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cliff's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lucytulloh's review against another edition
4.0
I adore Lucia Berlin's writing, the way she can describe a moment or a thing so vividly. This collection didn't hit me quite as hard as A Manual for Cleaning Women - or, not all of it did - but it's still ridiculously beautiful.
chloehamburn's review against another edition
4.0
Not as impressive as A Manual, naturally, but her writing is just stunning in its simple clarity. If there was ever a writer to emulate, she's the one for me. Love her work.
kpeterson922's review against another edition
2.0
I may be in the minority, though I did not enjoy 85% of this collection. Highly atmospheric rather than plot or character driven, a style I'm unused to in short fiction. i looked forward to this book based on the hype of "Cleaning Woman," having not yet read, so it may or may not be fair or accurate to say that this seems scraped together to compile another posthumous collection without the benefit of an editing process. I'll still read "Cleaning Woman," though to be honest, not quite as excited to after reading "Evening in Paradise." I enjoy a fair amount of short fiction, though unsure Berlin's writing style particularly works for me. I found many of the stories slow to get to the point, with extraneous character, and while I realize these shorts are semi-autobiographical, found it irritating that the same names were used in different stories though seemingly no connection? A lot of the endings seemed abrupt and unfinished, again leading me to wonder if an editor may have provided some counsel on this. I missed much of the humor that other reviews mentioned and found myself skimming far more than usual. However, the most positive standouts were "Noel 1974" and "My Brother's Keeper" - both engrossing, entertaining pieces that resonated with me far more than most other. Nevertheless, I appreciated a preview copy by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
duffymn's review against another edition
5.0
I will read everything Berlin reads, as she helped me become a writer in college. She helped me to realize that it’s ok not to change character names, and to keep things ugly, and all of that is okay. I miss her as a human, but grateful that someone felt obligated to publish her post-humus. Her voice will always be in my mind when I read her. Pretty great, as she would say.
cassandraslibrary's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I found each one to be beautiful, with vivid descriptions of people and places.
brgntteva's review against another edition
4.0
Some truly poignant short stories, others a bit plain, or not entirely comprehensible, in a way. But the way she speaks of addiction, alcoholism, sick love and plain life can be really insightful, and delicate, and to the point
alisonwyllie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
aletheia's review against another edition
4.0
Me gustaría ponerle las 5 estrellas, pero habiendo leído antes "Manual para mujeres de la limpieza" sé que no es lo mejor de Berlin. Aún así ha resultado trágico, reconfortante y suave; como volver al hogar. No puedo ser objetiva con Lucia Berlin, es genial.
nnoviembre's review against another edition
4.0
No es Manual... pero es que me fascina la escritura de Berlin, quiero más