328 reviews for:

I Hold a Wolf by the Ears: Stories

Laura van den Berg

3.8 AVERAGE

jess_hoop's review against another edition

4.0

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Less of ghost stories and more of grief stories.

readingbeyondreality's review

4.0

challenging dark emotional

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jrdn's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

lydia_burge's review

4.25

mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jveevers's review

4.0

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

oknora's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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i think this is more a symptom if it being the first thing i read post-TENTH OF DECEMBER but i found this a little underwhelming in its self-seriousness. my favorite story was the one called "friends" about the woman who wants to go on friendship dates and finally makes a friend, then the friend kidnaps her and makes her relocate to another city with her. 

hannyreads's review against another edition

4.0

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Her stories are dark; she’s not afraid to write about death. Found them very entertaining.

simplyb's review against another edition

5.0

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I loved The Third Hotel, so when this collection of short stories that I had lingering on hold from my library showed up for reading today, I immediately dug into it and, being a holiday, didn't let go and plowed through it. Every story is a showcase of her beautiful writing, and all dances around the theme of women ungrounded and vaguely at threat, despite usually being otherwise confident, ambitious, successful. There's a magical realism quality to it, just this side of the uncanny, as she explores the hidden hostilities that seethe below the surface and how all of her women all somehow navigate it, but never entirely without it leaving its mark. It doesn't exactly make you feel great about being a man and how women navigate through that space, but good literature should make you open up to the minds of others, and this does it in a partly enjoyable, partly unsettling, but ultimately satisfying way.

kimmar1's review against another edition

4.0

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A collection of beautiful short stories by a talented writer.

hannahmariebeck's review

4.25

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced