Reviews

Fresh Complaint: Stories by Jeffrey Eugenides

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ppppaula's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I can see why the reviews on this one are mixed. I enjoyed most of the stories but a couple of them did make me really uncomfortable due to the subject matter and the ick factor (especially uncomfortable with the one about the guy in the jungle)

Content Warnings

suburbea's review against another edition

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Will come back to this later in life

acnaib's review against another edition

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3.0

Admittedly purchased the book predominantly because of the cover design. I haven't read many short story compilations so not sure what's unique to Eugenides writing and what's common ground for most books in the category. While I really enjoyed many of the stories the overriding impression I was left with was that the stories mostly focused on men dissatisfied with their lives often tied to some narrative regarding women who no longer fill traditional female roles.

bibliobrandie's review against another edition

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3.0

Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides are two of my faves, so I was excited to read this collection by Eugenides. I liked these stories, some were really good (Baster) and a some I really disliked (The Oracular Vulva). They were quick, compulsive reads, though.

tildahlia's review against another edition

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4.0

It was good to remember what I love about Eugenides after the dud that was The Marriage Plot. This collection of short stories span the last 15-20 years and are beautifully written. Weird, wonderful and slightly creepy, they will have you shifting in your seat as you read them. Particularly highlights were 'Baster', 'Early Music', 'Timeshare' and 'Find the Bad Guy'. A very solid collection.

thesanditun's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

carolyn0613's review against another edition

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3.0

I have read about the half of the stories and did enjoy them. Unfortunately I get very confused by books of short stories as I tend to read a lot and quickly so can read several in one sitting. This feels disjointed and mars my enjoyment of each individual tale. But if you do like short stories, this is a great collection. I love Jeffrey Eugenides writing and from that point of view , this book does not disappoint

hamilgrom's review against another edition

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3.0

This is the third book I have read by Jeffrey Eugenides. I have also read Middlesex, which I adored, and The Virgin Suicides, which I found completely underwhelming. My feelings on Fresh Complaint are a mix of my thoughts on his previous two works. Some of these stories I really did enjoy and have continued to think about (Fresh Complaint, The Oracular Vulva) others left me completely cold (Timeshare, Air Mail), some I did not enjoy but could appreciate (Capricious Gardens, Early Music) and others I forgot the moment after reading them (Baster, Find the Bad Guy). I'm glad I read this book, I have not read short fiction since college and this reignited an interest in the medium but I can't say that I will be recommending this particular volume to others in the future.

nickl3s's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

0.25

marinarc's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

not my type of book. some of the stories were highly misogynistic and also boring.

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