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A review by readingdiary
The Dinner Party and Other Stories by Joshua Ferris
3.0
I’ve heard nothing but good things about Joshua Ferris’s books ( Then We Came to the End, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour ), so I was excited to dive into his new book of short stories. Nearly every story highlights the imperfection and uncomfortableness of life. Some highlight small, mundane actions while others focus on larger topics like bad marriages.
In one story, we watch as a couple lives out one of life’s most painful conversations: “‘What do you want to do tonight?’ ‘I don’t know. What do you want to do?’ ‘It doesn’t matter to me. Whatever you want to do.’” Another is about a small-time actor/writer obsessing over whether a well-known actress meant to invite him to her party or if it was just a mistake. In the last story, a man wonders why the man he hired to help him move won’t have a proper conversation with him.
There are plenty of in-depth looks at people during their most awkward and neurotic moments, some of which I found oddly relatable. While overall I enjoyed this book, it often felt drawn-out and took too long to get to the point. While it makes sense that an anxious person undergoes question after question in their heads, I didn’t need to know every little detail. The writing itself flowed well, and it makes me want to seek out Ferris’s other books and determine whether his novels are more condensed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the digital copy!
In one story, we watch as a couple lives out one of life’s most painful conversations: “‘What do you want to do tonight?’ ‘I don’t know. What do you want to do?’ ‘It doesn’t matter to me. Whatever you want to do.’” Another is about a small-time actor/writer obsessing over whether a well-known actress meant to invite him to her party or if it was just a mistake. In the last story, a man wonders why the man he hired to help him move won’t have a proper conversation with him.
There are plenty of in-depth looks at people during their most awkward and neurotic moments, some of which I found oddly relatable. While overall I enjoyed this book, it often felt drawn-out and took too long to get to the point. While it makes sense that an anxious person undergoes question after question in their heads, I didn’t need to know every little detail. The writing itself flowed well, and it makes me want to seek out Ferris’s other books and determine whether his novels are more condensed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the digital copy!