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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD.
3.5 stars.
‘books and roses’ – I didn’t like or dislike this story. The writing was a little pretentious for my taste but the language was unique and very visual. I liked Lucy and Safiye’s story but Montse’s left me underwhelmed. I couldn’t help but feel that Oyeyemi tried to force their narratives together and that didn’t work for me.
‘‘sorry’ doesn’t sweeten her tea’ – this story was too abstract for my taste. I didn’t like the characters or the plot and its attempt to be stylistically surreal flat-lined. That said, I did appreciate Oyeyemi’s take on a socially relevant issue and its impact on young, impressionable minds.
‘is your blood as red as this?’ – the structure of this story left me flummoxed, as did the shifting narrative voice. The subject it explored - puppets – was also a big no-no for me.
‘drownings’ – this story was a turning point in the anthology. It had an intriguing fairy tale vibe and it was significantly shorter, which worked to its benefit. Its tone was also light-hearted but the content was so dark. Definitely my favourite so far.
‘presence’ – psychologically fascinating but my head wouldn’t stop spinning. What the hell was real and what wasn’t? I felt that the length of this story was spot-on too. It didn’t give me a chance to lose interest.
‘a brief history of the homely wench society’ – ha! This was brilliant. I was in a perpetual state of confusion as to who was who but Day and Hercules were adorable. I liked the rivalry between the Homely Wenches and Bettencourt too – there was no attempt to minimise the issue but Oyeyemi didn’t make the ‘injustices’ done to women the be-all-and-end-all either.
‘dornicka and the st martin’s day goose’ – an…interesting take on Red Riding Hood. I can’t say I understood the symbolism completely but the plot was well-rounded, the tone was immersive and the characters were distinct brush strokes rather than feeble sketches, which was nice.
‘freddy barrandov checks…in?’ – boring. I waited for something to happen but it didn’t.
‘if a book is locked there’s probably a good reason for that, don’t you think?’ – the title itself was a mouthful and I would have preferred something shorter but the story was good. I hated that it was in second person but you can’t have everything. Eva’s ‘dilemma’ in the workplace was fascinating to me and I found myself hating on the other employers for judging her so harshly. The message in this story was certainly stronger than in some of the others.
Final thoughts? ‘What is not yours is not yours’ was a rubbish title and I hated the fact that Oyeyemi didn’t use proper grammar for her short story titles. Her writing style, as a matter of fact, was too complicated and too…quirky for me. I like to read a book that doesn’t require hours afterwards for analysis. That said, the stories themselves were inspired and original. I’ve never read anything like them. ‘a brief history of the homely wench society’ was my favourite but ‘‘sorry’ doesn’t sweeten her tea’ and ‘drownings’ came in close combined second.
3.5 stars.
‘books and roses’ – I didn’t like or dislike this story. The writing was a little pretentious for my taste but the language was unique and very visual. I liked Lucy and Safiye’s story but Montse’s left me underwhelmed. I couldn’t help but feel that Oyeyemi tried to force their narratives together and that didn’t work for me.
‘‘sorry’ doesn’t sweeten her tea’ – this story was too abstract for my taste. I didn’t like the characters or the plot and its attempt to be stylistically surreal flat-lined. That said, I did appreciate Oyeyemi’s take on a socially relevant issue and its impact on young, impressionable minds.
‘is your blood as red as this?’ – the structure of this story left me flummoxed, as did the shifting narrative voice. The subject it explored - puppets – was also a big no-no for me.
‘drownings’ – this story was a turning point in the anthology. It had an intriguing fairy tale vibe and it was significantly shorter, which worked to its benefit. Its tone was also light-hearted but the content was so dark. Definitely my favourite so far.
‘presence’ – psychologically fascinating but my head wouldn’t stop spinning. What the hell was real and what wasn’t? I felt that the length of this story was spot-on too. It didn’t give me a chance to lose interest.
‘a brief history of the homely wench society’ – ha! This was brilliant. I was in a perpetual state of confusion as to who was who but Day and Hercules were adorable. I liked the rivalry between the Homely Wenches and Bettencourt too – there was no attempt to minimise the issue but Oyeyemi didn’t make the ‘injustices’ done to women the be-all-and-end-all either.
