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3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
DNF @ page 37
Somebody I respect highly liked this, so I know it can be enjoyed, but probably never by me. The story telling, writing style, and characters so far were all insufferable. I really couldn’t see myself pushing through to finish this, but to end on a good note. I do feel like the descriptions help pull me in mentally, but sadly not enough.
Somebody I respect highly liked this, so I know it can be enjoyed, but probably never by me. The story telling, writing style, and characters so far were all insufferable. I really couldn’t see myself pushing through to finish this, but to end on a good note. I do feel like the descriptions help pull me in mentally, but sadly not enough.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Lisa Taddeo, my Queen. Sometimes I just don’t know who I love more, Lisa or Melissa Broder. Please don’t make me choose.
I rushed out and bought Lisa Taddeo’s latest book Ghost Lover, a collection of short stories, the day after it came out and then still took nearly two months to pick it up. Not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I was making sure my body was entirely prepared.
I will say that this was not my *favourite* of her books (that honour goes to Animal), but only because I usually find with short story collections that some are stronger than others, which was the case here. That’s not to say that they weren’t fantastic - I still DEVOURED this book in mere hours, despite initially telling myself I would snack on it in chapter-sized pieces.
Some standouts: Forty-Two, about a woman in her 40s perpetually attracted to younger men, in love with a man who is marrying his 26 year old fiancée. Some of the reflections on youth and ageing in this one really resonated with me. I also felt touched by A Suburban Weekend and Maid Marian. One line in the latter was particularly gut-wrenching; “let the poor creature think it. She needs it, don’t you see”. Ooof. (Obviously there is no context for you, but I’m trying to avoid spoilers here!)
One common thread through most of these stories is that they are about women in the shadowy background. Women who have been forgotten or disregarded, women with obsessions from afar, grieving women, women who are invisible, always second or third best, who have had cancer, who have died. Ghost women. Ghost Lovers. I feel haunted by many of these stories and characters, that’s for sure.
I rushed out and bought Lisa Taddeo’s latest book Ghost Lover, a collection of short stories, the day after it came out and then still took nearly two months to pick it up. Not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I was making sure my body was entirely prepared.
I will say that this was not my *favourite* of her books (that honour goes to Animal), but only because I usually find with short story collections that some are stronger than others, which was the case here. That’s not to say that they weren’t fantastic - I still DEVOURED this book in mere hours, despite initially telling myself I would snack on it in chapter-sized pieces.
Some standouts: Forty-Two, about a woman in her 40s perpetually attracted to younger men, in love with a man who is marrying his 26 year old fiancée. Some of the reflections on youth and ageing in this one really resonated with me. I also felt touched by A Suburban Weekend and Maid Marian. One line in the latter was particularly gut-wrenching; “let the poor creature think it. She needs it, don’t you see”. Ooof. (Obviously there is no context for you, but I’m trying to avoid spoilers here!)
One common thread through most of these stories is that they are about women in the shadowy background. Women who have been forgotten or disregarded, women with obsessions from afar, grieving women, women who are invisible, always second or third best, who have had cancer, who have died. Ghost women. Ghost Lovers. I feel haunted by many of these stories and characters, that’s for sure.
I am a fan of Lisa Taddeo and her writing. Her book Three Women was uniquely strong, and her writing in it is spectacular. Her novel in Animal is powerful and gripping and rawly emotional.
However, I didn't completely connect with this compilation. If I had read each of these short stories separately, they may have hit with a different, succinct sort of power. But to be honest, this compilation was exhausting to read.
Her themes around women aging, women and beauty, women and desire, the doomed pursuit of beauty, and the potency of romantic rejection are all important themes that deserve to be explored. The objectification of women and the predation of women by men are themes that deserve to be explored.
But each of these stories has the same dismal worldview regarding these themes, and it was really dire and dark to read collectively.
It worked incredibly well in her nonfiction work, and it also worked effectively in her first-person narration novel. But these short stories were too much.
