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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
When reading an Other Voices book, I really want it to sweep me somewhere new, to offer my kinship with those whose lives are very different. Even a highly literary book that does not break from the main tropes of Other Voices writing can leave me dissatisfied. And so it is with Lot: Stories. The setting and the protagonist are fresh, but the fundamental story of displacement and separation from family due to different perspectives on life and from society due to the Othering of poverty and lives of color (and in this case, LGBTQ lives) is too much what so many books are. I appreciate Washington's writing, but I don't feel warmly toward the book...I can't connect.
“This is the furthest I've been from the city, my city, in years, but it doesn't feel like anything's changed, and honestly, why would it. You bring yourself wherever you go. You are the one thing you can never run out on.”
With clear, lingering prose, Bryan Washington maps out the city of Houston (he even literally titled the stories after the places where it was mainly set or the place that plays a significant role) through telling the tales of the people in it. Though mostly diverse and different from one another, Washington's main characters had quite a resemblance to each other, for they were all, at one point in their lives, had been beaten up by the city, by the people, by the circumstances they were thrust into, but from which they've unfortunately, for better or worse, survived from. In the haunting story ‘Alief’, Washington wrote: “And from the viejas to the juniors to the Filipinos to the black folks, we danced, danced, danced, to the tune of that story, their story, his story, our story, because we'd been gifted it, we'd birthed it, we'd pulled it from the ashes.” Their humanities, in searching for a home in this huge city, for connection to people they've been with their whole lives, but still somewhat unknown to them, were shown beautifully, but also genuinely, through Washington's always stunning sentences.
I know the stories in collections like this do not necessarily have to be connected—they can be spiritually connected by a running theme, though—but I appreciate the actual connectedness and cohesiveness of ‘Lot’. These are people who see the same sun and moon, who move through mostly the same streets in the same city. But their stories were still diverse and equally entertaining and beautifully done. Central to these was the coming of age of a boy from an Afro-Latino family. In the story that bears the book's title, located right at the very heart, Washington opened with “Javi said the only thing worse than a junkie father was a faggot son.” and for the next 20 or so pages, the most pivotal event in one boy's life unfolded with such grace. And in seven of 13 stories, this unnamed boy grew and learned his identity and so much about himself. It was one of the most moving and unforgettable pieces of queer story I've read in a while.
I liked all of the stories, which came as a shock as I have had bad experiences with short story collections recently. But it's hard to dislike anything from this collection. I liked Washington's sophomore work, a novel called ‘Memorial’ so much, but this debut collection is a much stronger work.
With clear, lingering prose, Bryan Washington maps out the city of Houston (he even literally titled the stories after the places where it was mainly set or the place that plays a significant role) through telling the tales of the people in it. Though mostly diverse and different from one another, Washington's main characters had quite a resemblance to each other, for they were all, at one point in their lives, had been beaten up by the city, by the people, by the circumstances they were thrust into, but from which they've unfortunately, for better or worse, survived from. In the haunting story ‘Alief’, Washington wrote: “And from the viejas to the juniors to the Filipinos to the black folks, we danced, danced, danced, to the tune of that story, their story, his story, our story, because we'd been gifted it, we'd birthed it, we'd pulled it from the ashes.” Their humanities, in searching for a home in this huge city, for connection to people they've been with their whole lives, but still somewhat unknown to them, were shown beautifully, but also genuinely, through Washington's always stunning sentences.
I know the stories in collections like this do not necessarily have to be connected—they can be spiritually connected by a running theme, though—but I appreciate the actual connectedness and cohesiveness of ‘Lot’. These are people who see the same sun and moon, who move through mostly the same streets in the same city. But their stories were still diverse and equally entertaining and beautifully done. Central to these was the coming of age of a boy from an Afro-Latino family. In the story that bears the book's title, located right at the very heart, Washington opened with “Javi said the only thing worse than a junkie father was a faggot son.” and for the next 20 or so pages, the most pivotal event in one boy's life unfolded with such grace. And in seven of 13 stories, this unnamed boy grew and learned his identity and so much about himself. It was one of the most moving and unforgettable pieces of queer story I've read in a while.
