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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
Stunning and enjoyable reading with the added joy of discovering the links between the stories. Pairings of stories with loops across times, woods, sands and New England characters.
I don't typically read short story collections, but I loved this book. The stories are interconnected but each varies in its location and the time period it's set in. A unique book with beautiful sentences that will make you slow down and savor each story.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The bookending stories were absolutely spellbinding and transporting! They weren’t all as great as the first one, but they were all affecting and bewitching.
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The combo of enjoying Shattuck’s nonfiction book, the fact my local bookstore could barely keep it on the shelf, and the concept of New England-based short stories made me read it. He’s a strong storyteller that has quite a skill in bringing the reader into the mind of these characters - which always feels especially impressive in short stories. The concept of adjacent stories, for lack of better words, that crossed time periods and sometimes exact locales within New England was fun. It deserves the hype! I could see rereading somtime.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
This is a collection of short stories so it is very hard to respond to these quesitons. If I could give a 10, I would. The stories are so beautifully crafted and supposedly interrelated. However, I was so caught up in the stories themselves, I did not really look for those connections aside from very obvious ones. I thought I could pick a favorite of the stories but I stopped trying to figure that out when I got to 3 and realized that I had more. I suppose the most notable one is The Auk. It begins with a segment from Radiolab: "Singularities" and if you are listening to the audio book, it actually is Radiolab with the known speakers.
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
This is an absolute dream of a book. A collection of interconnected short shorties that so perfectly layer onto one another. The stories are rich in connection and place, honoring the way that humans (and their stories) quietly affix to the people before them and far beyond their time. Shattuck has an extraordinary talent for creating an immersive narrative through beautiful storytelling and authentic characters. I thoroughly enjoyed my time within these pages and can’t wait to spend the next few months telling everyone to read this.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
As most story collections go, this is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are excellent ones sprinkled throughout and the title story and the final one—“Origin Story” are so great they make this a must-read.
Made better by knowing that the stories are following the “Hook & Chain”/ABBCCDDEEFFA musical song form as a guide to the stories. The first and last stories create an incredibly moving sort of call and response to one another.
Made better by knowing that the stories are following the “Hook & Chain”/ABBCCDDEEFFA musical song form as a guide to the stories. The first and last stories create an incredibly moving sort of call and response to one another.