4 disco balls
Publish Date: April 24, 2018 by Random House
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Category: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary
You know when you are talking to yourself in your head and no one else is listening but you keep talking anyway? Well, that is the vibe I got when I read most of these short stories and I loved it!
I normally don’t gravitate towards short stories, but something about the cover made me look into this book. After I read the first two chapters I knew I liked them, but since it wasn’t an ongoing story I felt something was holding me back. But, as I started whipping through each story within 20 – 40 minutes, I realized I craved the next. I kept asking: where is author, Curtis Sittenfeld, going to go to next?
To me, the overall theme was that each character was in their own head. They were concerned with what they thought outside perceptions would expect (or sometimes outcomes they were hoping for) that they completely misread situations. Some would come to realize that, some would not. Includes adult content; portrays the complexity of relationships such as marriage and friendship, and social issues such as gender and class.
The writing was authentic and relatable. Although the stories were short they packed the necessary punch to keep you engaged. After I finished each story I would think of each character “where are they now?” The cool thing about this book is that I can create the answer to that question in my own head; since aren’t we all in our own heads…see what I did there?! Is it still funny if I must point it out? Don’t answer that.
This is the first Curtis Sittenfeld book I have read and certainly not the last.
If you have also read You Think It, I’ll Say It, or another book of short stories you adored, let us know!
I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.
Please note: this post contains Amazon and B&N affiliate links. If you purchase this book through the links above I will earn a small fee; at no additional cost to you. This will help me purchase more books to read and recommend to you all!
Glad you enjoyed it! I always find short stories to be a unique reading experience, and more effort than normal reading because you have to relearn characters so often. But at the same time, being able to get a full story in 20-40 minutes is nice. I liked her writing in Eligible…maybe I’ll check these out. Thanks for the review!
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I saw this one and passed it up on NetGalley. I don’t normally read short stories either unless it’s really good or promises to be. I have one TBR called ‘Starlings’ by Jo Walton.
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Love the picture you took btw!
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Thank you!
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Sounds intriguing.
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I think I’m going to have to pick the book up for the office. It sounds like stories everyone will be able to relate to.
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Read it first if you are bringing it into work, as some stories are not PG but would be rated R if a movie. If you wind up reading it, let me know!
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Thank you so much for the warning, that could have been super awkward! I was totally expecting it to be a “you’re not alone” type of book.
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My bad! I will update my review to reflect that.
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I have a love/hate thing going with short stories, sometimes they are just right but I am greedy and often want more!
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Me too, these were quite sharp so I enjoyed them. The only other short stories book I read was Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, but in that one the characters somewhat intersect or at least know of each other. I am a novel person myself.
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This sounds good. When I’m in the right frame of mind I enjoy a short story as opposed to a full length novel,
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Loved the picture, the review makes me want to read this
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Sounds interesting! Great review. 🙂
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The title alone hooked me! This sounds really good! Great review!
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I am not sure for I feel about short stories but your review is excellent!
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I love short stories. Love the photo also!
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Great review, I don’t read short stories because I always want more from the short stories so I stay clear far away from them, but I will say I am really intrigued and curious about this book after reading your review. Who knows I might check it out one day and see if I like it or not, thank you so much for sharing your awesome post and for putting this book on my radar.
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Loved the review!
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