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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
CAWPILE summary:
Characters - 7, wasn’t a fan of some of the characters
Atmosphere - 9, quite beautiful honestly
Writing - 8, quite pretty and descriptive, but not breathtaking
Plot - 7, short stories are just hard to write plot-wise, plus for a majority of the stories I couldn’t really get the underlying message. Once I came to the conclusion that these are stories about ppl in the same way that we might tell stories abt the events of our lives, I came to appreciate the stories a lot more.
Intrigue - 9, very interesting plot lines, like the ingenuity and uniqueness, very good at building tension and suspense
Logic - n/a
Enjoyment - 7, pretty enjoyable, good for short bursts of reading
47/6 = 7.8
The main review:
For the first half of my reading, I couldn't really get the underlying message of the individual stories. They had intriguing plots but I couldn’t figure out what the author was trying to say. Once I came to the conclusion that these are stories about ppl in the same way that we might tell stories abt the events of our lives, without there necessarily being a big ‘moral of the story’, I came to appreciate the stories a lot more. There is something beautiful about the semi-surrealist events that can happen without warning in the mundane lives of everyday people being set out all in one book. Homes, both the physical buildings and the people that make up these homes, are meant to be places of safety and here Samatha Schweblin completely subverts it. Maybe that’s why so much of the book was vaguely unsettling. And maybe this is why I couldn’t find the theme in the individual stories - the theme is found when all of these stories are looked at as a whole. As for why this book is 3 stars - I guess it just didn’t quite reach the expectations I had for it. And also, there were a few characters who I just didn’t like, and some of the endings just didn’t make much sense to me, even given my renewed way of looking at these stories.
Characters - 7, wasn’t a fan of some of the characters
Atmosphere - 9, quite beautiful honestly
Writing - 8, quite pretty and descriptive, but not breathtaking
Plot - 7, short stories are just hard to write plot-wise, plus for a majority of the stories I couldn’t really get the underlying message. Once I came to the conclusion that these are stories about ppl in the same way that we might tell stories abt the events of our lives, I came to appreciate the stories a lot more.
Intrigue - 9, very interesting plot lines, like the ingenuity and uniqueness, very good at building tension and suspense
Logic - n/a
Enjoyment - 7, pretty enjoyable, good for short bursts of reading
47/6 = 7.8
The main review:
For the first half of my reading, I couldn't really get the underlying message of the individual stories. They had intriguing plots but I couldn’t figure out what the author was trying to say. Once I came to the conclusion that these are stories about ppl in the same way that we might tell stories abt the events of our lives, without there necessarily being a big ‘moral of the story’, I came to appreciate the stories a lot more. There is something beautiful about the semi-surrealist events that can happen without warning in the mundane lives of everyday people being set out all in one book. Homes, both the physical buildings and the people that make up these homes, are meant to be places of safety and here Samatha Schweblin completely subverts it. Maybe that’s why so much of the book was vaguely unsettling. And maybe this is why I couldn’t find the theme in the individual stories - the theme is found when all of these stories are looked at as a whole. As for why this book is 3 stars - I guess it just didn’t quite reach the expectations I had for it. And also, there were a few characters who I just didn’t like, and some of the endings just didn’t make much sense to me, even given my renewed way of looking at these stories.
4.5 but rounding up bc I want people to read this book…
Haunting, sharp, excellent short stories.
Haunting, sharp, excellent short stories.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
SEVEN EMPTY HOUSES, beautifully translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell, is a disorienting collection of seven short stories revolving around the idea of home and the lengths we’d go to protect the ones we love. Schweblin digs her claws into the spaces in which we are most intimate and explores how our peace and certainty can unpredictably be stripped from away from us. Both uncomfortably realistic and dreamlike, the stories are warped by themes of mental illness, loss, and grief. A great pick for #witmonth.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If this is any indication of what Samanta Schweblin writing is all about then sign me up!!! If you love short stories then please pick this one up.
short stories with regular people living regular lives. Her writing is captivating and it’s the perfect combination of dark and tense.
While reading these 7 stories I had a roller coaster of feelings that I will like to experience again as a first.
Thank you to @netgalley and @riverhead books for an ARC copy.
short stories with regular people living regular lives. Her writing is captivating and it’s the perfect combination of dark and tense.
While reading these 7 stories I had a roller coaster of feelings that I will like to experience again as a first.
Thank you to @netgalley and @riverhead books for an ARC copy.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
2.5 stars
this short story collection promised strange houses, when in fact the people were all that were strange, so that was disappointing for me.
this short story collection promised strange houses, when in fact the people were all that were strange, so that was disappointing for me.