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oddreyloo's review against another edition
3.0
collections of short stories are always difficult to rate because of the sheer variety from story to story. on the one hand, chapters such as “mermaid fever” and “sons and mothers” were fascinating concepts with effective execution in the writing that kept me engaged throughout the story. on the other hand, there were definitely a few stories in this book that i almost skipped altogether. overall, fun read! but a few stories fell flat to me, especially in the latter half.
librarimans's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting collection of short stories that mostly focuses on tales of life in small towns but diverges for reinterpretations of Rapunzel and Siddhartha.
shiloniz's review against another edition
3.0
Millhauser is doing so many interesting things inside these short stories, and he is reaching into the depths of humans and pulling out some of the darkest pieces to examine them through a unique lens. That being said, this just wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy it in the way I feel books should be enjoyed, regardless of subject matter or material a good book should still make me feel more than an exhaustive weight at the idea of reading more of it.
iztrkfliers's review against another edition
4.0
Some stories were not as impressive as other stories. However, the stories that impressed me really impressed me.
Personal standouts:
- Phantoms
- Sons and Mothers
- Rapunzel
- Elsewhere
- The Pleasures and Sufferings of Young Gautama
- A Voice In The Night
Personal standouts:
- Phantoms
- Sons and Mothers
- Rapunzel
- Elsewhere
- The Pleasures and Sufferings of Young Gautama
- A Voice In The Night
colinmogg's review against another edition
4.0
Solid short story collection. Most I'd rate around 3.5, with an easy 4.5 for the tale of Gautama.
mandareads1690's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
cpq's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jasonfurman's review against another edition
3.0
I liked most of the stories individually but collectively they felt like less than the sum of their parts, a little repetitive, a little too much artifice, and I felt like I was not gaining new insights or being dazzled by complete creativity.
Many of the stories are about uncanny events in small Northeastern towns that are treated realistically and almost normally as they spread through the town--a mermaid dies on shore and starts a fad in a town; a wave of suicides are described almost like a wave of colds and phantoms appear in the town. In some cases, the focus is less on a community than on an individual or individuals, like the opening story "Miracle Polish" about a polish that makes mirrors show their subjects in a much more positive light and a man that becomes increasingly obsessed with seeing everything in mirrors. Finally, a set of stories are retellings of a fairy tale (Rapunzel), biblical story (Samuel), and legend (Paul Bunyan), and history/myth (Siddhartha Gautama). Rapunzel was an amusing attempt to tell the story in a psychologically realistic, modern manner--that in the process shed light on weaknesses both in the story and in the modern manner of telling. The Buddha story read like an interesting biopic. And Paul Bunyan was, for me, unreadable.
Many of the stories are about uncanny events in small Northeastern towns that are treated realistically and almost normally as they spread through the town--a mermaid dies on shore and starts a fad in a town; a wave of suicides are described almost like a wave of colds and phantoms appear in the town. In some cases, the focus is less on a community than on an individual or individuals, like the opening story "Miracle Polish" about a polish that makes mirrors show their subjects in a much more positive light and a man that becomes increasingly obsessed with seeing everything in mirrors. Finally, a set of stories are retellings of a fairy tale (Rapunzel), biblical story (Samuel), and legend (Paul Bunyan), and history/myth (Siddhartha Gautama). Rapunzel was an amusing attempt to tell the story in a psychologically realistic, modern manner--that in the process shed light on weaknesses both in the story and in the modern manner of telling. The Buddha story read like an interesting biopic. And Paul Bunyan was, for me, unreadable.
sdingee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
myweereads's review against another edition
3.0
“There is a restless so terrible that you can no longer bear to sit still in your house. You walk from room to room like someone visiting a deserted town.”
Author Steven Millhauser was new to me almost 5 years ago. I began reading this book however I never quite finished it and so I decided to pick it up again and read it in its entirety.
This collection contains sixteen short stories. To say these are a little bizarre is an understatement. What appears is that the author delves deep into what makes humans tick. By presenting his characters in unthinkable and ordinary situations, the reader is a witness to this experiment of how they will deal with their situations.
Some of the stories stem from mythology, others are disturbing yet funny or provocative and unsettling. I seen somewhere that these stories were almost like the X Files. I would say a few are from the same nerve however Black Mirror comes to mind with a few of the others.
Quite a few of the stories I enjoyed however there were a some which weren’t my cup of coffee.
Author Steven Millhauser was new to me almost 5 years ago. I began reading this book however I never quite finished it and so I decided to pick it up again and read it in its entirety.
This collection contains sixteen short stories. To say these are a little bizarre is an understatement. What appears is that the author delves deep into what makes humans tick. By presenting his characters in unthinkable and ordinary situations, the reader is a witness to this experiment of how they will deal with their situations.
Some of the stories stem from mythology, others are disturbing yet funny or provocative and unsettling. I seen somewhere that these stories were almost like the X Files. I would say a few are from the same nerve however Black Mirror comes to mind with a few of the others.
Quite a few of the stories I enjoyed however there were a some which weren’t my cup of coffee.