Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
2 1/2
Não foi o melhor da Harris que já li, longe disso.
Tem algumas histórias interessantes mas parece-me que a todas falta um fim digno desse nome... Parece-me mais ideias inacabadas para romances. Ficou aquém das minhas expectativas!
Não foi o melhor da Harris que já li, longe disso.
Tem algumas histórias interessantes mas parece-me que a todas falta um fim digno desse nome... Parece-me mais ideias inacabadas para romances. Ficou aquém das minhas expectativas!
I still remember one of the stories very clearly because I liked it so much. This is exceptional because I read it over two years ago and I have a bad memory.
A wonderful collection of stories. From the life of Cinderella's stepsister to a poor man who just wants to feel young, to the story of two ladies desperate for a pair of shoes, Harris will make you laugh, cry, and worry about cooking in your own kitchen.
As with most collections of short stories some were really good and some I didn’t know what was going on. The very first story was probably my favourite as I thought it was sweet.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Not every story in this collection is a 5*, BUT. The ones that are 5 are so memorable and striking that I will be thinking of this book for a long time. I absolutely adore Joanne Harris' writing, first and foremost for its evocativeness - I do love me a meaty text, and her style is just right for me: rich but not overly flowery.
As for the few ones I did not enjoy - 3 of them were post-modern retellings and in the recent years I have grown increasingly bored of those.
A few words about each story and a rating:
"Faith and Hope Go Shopping" - 4 stars - starts with a bitter reality, but is quite uplifting. Perhaps not super spectacular.
"The Ugly Stepsister" - 3 stars - A postmodern retelling and at this point I feel like too many writers have done them.
"Gastronimicon" - 5 stars - an absolutely great magical realism tale, one of my favourites.
"Fule's Gold" - 4 stars - very well written, with a very depressing message.
Class of '81 - 5 stars - perhaps slightly annoying in the beginning, but, oh the ending compensates for it so well! Loved it.
Hello, Goodbye - 5 stars - A captivating dystopia with a really unexpected twist. Amazing how the author can conjure a whole new reality in a few scenes.
Free Spirit - 5 stars - It's written so well that it took me quite a moment to understand what I was reading, even though the concept is so very simple.
Auto-da-fe - 5 stars - Terrifying. Sad. Unfortunately, too real.
The Spectator - 2 stars - A weak one for me. I found it somewhat hard to relate and I saw the twist coming from a mile away.
Al and Christine's World of Leather - 4 stars - quite funny, 2 twists: one very predictable, the other one did surprise me.
Last Train to Dogtown - 1 star - Another weak one, sadly. Not only was it utterly predictable, but the protagonist's dumbness really got on my nerves. I understand that the magical realism element would be shocking and unbelievable for someone thrown right into it, but the way it dragged on was really irritating.
The G-SUS Gene - 2 stars - Dystopia of a kind I do not enjoy. Although the premise is quite intriguing, the story in itself just tired me and left me shrugging.
A Place in the Sun - 5 stars - Another dystopia, perfectly written, surprisingly engaging, perhaps because it plays on human vanity.
Tea with the Birds - 5 stars - A melancholy tale of a mysterious neighbour. Sweet, sad and uplifitng at the same time.
Breakfast at Tesco's - 5 stars - a lovely play on Breakfast at Tiffany's. A story of neverending hope, whether sometimes completely misplaced or placed just right. Interesting twists I did not see coming.
Come in, Mr. Lowry, Your Number's Up! - 5 stars - One of my absolute favourites; realistic in its presentation of the human condition but at the same time very darkly funny, super captivating and entertaining.
Waiting for Gandalf - 5 stars - Possibly the darkest story in the collection. Filled with passionate prose, grows increasingly tense to a point where you are trying to read faster to see how it ends.
Any Girl Can Be a CandyKiss Girl! - 5 stars - A dystopia about fashion. Really didn't see the ending coming.
The Little Mermaid - 2 stars - Another postmodern retelling. Boy, do they annoy me. Very well built personalities of the characters, though.
Fish - 5 stars - All the stars! Joanne Harris is like Dickens in The Pickwick Papers: when you read her writing about food, you get BLOODY HUNGRY. Amazing prose.
