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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
I rarely read collections of short stories. I often read the first two or three stories and then feel like I’ve had enough. Finished this book, but I’m at a loss as to rating it; it didn’t speak to me, but overall it impressed me.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my first time reading Helen Oyeyemi. It will not be the last for me. I have been captured by these surreal fairytale short stories. The experience is much like reading a series of dreams with a blend of "once upon a time" and magic with the modern world, giving an atmosphere of being oustide time. The stories follow their own logic - which really is not much logic at all. Several characters appear in more than one story, so that provides some connecting threads. It is nice to see some characters come back in a different context. I cannot claim that I understand these stories beyond basics. I have a feeling that rereading will help me make more connections and see things I didn't see before. Experiencing these stories is something I am so glad I did not miss.
En utrolig fascinerende novellesamling hvor mange av karakterene går igjen i ulike fortellinger. Forfatteren kombinerer det moderne og det eventyraktige på en fantastisk måte; hver historie føles mytisk og mystisk samtidig som man alltid blir presentert for en moderne setting med referanser til for eksempel mobiltelefoner og Youtube. Novellesamlingen er helt unik og meget fengslende. Aldri lest noe lignende..
I was like today's the day and I did it but it's technically tomorrow now and I need to be in the lab in six hours and ugh
But
I flew through this, just disjointed between reading sessions and that diluted it a bit and I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that, book.
I think I liked this. I was frustrated at first bc this is the type of book/piece that you analyze in English class and freak out after two weeks of annotating to get the conclusions
And I think I need to reread it to take in all of its subtleties and in that way this challenged my brain a lot but I love it I am here for this
But I think this is the first time I'm seeing an author approach her writing as art, in the rawest form of the word, and that's pretty cool, I feel. Like plot lines aside it is a cohesive collective and all the pieces are just floating about each other and they all fit and what what whaaaat Holy cow.
I'm writing this bc I want to remember how I felt with this book and that I should come back to it to give it the attention it deserves and keep in mind this relationship with words for my own writing attempts.
Ah :,)
But
I flew through this, just disjointed between reading sessions and that diluted it a bit and I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that, book.
I think I liked this. I was frustrated at first bc this is the type of book/piece that you analyze in English class and freak out after two weeks of annotating to get the conclusions
And I think I need to reread it to take in all of its subtleties and in that way this challenged my brain a lot but I love it I am here for this
But I think this is the first time I'm seeing an author approach her writing as art, in the rawest form of the word, and that's pretty cool, I feel. Like plot lines aside it is a cohesive collective and all the pieces are just floating about each other and they all fit and what what whaaaat Holy cow.
I'm writing this bc I want to remember how I felt with this book and that I should come back to it to give it the attention it deserves and keep in mind this relationship with words for my own writing attempts.
Ah :,)
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
All of the good stories are in the beginning, which makes you eager to read and then unsatisfied. I generally like vague endings, but the majority of these stories needed fleshing out, just a little more meat on their bones. Several characters make appearances in multiple stories, but since my attention wasn't 100% on the book, I missed it a little. And when I didn't, it doesn't add much. 2.5, rounded down.
"Books and Roses" - 4
An interesting and intriguing story about a young woman and a key, and an older woman and the men who loved her. A lot is left up to the reader to infer, but there's enough provided that we can make it there.
" 'Sorry' Doesn't Sweeten Her Tea" - 3
A "revenge of the wronged woman" story with a twist - it's not the women this celebrity has wronged that comes after him, but a disappointed fan. Overly long.
"Is Your Blood as Red as This?" - 2
A story about puppets and mysteries, what's not to love?! But it was just too obtuse to me; there were many times where I thought I knew what was going on only to realize, no, I had no idea. I still don't.
"Drownings" - 1
I don't even remember this one.
"Presence" - 4
A wonderfully strange story about a machine that's meant to help you reconnect with passed loved ones. The eeriness and the loneliness are really suffused throughout, and it's beautiful.
"A Brief History of the Homely Wrench Society" - 3
Good enough, but doesn't fit with the rest of the collection.
"Dornicka and the St. Martin's Goose" - 2
Overly long, again, and not that interesting.
"Freddy Barrandov Checks... in?" - 2
OK. Too much background that we don't know, and the story is focused on the least interesting part of a very interesting concept.
"If A Book Is Locked There's Probably a Good Reason Why, Don't You Think?" - 2
Great title, but I don't remember it except that it left me wishing for more explanation.
"Books and Roses" - 4
An interesting and intriguing story about a young woman and a key, and an older woman and the men who loved her. A lot is left up to the reader to infer, but there's enough provided that we can make it there.
" 'Sorry' Doesn't Sweeten Her Tea" - 3
A "revenge of the wronged woman" story with a twist - it's not the women this celebrity has wronged that comes after him, but a disappointed fan. Overly long.
"Is Your Blood as Red as This?" - 2
A story about puppets and mysteries, what's not to love?! But it was just too obtuse to me; there were many times where I thought I knew what was going on only to realize, no, I had no idea. I still don't.
"Drownings" - 1
I don't even remember this one.
"Presence" - 4
A wonderfully strange story about a machine that's meant to help you reconnect with passed loved ones. The eeriness and the loneliness are really suffused throughout, and it's beautiful.
"A Brief History of the Homely Wrench Society" - 3
Good enough, but doesn't fit with the rest of the collection.
"Dornicka and the St. Martin's Goose" - 2
Overly long, again, and not that interesting.
"Freddy Barrandov Checks... in?" - 2
OK. Too much background that we don't know, and the story is focused on the least interesting part of a very interesting concept.
"If A Book Is Locked There's Probably a Good Reason Why, Don't You Think?" - 2
Great title, but I don't remember it except that it left me wishing for more explanation.
I've read some fantastic books in 2018, but this one has definitely been my favourite. If you enjoy inter-connected short stories, magical realism, and/or inclusive fiction, you need to read this book.
What is Not Yours is Not Yours was published in March of 2016 by Riverhead Books and came out in paperback March of 2017. Helen Oyeyemi is the author of five novels, and I’m angry at myself for never having picked up her work before this collection of stories, if this is any indication of her talent—which I’m sure that it is—because this style of writing and the world that is created in each of these stories is something that I’ve been looking for for a long time. These stories take place in different times, places, but the main character in one story will be mentioned in passing in a later as a family member, or ex-lover. This leads the reader to meditate what worlds we’ve created around us and how we don’t always realize the intersections with other worlds and stories. These stories are each built around the idea of keys; keys to a home, to a heart, to a garden, a library, books, anything that could possibly need a key to open it is in this collection.
For more of my thoughts see my full review here: https://thelionheartreads.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/89/
For more of my thoughts see my full review here: https://thelionheartreads.wordpress.com/2017/06/06/89/