Scan barcode
A review by violet
The Man on the Stairs by Miranda July
4.0
I hesitated between 3 and 4, but I have a principle according to which I always give the higher number when in doubt, so there.
I do like a short form and I do like a flipping of famous tropes, and in this short story I got both. The Man on the Stairs is an interesting and at times surprisingly funny reflection on intimacy, self-esteem, loneliness and how vulnerable we are to the presence and opinion of others. I feel like there's something there that could have been sharpened, but then maybe that's precisely the point — an imperfect 'product' we have to come to terms with. I will probably think back on this story quite a lot.
Also it made me think about this poem 'Yesterday upon the stairs / I met a man who wasn't there / He wasn't there again today / Oh how I wish he'd go away' ('Antagonish' by W. H. Mearns) and that wonderful, wonderful episode 85 of the Magnus Archives. Consider checking them out if you liked this story...
I do like a short form and I do like a flipping of famous tropes, and in this short story I got both. The Man on the Stairs is an interesting and at times surprisingly funny reflection on intimacy, self-esteem, loneliness and how vulnerable we are to the presence and opinion of others. I feel like there's something there that could have been sharpened, but then maybe that's precisely the point — an imperfect 'product' we have to come to terms with. I will probably think back on this story quite a lot.
Also it made me think about this poem 'Yesterday upon the stairs / I met a man who wasn't there / He wasn't there again today / Oh how I wish he'd go away' ('Antagonish' by W. H. Mearns) and that wonderful, wonderful episode 85 of the Magnus Archives. Consider checking them out if you liked this story...