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A review by savvyrosereads
The Decameron Project by The New York Times
3.0
Actual average rating was 2.9 stars, but I’m rounding up because I did genuinely enjoy a small number of these, and found the writing good (albeit the plots lacking) in a bunch of others. Overall, I love the idea behind this project but was deeply disappointed that it didn’t live up to its promise: these stories, unlike the original Decameron—and unlike the Preface and Introduction would lead you to believe about this Project—are not escapist dramas meant to let the reader forget about the pandemic. Instead, the pandemic is central to nearly every story, which dives deep into the varying hardships (and, occasionally, unexpected joys) faced by so many during the past year. Perhaps that, too, is a worthy accomplishment, but it’s not the one I was led to expect, and frankly not one I was fully ready for while I’m still living through this time.
Individual Ratings:
“Recognition” by Victor LaValle: 5 stars
“A Blue Sky Like This” by Mona Awad: 3 stars
“The Walk” by Kamila Shamsie: 2.5 stars
“Tales from the LA River” by Colm Tóibín: 2.5 stars
“Clinical Notes” by Liz Moore: 3 stars
“The Team” by Tommy Orange: 3 stars
“The Rock” by Leila Slimani: 3 stars
“Impatient Griselda” by Margaret Atwood: 5 stars
“Under the Magnolia” by Yiyun Li: 2 stars
“Outside” by Etgar Keret: 2 stars
“Keepsakes” by Andrew O’Hagan: 2 stars
“The Girl with the Big Red Suitcase” by Rachel Kushner: 3.5 stars
“The Morningside” by Téa Obreht: 4 stars
“Screen Time” by Alejandro Zambra: 2.5 stars
“How We Used to Play” by Dinaw Mengestu: 2 stars
“Line 19 Woodstock/Glisan” by Karen Russell: 3 stars
“If Wishes Was Horses” by David Mitchell: 3.5 stars
“Systems” by Charles Yu: 4 stars
“The Perfect Travel Buddy” by Paolo Giordano: 2 stars
“An Obliging Robber” by Mia Couto: 3 stars
“Sleep” by Uzodinma Iweala: 2 stars
“Prudent Girls” by Rivers Solomon: 5 stars
“That Time at My Brother’s Wedding” by Laila Lalami: 2 stars
“A Time of Death, The Death of Time” by Julián Fuks: 2 stars
“The Cellar” by Dina Nayeri: 2.5 stars
“Origin Story” by Matthew Baker: 3 stars
“To the Wall” by Esi Edugyan: 2 stars
“Barcelona: Open City” by John Wray: 3 stars
“One Thing” by Edwidge Danticat: 3.5 stars
Individual Ratings:
“Recognition” by Victor LaValle: 5 stars
“A Blue Sky Like This” by Mona Awad: 3 stars
“The Walk” by Kamila Shamsie: 2.5 stars
“Tales from the LA River” by Colm Tóibín: 2.5 stars
“Clinical Notes” by Liz Moore: 3 stars
“The Team” by Tommy Orange: 3 stars
“The Rock” by Leila Slimani: 3 stars
“Impatient Griselda” by Margaret Atwood: 5 stars
“Under the Magnolia” by Yiyun Li: 2 stars
“Outside” by Etgar Keret: 2 stars
“Keepsakes” by Andrew O’Hagan: 2 stars
“The Girl with the Big Red Suitcase” by Rachel Kushner: 3.5 stars
“The Morningside” by Téa Obreht: 4 stars
“Screen Time” by Alejandro Zambra: 2.5 stars
“How We Used to Play” by Dinaw Mengestu: 2 stars
“Line 19 Woodstock/Glisan” by Karen Russell: 3 stars
“If Wishes Was Horses” by David Mitchell: 3.5 stars
“Systems” by Charles Yu: 4 stars
“The Perfect Travel Buddy” by Paolo Giordano: 2 stars
“An Obliging Robber” by Mia Couto: 3 stars
“Sleep” by Uzodinma Iweala: 2 stars
“Prudent Girls” by Rivers Solomon: 5 stars
“That Time at My Brother’s Wedding” by Laila Lalami: 2 stars
“A Time of Death, The Death of Time” by Julián Fuks: 2 stars
“The Cellar” by Dina Nayeri: 2.5 stars
“Origin Story” by Matthew Baker: 3 stars
“To the Wall” by Esi Edugyan: 2 stars
“Barcelona: Open City” by John Wray: 3 stars
“One Thing” by Edwidge Danticat: 3.5 stars