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dodgson's review against another edition
4.0
There's a throughline of earnest tone, and expectations reconsidered with an open heart, but it’s a collection of very different stories from multiple perspectives, written skillfully with engaging specificity. The female characters are impressively realized, especially relating adolescence, development, and sexual assault—areas where male writers often stumble, or steer clear.
connorvandrwyst's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
bpelle0207's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this but my god if it didn’t give me some existential crisis type anxiety
revellee's review against another edition
4.0
Short and sweet. I feel like I need to look up if any of the people or movies are real...
knitter22's review against another edition
3.0
The Angel of Rome suffers from the same issues as every other volume of short stories I've read before. There are good stories that grab my attention and make me wish they were longer, and these are interspersed with stories that seem to have no purpose and may simply be a waste of words. This collection of 12 stories had too many of the no-purpose type and not enough of the attention-grabbing ones. I enjoyed "Mr. Voice" because it illustrated family quite well and "Fran's Friend has Cancer" made me think. Too many of the others (like "Town and Country" and even "Angel of Rome") were just lacking for me. I loved Beautiful Ruins but Jess Walter's short stories are just not for me. 2.5 stars rounded up.
lngoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Of course I enjoyed some of the short stories more than others, but they were consistently good! I loved jumping into each little world. The writer has an amazing ability to be funny and to be heart wrenching
adirondackjohnson's review against another edition
5.0
Jess Walter can write about people, and he can make me care about them. In The Angel of Rome, I fell in love, my heart broke and I found hope over and over again. With stories about family, born and chosen, broken people found ways to fit together and protect each other. We try to be better for the people we love, and invariably they are trying in their own ways to be better for us. These short stories about how we settle with each other and how we seek more. Beyond rich personal dynamics, many of the stories in The Angel of Rome also take us on a nostalgic tour of the Pacific Northwest and coming of age in the 1990s.
zeozombz's review against another edition
4.0
Very nicely written story. In a short amount of time, I laughed, smiled, and cried. Well worth a couple of hours to listen to a great story, but also for inspiration.