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A review by booklover_237
Dear Life by Alice Munro
4.0
4 stars
This was the first time I've read a short story collection to completion. Quite a nice experience to read short self-contained stories. I unexpectedly liked it a lot. Though most of the stories don't really have a plot, they're more just vibes. On that matter I think I prefer something with a clearer plot or conflict.
Favorite stories
Amundsen - I really liked this one becasue it sort of centered on a love story that doesn't work out. I really wanted Vivian and Alistar to work out, but alas. Alistar is too insecure in his own image as a doctor and authority figure, that he can't let himself be vulnerable enough to marry someone. I felt really sorry for Mary, as well. All she wants is the approval and validation from Alistar, as he she seems to think of him as a father figure. She just wants him to be proud of her :'(
Train - This was the longest of the short stories and I really enjoyed the premise of the first part. Jack helps out on a farm he stumbles upon while ditching his old life, and just ends up staying on the farm. That is very cute. For some reason I really thought he may be gay?? I'm pretty sure I read too deep into a couple lines. But I really thought they hinted towards it. An example is a line that described him and the farm lady as "different" people. Or another moment was when Jack was visitng the neighbours, who had lots of teenage girls. Their fathers' were a little worried, since Jack is a young man. But his inner monologue described how the fathers' didn't ahve anything to worry about. And lastly was at the end of the story, when we get to know of his relationship from the past with a girl. There it's written that he kind of forced himself to like holding her hand, as if he didn't actually want to be that near her?? (that was a long tangent, sorry) Jack as a character is also fascinating because of how he is able to just bail on his current life that he's been living through for years, and abandons everything to start anew.
Night - This story struck a cord in me as it dealt with the bad, ugly and destructive thoughts people sometimes have, though not in the usual way. This is a different kind. These are thoghts that don't make sense since they'd alter and destroy one's life completely. And yet one feels as if the thoughts could be acted out. Thoughts that make you question your humanity.
Final thoughts
All the stories are written about snippets of quite ordinary life. They deal a lot with change and various expectations in life, which change over time. How quickly or slow things can change. They aren't either neccessarily tragic or happy stories or moments, just life. This means that there are often random elements added into the narrative that don't really make sense for the given story, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand what's going on. But sometimes those random elements, the random occurences of life, add a nice bit of realism to the stories.
This was the first time I've read a short story collection to completion. Quite a nice experience to read short self-contained stories. I unexpectedly liked it a lot. Though most of the stories don't really have a plot, they're more just vibes. On that matter I think I prefer something with a clearer plot or conflict.
Spoiler
Favorite stories
Amundsen - I really liked this one becasue it sort of centered on a love story that doesn't work out. I really wanted Vivian and Alistar to work out, but alas. Alistar is too insecure in his own image as a doctor and authority figure, that he can't let himself be vulnerable enough to marry someone. I felt really sorry for Mary, as well. All she wants is the approval and validation from Alistar, as he she seems to think of him as a father figure. She just wants him to be proud of her :'(
Train - This was the longest of the short stories and I really enjoyed the premise of the first part. Jack helps out on a farm he stumbles upon while ditching his old life, and just ends up staying on the farm. That is very cute. For some reason I really thought he may be gay?? I'm pretty sure I read too deep into a couple lines. But I really thought they hinted towards it. An example is a line that described him and the farm lady as "different" people. Or another moment was when Jack was visitng the neighbours, who had lots of teenage girls. Their fathers' were a little worried, since Jack is a young man. But his inner monologue described how the fathers' didn't ahve anything to worry about. And lastly was at the end of the story, when we get to know of his relationship from the past with a girl. There it's written that he kind of forced himself to like holding her hand, as if he didn't actually want to be that near her?? (that was a long tangent, sorry) Jack as a character is also fascinating because of how he is able to just bail on his current life that he's been living through for years, and abandons everything to start anew.
Night - This story struck a cord in me as it dealt with the bad, ugly and destructive thoughts people sometimes have, though not in the usual way. This is a different kind. These are thoghts that don't make sense since they'd alter and destroy one's life completely. And yet one feels as if the thoughts could be acted out. Thoughts that make you question your humanity.
Final thoughts
All the stories are written about snippets of quite ordinary life. They deal a lot with change and various expectations in life, which change over time. How quickly or slow things can change. They aren't either neccessarily tragic or happy stories or moments, just life. This means that there are often random elements added into the narrative that don't really make sense for the given story, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand what's going on. But sometimes those random elements, the random occurences of life, add a nice bit of realism to the stories.