I liked all of the stories, which came as a shock as I have had bad experiences with short story collections recently. But it's hard to dislike anything from this collection. I liked Washington's sophomore work, a novel called ‘Memorial’ so much, but this debut collection is a much stronger work.
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
Very interesting short story collection in concept. The execution leaves a lot to be desired, though it's hard to pinpoint exactly what.
I think Bryan Washington is a good writer and I do want to read his novels before I make a definitive assessment in how I feel about his work. Some of the stories here were captivating and had a lot to say. I think the one involving the kids finding an abandoned chupacabra was the most memorable and compelling. I think in general, short stories need a wild hook like that or they are hard to latch on to. Many of these stories are too grounded in reality and fixed in characters we don't spend a lot of time with, so what is there to get hooked on?
Lot is interesting in that it focuses on stories that take place only in Houston (the stories are titled after specific streets or areas within the city to immerse us). It had a very similar feeling to books like The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. There is a focus on Latin-American culture against the backdrop of a larger urban environment and the stories themselves are (mostly) interlinked. It's inexplicable at first, but you realize that many of the stories come from the same narrator's perspective and sometimes from other members of that narrator's family.
The perspective shift can become confusing when we jump to people who otherwise have no strong connection to our main narrator's story. I got lost in this one a lot and while Washington is an evocative writer, especially with dialogue, there's not a lot of memorable description or scene setting to latch on to and the stories often felt a bit dull. I found myself struggling to pick this one up at times and others I was wanting to put it down after only 10 or so pages. The book's only about 220 pages and it took me like 3 weeks to finish this. Still, I think his writing will work better in longer form, so I am interested to see how his novels are.
I think Bryan Washington is a good writer and I do want to read his novels before I make a definitive assessment in how I feel about his work. Some of the stories here were captivating and had a lot to say. I think the one involving the kids finding an abandoned chupacabra was the most memorable and compelling. I think in general, short stories need a wild hook like that or they are hard to latch on to. Many of these stories are too grounded in reality and fixed in characters we don't spend a lot of time with, so what is there to get hooked on?
Lot is interesting in that it focuses on stories that take place only in Houston (the stories are titled after specific streets or areas within the city to immerse us). It had a very similar feeling to books like The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. There is a focus on Latin-American culture against the backdrop of a larger urban environment and the stories themselves are (mostly) interlinked. It's inexplicable at first, but you realize that many of the stories come from the same narrator's perspective and sometimes from other members of that narrator's family.
The perspective shift can become confusing when we jump to people who otherwise have no strong connection to our main narrator's story. I got lost in this one a lot and while Washington is an evocative writer, especially with dialogue, there's not a lot of memorable description or scene setting to latch on to and the stories often felt a bit dull. I found myself struggling to pick this one up at times and others I was wanting to put it down after only 10 or so pages. The book's only about 220 pages and it took me like 3 weeks to finish this. Still, I think his writing will work better in longer form, so I am interested to see how his novels are.
reflective
slow-paced
Bryan Washington is so talented, I honestly don't know how to cope.
Lot comprises 13 stories, all about different aspects of life in Houston, particularly for the poor minorities and disenfranchised. Interestingly, the odd-numbered stories follow one over-arching plot: the story of Nic and his family growing up in East End. The first and final stories were my favorites, and Washington does such an incredible job of tying up themes and leaving the ending satisfyingly unsatisfying.
"Waugh" is probably my favorite story that isn't part of that greater plot, perhaps because it is the longest, and thus provides the most meat to sink your teeth into. But all the stories are so diverse despite all being set in different poor districts within Houston. Some are funny, others heartbreaking in a numbing sort of way, but all are beautiful.
Lot comprises 13 stories, all about different aspects of life in Houston, particularly for the poor minorities and disenfranchised. Interestingly, the odd-numbered stories follow one over-arching plot: the story of Nic and his family growing up in East End. The first and final stories were my favorites, and Washington does such an incredible job of tying up themes and leaving the ending satisfyingly unsatisfying.
"Waugh" is probably my favorite story that isn't part of that greater plot, perhaps because it is the longest, and thus provides the most meat to sink your teeth into. But all the stories are so diverse despite all being set in different poor districts within Houston. Some are funny, others heartbreaking in a numbing sort of way, but all are beautiful.
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-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
dnf bc it was due at the library haahha oops