A review by tcgarback
Meeting the Other Crowd by Carolyn Eve Green, Eddie Lenihan

2.0

⭐️ ⭐️
Personal Score: D
Critical Score: B-

I understand that I can’t hate this book because while I don’t believe in fairies this book just wants you so much to believe in fairies, or otherwise shames you. I can be respectful of this cultural belief. But one, the stubborn and shallow approach to argument here makes for a weak stance, and two, that unappealing stance takes away from my enjoyment of the stories.

There are only a handful of pieces in here, all the longest ones, that are well delivered. Take these, and I am thrilled. But as they’re placed in a sea of confusing anecdotes, repetitive morals, and bores, the overall collection appears weak and bloated.

Despite all this, Lenihan is doing vital work by preserving these stories, even if this is but a small snippet, and even if the presentation of those stories fosters a tiny audience. If it weren’t for the disposable commentaries and bitter, rambling introduction, these stories would have been framed in a more accessible light.

I’m looking forward to reading Lenihan’s other works, truly, as I expect they won’t be as preachy and repetitive as this collection.