the right people (aka people whose opinions I trust) liked it – all of this combined and I had very high expectations going into this collection. And while there were some pretty great stories, quite a few of them left me more confused than anything else. I don‘t need to have everything spelled out for me, but a little more guidance would've been nice. More often than not, I felt rather lost in stories that combined multiple storylines into one and jumped from character to character – all things that aren't inherently bad, but were executed in a way that made me feel distant from the cast of characters and the narratives. I do think that Oyeyemi has a knack for the whimsical and magical that shines through in these stories. I also really liked that some characters reappeared in more than one story. Overall however, this was a bit of a let-down for me personally.