I needed some reprieve after reading her female characters in all these dark, twisted narratives. And all of the men in her writing are completely flat and one dimensional, not to mention horrible human beings.
I like Lisa Taddeo and I will continue to read her writing. But Animal and Three Women are far superior to these stories. Even some of the writing in them felt stilted and strange.
There is some beautiful prose, too, to be sure. And I liked her exploration of female friendships and their potency (both positive and negative) in "Air Supply" and "A Suburban Weekend". But overall I was very, like, worried for Taddeo after reading these stories. In her worldview, it seems dark and disturbing to exist as a woman in American society.
However, I didn't completely connect with this compilation. If I had read each of these short stories separately, they may have hit with a different, succinct sort of power. But to be honest, this compilation was exhausting to read.
Her themes around women aging, women and beauty, women and desire, the doomed pursuit of beauty, and the potency of romantic rejection are all important themes that deserve to be explored. The objectification of women and the predation of women by men are themes that deserve to be explored.
But each of these stories has the same dismal worldview regarding these themes, and it was really dire and dark to read collectively.
It worked incredibly well in her nonfiction work, and it also worked effectively in her first-person narration novel. But these short stories were too much.
I needed some reprieve after reading her female characters in all these dark, twisted narratives. And all of the men in her writing are completely flat and one dimensional, not to mention horrible human beings.
I like Lisa Taddeo and I will continue to read her writing. But Animal and Three Women are far superior to these stories. Even some of the writing in them felt stilted and strange.
There is some beautiful prose, too, to be sure. And I liked her exploration of female friendships and their potency (both positive and negative) in "Air Supply" and "A Suburban Weekend". But overall I was very, like, worried for Taddeo after reading these stories. In her worldview, it seems dark and disturbing to exist as a woman in American society.
I don’t really have too much to say about Ghost Lover.
I always have a hit or miss experience with short story novels, where most of the time only a few of the stories resonate with me more than others. Ghost Lover was a pretty even mix.
I will say the writing and prose of this book was spectacularly beautiful. At times Taddeo really prioritized poetry above substance, which depending on reader preferences can be a good or bad thing.
I enjoyed the nuance behind some of these stories. It was difficult for me to find the solid connecting thread or theme between all the stories for a while, but what I took away was how quietly deep being a woman is - more specifically the pain of unrequited love from a man and the importance of female friendships.
At the end of the day I enjoyed Ghost Lover but it wasn’t something that will stick me with me.
I always have a hit or miss experience with short story novels, where most of the time only a few of the stories resonate with me more than others. Ghost Lover was a pretty even mix.
I will say the writing and prose of this book was spectacularly beautiful. At times Taddeo really prioritized poetry above substance, which depending on reader preferences can be a good or bad thing.
I enjoyed the nuance behind some of these stories. It was difficult for me to find the solid connecting thread or theme between all the stories for a while, but what I took away was how quietly deep being a woman is - more specifically the pain of unrequited love from a man and the importance of female friendships.
At the end of the day I enjoyed Ghost Lover but it wasn’t something that will stick me with me.
I LOVE GHOSTS!!!!!!
this didn't pack the same punch that taddeo's other books have for me, and i didn't have the energy to do reviews for each story in this collection (and honestly i don't think either of us are missing much for it), but it did feel like a book i could revisit at a time when not many do!
and that's enough!
although not enough for me to be able to answer whether i should round this 3.5 rating up or down.
bottom line: too many uses of the word enough...but this is good enough at what it wants to be.
this didn't pack the same punch that taddeo's other books have for me, and i didn't have the energy to do reviews for each story in this collection (and honestly i don't think either of us are missing much for it), but it did feel like a book i could revisit at a time when not many do!
and that's enough!
although not enough for me to be able to answer whether i should round this 3.5 rating up or down.
bottom line: too many uses of the word enough...but this is good enough at what it wants to be.