‘dornicka and the st martin’s day goose’ – an…interesting take on Red Riding Hood. I can’t say I understood the symbolism completely but the plot was well-rounded, the tone was immersive and the characters were distinct brush strokes rather than feeble sketches, which was nice.
‘freddy barrandov checks…in?’ – boring. I waited for something to happen but it didn’t.
‘if a book is locked there’s probably a good reason for that, don’t you think?’ – the title itself was a mouthful and I would have preferred something shorter but the story was good. I hated that it was in second person but you can’t have everything. Eva’s ‘dilemma’ in the workplace was fascinating to me and I found myself hating on the other employers for judging her so harshly. The message in this story was certainly stronger than in some of the others.
Final thoughts? ‘What is not yours is not yours’ was a rubbish title and I hated the fact that Oyeyemi didn’t use proper grammar for her short story titles. Her writing style, as a matter of fact, was too complicated and too…quirky for me. I like to read a book that doesn’t require hours afterwards for analysis. That said, the stories themselves were inspired and original. I’ve never read anything like them. ‘a brief history of the homely wench society’ was my favourite but ‘‘sorry’ doesn’t sweeten her tea’ and ‘drownings’ came in close combined second.
oh my god, this was so good. review to come later.
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
2.5. I wanted to love this, but I just can’t fully get behind a 300-ish page book that takes me nearly a full month to muscle through. Another reviewer described this book as a hard workout you don’t want to finish, and I regret to say that’s exactly how I felt. While some stories were beautiful and enticing (Books & Roses), others were incredibly frustrating, with the added feeling that you might possibly be a little stupid for failing to understand them. I think this book is quite possibly a work of art, but one that I couldn’t quite manage to understand.
I just couldn’t follow any of it. I understand that it’s a series of short stories, but I just couldn’t get into any of them. I hit the two that were about puppets and got totally lost. I had a friend who absolutely loved it and I really wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t slog my way through this book.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
really liked parts of some of these but felt like an overabundance of ideas. lots of things included just to include them and never actually being utilized
I am afraid I was not a fan of this disjointed, whimsical, confusing set of tales. Yes they were beautifully written (and the book itself is delightfully unusual in construction) but there was a constant feeling of detachment between me the reader, the author Oyeyemi and the subjects of her short stories.
I really liked the fact that people's gender was often not discernible and that sexuality was fluid. I didn't like that she only mentioned a person's skin colour only if they were black. It felt unnecessary. If you mention everyone's skin colour fine. If you mention none, fine again. To make a point of only pointing out one particular race felt confusing. I didn't understand the purpose of this. Perhaps it means nothing but it was noticeable. Everything has meaning.
I also didn't understand if these stories were meant to link. Characters kept popping up, which I really liked, but because it didn't happen all the time it felt random. Some stories weren't related to any of the others and stood alone i.e. Dornicka and the St Martin's Day Goose (one of the few stories that felt complete) - but it felt abandoned, an island all alone.
Most tales ended abruptly and it felt as if a lot of information was missing. Yeah they were a bit magical but because I wasn't offered any connection with the characters I didn't care about them. I was never given the chance.
I am unsure whether I would bother with any of Oyeyemi's full length books - then again, she is clearly a skilled individual and perhaps with more of a structure, this skill would be able to shine.
I really liked the fact that people's gender was often not discernible and that sexuality was fluid. I didn't like that she only mentioned a person's skin colour only if they were black. It felt unnecessary. If you mention everyone's skin colour fine. If you mention none, fine again. To make a point of only pointing out one particular race felt confusing. I didn't understand the purpose of this. Perhaps it means nothing but it was noticeable. Everything has meaning.
I also didn't understand if these stories were meant to link. Characters kept popping up, which I really liked, but because it didn't happen all the time it felt random. Some stories weren't related to any of the others and stood alone i.e. Dornicka and the St Martin's Day Goose (one of the few stories that felt complete) - but it felt abandoned, an island all alone.
Most tales ended abruptly and it felt as if a lot of information was missing. Yeah they were a bit magical but because I wasn't offered any connection with the characters I didn't care about them. I was never given the chance.
I am unsure whether I would bother with any of Oyeyemi's full length books - then again, she is clearly a skilled individual and perhaps with more of a structure, this skill would be able to shine.
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Compilation of short stories. Seems like a lot to unwrap in each story, but right about when I get attached to the characters and interested in their life, thats when the story would end.