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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
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).
clairetrellahill's review against another edition
4.0
This collection is amazing, with a distinct southern gothic feel to them. Some of my favorite stories from O'Connor include "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," "Good Country People," "The Lame Shall Enter First," "The River," and "The Life You Save May be Your Own."
bryceycle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
j_f's review against another edition
2.0
I had heard so much about these stories to expect a lot from them, and I was pretty disappointed.
There's this common thread between all of these somewhat perverse, dark stories that makes them at once easy to read as a novel in itself and difficult to read because it just never stops being weird and somewhat off putting.
Because they are short stories, there's not a lot of character development.
The writing style was really good but it made me feel uncomfortable constantly. The characters were the same.
I think the book just didn't make me feel enough of what I wanted to feel, some hard emotional investment in its characters and their stories.
There's this common thread between all of these somewhat perverse, dark stories that makes them at once easy to read as a novel in itself and difficult to read because it just never stops being weird and somewhat off putting.
Because they are short stories, there's not a lot of character development.
The writing style was really good but it made me feel uncomfortable constantly. The characters were the same.
I think the book just didn't make me feel enough of what I wanted to feel, some hard emotional investment in its characters and their stories.
beauty_andherb00ks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
2.0
I see the value in O'Connor, but she's not my cup of tea.
angieinbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I really dreaded reading this every time I picked it up. It had been the longest tenured book on the To Read shelf until I finally decided to read it once and for all. And it was hard and often not enjoyable and I had to force myself to read it. You can't start a new book until you read one of Flannery O'Connor's short stories, I'd tell myself. I will probably never re-read any of these stories again.
The problem with this collection of stories is the fact that they're all collected in a book. (And that may be the weirdest sentence I've ever written). What I mean is, reading these story after story does a disservice to the stories themselves. These stories are dark and bleak and feature really difficult-to-like characters. It made me never want to pick up the book. I can handle a bleak novel with unlikeable characters (I'm looking at you [b:The Corrections|3805|The Corrections|Jonathan Franzen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355011305s/3805.jpg|941200]), but in a short story format, where I couldn't stay invested in the story for a sustained period of time, it didn't quite work.
So why, if I had such a difficult time getting through this book, did I rate it so highly? In short, O'Connor is brilliant. Very few authors understand people as well as O'Connor does, and even fewer can write about the mundanity of everyday life as candidly as she does. When it comes to the white experience in the South, I'm not sure you'll find a more truthful writer. She's critical and skeptical and brilliant as she deals with racism and Christianity and how those two institutions have shaped and corrupted her characters.
That's not to say she always gets it right. That's not to say that some readers won't be put off by her language and the subjects she's dealing with. There are definitely problems here, but I think she handles it as best as she can as dictated by her experiences. But I leave that for other people to opine on.
The problem with this collection of stories is the fact that they're all collected in a book. (And that may be the weirdest sentence I've ever written). What I mean is, reading these story after story does a disservice to the stories themselves. These stories are dark and bleak and feature really difficult-to-like characters. It made me never want to pick up the book. I can handle a bleak novel with unlikeable characters (I'm looking at you [b:The Corrections|3805|The Corrections|Jonathan Franzen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355011305s/3805.jpg|941200]), but in a short story format, where I couldn't stay invested in the story for a sustained period of time, it didn't quite work.
So why, if I had such a difficult time getting through this book, did I rate it so highly? In short, O'Connor is brilliant. Very few authors understand people as well as O'Connor does, and even fewer can write about the mundanity of everyday life as candidly as she does. When it comes to the white experience in the South, I'm not sure you'll find a more truthful writer. She's critical and skeptical and brilliant as she deals with racism and Christianity and how those two institutions have shaped and corrupted her characters.
That's not to say she always gets it right. That's not to say that some readers won't be put off by her language and the subjects she's dealing with. There are definitely problems here, but I think she handles it as best as she can as dictated by her experiences. But I leave that for other people to opine on.
amelie5m's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75