A review by lcmilewski
Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

3.0

I really like Gay's essays and other non-fiction, so I was looking forward to her short stories. The collection was a fast read, with some really excellent stories. I especially enjoyed "I Will Follow You," "North Country," and "Water, All Its Weight." The content is heavy and difficult throughout; Gay's characters endure abusive relationships, staggering losses, and feelings of doubt and inadequacy. I think because the themes are so similar, it felt repetitive after awhile and I didn't find the stories in the second half of the book as compelling as in the first half. At times, the writing is exceptional, but at others it seemed like I was beaten over the head with descriptions that could have been done more subtly or in a more interesting way. Gay is a talented author, but I found this book somewhat inconsistent.