Reviews

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

thebooksofwrath's review against another edition

5.0

What I love about Flannery O’Connor is this certain realistic and raw approach to storytelling she had which I find seldom elsewhere in literature. You don’t find this kind of liberality very often, where the author’s characters aren’t all angels (God forbid). O’Connor, though a Christian, wasn’t afraid to show things as they are and as she saw them, regardless of how “immoral” or “shocking” it might have been to her audience. Why should a writer mar her or his characters just to be decent and destroy the underlying message?

bookswithbette's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

microtubes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

clarkness's review against another edition

3.0

There were a few standouts in this collection. Several of the stories that became "Wise Blood" were excellent, as was "A Circle in the Fire". "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" was chilling and one of the best shorts I've ever read. Ultimately though, I felt like a complete collection of stories was a bit of an overload. O'Connor has a few themes that are heavily trod, some of which are fairly dated at this point. What strikes me about her writing regarding racism is that it feels like it has aged badly. While Huck Finn might not be particularly relevant as a social satire, the story retains its intrigue and power. Conversely, I felt that stories like "Everything That Rises Must Converge" were less compelling without the relevance they used to carry. I wasn't as invested in the characters and situations as I felt that I could have been.

I also found that O'Connor was a shrewd observer with a dark outlook on humanity. Nobody acquits themselves well in these stories. Intellectuals are thrashed by their noble intentions; the religious are trounced by their god; the optimists throttled by their own high hopes. At a certain point in this collection, I found that I wasn't investing myself in the characters because I knew their destruction was looming. In smaller doses it might have been easier to root for them, but as a whole, it got a bit dour.

brysonarmstrong's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

 Close to perfect. A couple ok stories but mostly great.

eric_peartree's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

kellylynnthomas's review against another edition

2.0

Okay, I know. Everyone LOVES Flannery O'Connor. And I get it. Lady could write a snappy sentence. But I have never enjoyed reading her work. None of her characters are likeable. None of them do anything I could relate to. Her world is just so dismal. And honestly, I don't understand the point of half her stories. Why are you telling me this? I always want to ask. Why should I care about this character? Because it's not just that her characters are unlikable, it's that I really, really don't care what happens to them. At all.

But, I thought, maybe it was just the stories I had to read over and over again in writing workshops. So I checked this book out of the library and told myself I had to read one story I hadn't ready before. And... same exact reaction. Who are you? Why should I care? Ugh.

Sorry not sorry, I don't like Flannery O'Connor.

mancymn's review against another edition

4.0

short stories read :

- a stroke of good fortune 4/5
- a good man is hard to find 4/5
- the life you save may be your own 3/5
- the river 3/5
- a circle in the fire 3/5
- good country people 3/5
- greenleaf 3.75/5
- a view of the woods 3.75/5
- the comforts of home 4/5
- everything that rise must converge 3.5/5
- revelation 2/5

metchap's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

girljames's review against another edition

4.0

I didn't read all of the stories - the early ones especially were just nothing happening except people sitting around spewing hate speech. The second half is much more interesting. There's a semi-ironic, slightly detached narration style with just a hint of satire which reminds me of Helen DeWitt (high praise). So many of the characters are despicable, and not in a likeable way. It really gives you a flavor of that particular place and time (American South in the mid 20th C).