Never Give a Sucker... - 2 stars - In a way, this is a post-modern retelling, as well. I think my stance on those does not need repeating.
Eau de Toilette - 5 stars - A very enjoyable read, super evocative of textures, colours and smells. The twists weren't even needed, the writing is so good.
This is a collection I will not forget any time soon and I will be coming back to re-read some of my favourites.
As for the few ones I did not enjoy - 3 of them were post-modern retellings and in the recent years I have grown increasingly bored of those.
A few words about each story and a rating:
"Faith and Hope Go Shopping" - 4 stars - starts with a bitter reality, but is quite uplifting. Perhaps not super spectacular.
"The Ugly Stepsister" - 3 stars - A postmodern retelling and at this point I feel like too many writers have done them.
"Gastronimicon" - 5 stars - an absolutely great magical realism tale, one of my favourites.
"Fule's Gold" - 4 stars - very well written, with a very depressing message.
Class of '81 - 5 stars - perhaps slightly annoying in the beginning, but, oh the ending compensates for it so well! Loved it.
Hello, Goodbye - 5 stars - A captivating dystopia with a really unexpected twist. Amazing how the author can conjure a whole new reality in a few scenes.
Free Spirit - 5 stars - It's written so well that it took me quite a moment to understand what I was reading, even though the concept is so very simple.
Auto-da-fe - 5 stars - Terrifying. Sad. Unfortunately, too real.
The Spectator - 2 stars - A weak one for me. I found it somewhat hard to relate and I saw the twist coming from a mile away.
Al and Christine's World of Leather - 4 stars - quite funny, 2 twists: one very predictable, the other one did surprise me.
Last Train to Dogtown - 1 star - Another weak one, sadly. Not only was it utterly predictable, but the protagonist's dumbness really got on my nerves. I understand that the magical realism element would be shocking and unbelievable for someone thrown right into it, but the way it dragged on was really irritating.
The G-SUS Gene - 2 stars - Dystopia of a kind I do not enjoy. Although the premise is quite intriguing, the story in itself just tired me and left me shrugging.
A Place in the Sun - 5 stars - Another dystopia, perfectly written, surprisingly engaging, perhaps because it plays on human vanity.
Tea with the Birds - 5 stars - A melancholy tale of a mysterious neighbour. Sweet, sad and uplifitng at the same time.
Breakfast at Tesco's - 5 stars - a lovely play on Breakfast at Tiffany's. A story of neverending hope, whether sometimes completely misplaced or placed just right. Interesting twists I did not see coming.
Come in, Mr. Lowry, Your Number's Up! - 5 stars - One of my absolute favourites; realistic in its presentation of the human condition but at the same time very darkly funny, super captivating and entertaining.
Waiting for Gandalf - 5 stars - Possibly the darkest story in the collection. Filled with passionate prose, grows increasingly tense to a point where you are trying to read faster to see how it ends.
Any Girl Can Be a CandyKiss Girl! - 5 stars - A dystopia about fashion. Really didn't see the ending coming.
The Little Mermaid - 2 stars - Another postmodern retelling. Boy, do they annoy me. Very well built personalities of the characters, though.
Fish - 5 stars - All the stars! Joanne Harris is like Dickens in The Pickwick Papers: when you read her writing about food, you get BLOODY HUNGRY. Amazing prose.
Never Give a Sucker... - 2 stars - In a way, this is a post-modern retelling, as well. I think my stance on those does not need repeating.
Eau de Toilette - 5 stars - A very enjoyable read, super evocative of textures, colours and smells. The twists weren't even needed, the writing is so good.
This is a collection I will not forget any time soon and I will be coming back to re-read some of my favourites.
Okay, I'll give this two stars because I did sort of like the first story and I did sort of like the last story but mostly I didn't like the other stories. I don't like short stories and I don't know really why, but I do keep trying to read them for some demented reason. I guess because I figure, especially with an author I like, I WILL someday mostly like a collection of them, right? Maybe?
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It's been a long time since I've read a book of short stories where I have loved nearly every single story in it, but this is one of them. Each story is well written, unpredictable and gives the reader a lot of food for thought. This is probably going to be one of my favourite reads of this year. I highly recommend this.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated