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The Kissing List
by
Stephanie Reents (Goodreads Author)
Aninventive debut that recalls the imagination of Aimee Bender and the sardonic wit of Lorrie Moore.
The interlocking stories in The Kissing Listfeature an unforgettable group of young women – Sylvie, Anna, Frances, Maureen – as their lives connect, first during a year abroad at Oxford, then later as they move to New York on the cusp of adulthood. We follow each of them as...more
The interlocking stories in The Kissing Listfeature an unforgettable group of young women – Sylvie, Anna, Frances, Maureen – as their lives connect, first during a year abroad at Oxford, then later as they move to New York on the cusp of adulthood. We follow each of them as...more
Hardcover, First American Edition, 223 pages
Published
May 22nd 2012
by Hogarth
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The book consists of twelve short stories of friends leaving Oxford for the trappings of independence, seeking meaning and connectedness in the real world. In "None of The Above" the writer says, "If you think too hard about the grammar of talking, it can fill you with despair." Somewhat like desciphering the thoughts of a person carrying a diagnosis of hypomania, the effort to follow the intent of the author through the maze of unconnected asides causes 'reader fatique'.
Ambivalence in a potent...more
Ambivalence in a potent...more
What a disappointment this book was. The premise seemed so intriguing--12 short stories following a group of college girls after graduating. Their dating stories, first jobs and mostly failed relationships. Booooo. Instead of being funny, or cute, or even deliciously detailed it was tedious, wordy (about non-interesting topics), and poorly executed. The only reason I finished it was that it is a mere 226 pages long (and I guess also because I am slightly OCD about my book reading.)
When I finish...more
When I finish...more
The Kissing List
By
Stephanie Reents
My " in a nutshell" summary...
This book is interconnected stories loosely based on kissing but really about life.
My thoughts after reading this book...
How can I say this? I liked this book without loving this book? The book starts and ends with some of the same characters. The stories are interesting but sometimes a bit odd. Some of the stories were weird. Some had characters that I did not want to know. The characters were sad, quirky, likeable, unlikeable. The...more
By
Stephanie Reents
My " in a nutshell" summary...
This book is interconnected stories loosely based on kissing but really about life.
My thoughts after reading this book...
How can I say this? I liked this book without loving this book? The book starts and ends with some of the same characters. The stories are interesting but sometimes a bit odd. Some of the stories were weird. Some had characters that I did not want to know. The characters were sad, quirky, likeable, unlikeable. The...more
I picked up The Kissing List expecting some sort of chick lit, but lo behold! When I was done reading it, I felt like I got more than I had bargained for.
But Reents, I think there is a minor error that needs fixing, and I wonder why the literati haven’t already raised a stink about it: contrary to what your educated character Frances thinks, women in Bangladesh are “not forced to consent to genital mutilation.” Maybe in Burundi they are, I don’t know. Since the copy I have is a galley edition, I...more
But Reents, I think there is a minor error that needs fixing, and I wonder why the literati haven’t already raised a stink about it: contrary to what your educated character Frances thinks, women in Bangladesh are “not forced to consent to genital mutilation.” Maybe in Burundi they are, I don’t know. Since the copy I have is a galley edition, I...more
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What I expected was a STORY. I knew this was going to be a bunch of different stories, but I thought they would make up a whole. But they didn’t. It was like the author had ideas for random scenes and she just threw them together without bothering to verify that they made sense. Everything is so hazy and confusing. It’s not all the author’s fault. Her editor should have helped her to glue all the parts together. Where was the editor?
I had a big problem with the way the narration keeps changing...more
I had a big problem with the way the narration keeps changing...more
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for reading and reviewing it.
A series of twelve interconnected stories, Stephanie Reents’ The Kissing List touches various points in the lives of four young women who are in that period of navigating the real world, having recently left college.
The collection reads as though you are dipping into tiny moments in the women’s lives – a brief window opening on an incident that resonates with them for some reason. While each woman faces specific issues...more
A series of twelve interconnected stories, Stephanie Reents’ The Kissing List touches various points in the lives of four young women who are in that period of navigating the real world, having recently left college.
The collection reads as though you are dipping into tiny moments in the women’s lives – a brief window opening on an incident that resonates with them for some reason. While each woman faces specific issues...more
Short stories are generally hard to rate. There are bound to be some hits and misses and if the stories are not connected a collection can often feel jumbled and and awkwardly strewn togetehr. I wanted to like The Kissing List because I can relate to 20 something year olds trying to balance out life, love and the quarter life crisis (and the title was cute). Sure there are a billion books, tv shows, movies and hell even songs about this period of life floating around but what was intriguing abou...more
This is a compilation of short stories that center around 4-5 friends as they leave college and start their "adult" lives. I watched Girls on HBO and this was very similiar to that. I don't know how accurate a description it is but for someone middle-aged it's scary! (although I don't know how much is New York City and how much 20-something behavior.) A blurb on the back of my ARC says at the heart of each story lies a radiant desperation, and that's true. I'd even upgrade it and say a ultra-pur...more
I'm all about short stories. What's not to like? They start, you get into them, then they're done. Easy peasy. No commitment. Yeah. I like that. And the title. C'mon. That's interesting. The title also reads that it's fiction. But I have to tell you, these stories are compelling. The characters are well-defined. Sometimes I even felt sorry/compassion/comradery/dislike for them. Shoot, I felt I was reading someone's diary. Which to me, is a telling sign of writing. Not the reading someone's diary...more
(3.5 stars)
I'll freely admit that I often lose interest with short story collections midway through, but I polished off Reents' debut over the course of a few days. Now that I'm through, I'm almost tempted to go back and re-read a few of the earlier ones since I have more of a handle on the characters now.
For a collection of loosely linked stories, they are surprisingly eclectic stylistically. One story, "None of the Above" features a number of mock multiple choice questions (the narrator write...more
I'll freely admit that I often lose interest with short story collections midway through, but I polished off Reents' debut over the course of a few days. Now that I'm through, I'm almost tempted to go back and re-read a few of the earlier ones since I have more of a handle on the characters now.
For a collection of loosely linked stories, they are surprisingly eclectic stylistically. One story, "None of the Above" features a number of mock multiple choice questions (the narrator write...more
Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from Goodread's first reads giveaways. I've given it a two star, or "it was ok" rating because I found the book rather inconsistent. It's a collection of short stories or vignettes, focusing on different women whose lives are all sort of connected in some way. Fittingly, the stylistic choices for each little vignette vary, but in my opinion, some of these choices work and some, not so much. At worst, a chapter reads like an excerpt from my 16 year...more
I nearly stopped this one halfway through, thinking I'd already gotten everything from it I could. But the last third or quarter of the book is really beautifully done. Reents's stories are interwoven, creating loosely-connected group of stories focused on different women at different points in their lives. The first half of the book is too--dare I say it?--chick-lit-y for me, and the first two stories drove me a little nuts. But Reents is a wonderfully talented writer and walks the line between...more
Well this book was a waste of a rainy Sunday afternoon! The story started off ok following one character and stories about the multiple men she kissed - and sometimes more than kissed. The main character Sylvie was quirky - a little too smart for the men she found herself with and yet oddly aggressive in other areas of her life. With each following chapter, we meet another friend of Sylvie as they share their exploits of kissing men in alleys, English gardens, etc. About halfway through the book...more
Jan 07, 2013
Erynn
added it
I haven't watched HBO's Girls yet, but I imagine this book would closely align with it. I immediately connected, as a 20-something female grappling with life post college studying literature. Underlined this: "When she had moved to New York six years before, there were still lots of neighborhoods like the Garment District. She could remember the thrill of wnadering around Alphabet City as if she were an intrepid explorer. That was the thing about New York. It prolonged the period of disorientati...more
I'm participating in a reading challenge for 2012 and part of the challenge is to read two debut novels in the Women's Fiction genre. When I saw this book offered on Vine, I was very excited to read it. It fit in with my challenge and I adore novels that are written like short stories, but the stories tie together. Unfortunately, this novel ended up being better in the description that it actually was reading it.
The characters were very bland. I didn't particularly like or dislike any of them. I...more
The characters were very bland. I didn't particularly like or dislike any of them. I...more
A little surprised at the low rating on this book. I think there's a disconnect between its happy cover, its professed genre of chick-lit, its chick-lit type title and the actual content of the book. It's written by a woman, and its main characters are all women. It's a collection of short stories of interlinked people, but they don't make a composite whole. There's precious little wooing in it, the short stories are generally unhappy but written very well. Some were even moving. So, this was ri...more
I liked this book well enough. It was a quick read, and the writing was strong and clear, but it seemed at times like the author had come up with a good line or description and wrote some stories to place them in. Parenthetical commentaries usually felt like that. However apt or witty, I usually found these asides jarring. I also wish the stories were more effectively intertwined into a larger story (Sylvie's would be a good choice), or more focused on their shared past, or at least that we had...more
This is a beautifully written, stylistically daring collection of linked stories which follows the lives of contemporary twentysomething women. "Disquisition on Tears" has already been recognized in the PEN/O. Henry Awards as an outstanding story. Each story in this collection sparkles with a unique, brash voice, and fresh approaches to timeless stories of love, loss, and self-discovery. What ties all of these tales together, however, is not only the intersection of the characters' lives, but al...more
Here's the thing about books like this. I don't care how well written they are or how likable the characters are, I'm not going to like a book that isn't a freaking story. OK. I get it. There were 12 stories wrapped up in one book. And I kept reading those 12 stories in hopes of them all coming together to make a statement or have a purpose or something. But that never happened.
And here's the thing about this particular book. It wasn't THAT well written, and the characters weren't likable. So, m...more
And here's the thing about this particular book. It wasn't THAT well written, and the characters weren't likable. So, m...more
Some of these stories were really wonderful, chock full of the best that good fiction can deliver: little nuggets of truth that you just hadn't considered until the author put it into words. But some of them felt a little thin. I really couldn't stand the first one, "Kissing," which felt a bit like an affectation and one where the word kissing was used so frequently that it just became silly. But if you can get past that (and you can: it's only about 15 pages), then you're in for a treat with so...more
Beautiful collection of related short stories centering on relationships, life, death and love. The characters are mainly strung together by their relationships with Sylvie, a woman living in New York City. The stories skim through Sylvie's life at Oxford to early adult life as she continues to struggle with who she wants to be and who she wants to be with. Sylvie certainly has her emotional scars and baggage. While some of her flaws are a bit over the top, I found her to be pretty relatable. Re...more
Some stories dragged or read like inane diary entries, but some just plain blew me away. My over-analytical mind tried to find deeper connections between the stories and overarching themes, as they share a few characters. Once I stopped thinking so much I was able to let go and enjoy the book. These vignettes are perfect for waiting room reading or lunch dates with yourself. They were just absorbing enough to keep your attention but not so engaging that I minded putting down the book every 20 mi...more
Maybe a 2.5 stars.
I'm not exactly sure. I have mixed feelings on this story. Some parts were humorous, other parts were sad, other parts were boring, others I hated the characters. The ending was very much open-ended... actually plenty of the short stories had open endings, nothing tied the stories together besides everyone knowing each other so I think that was quite annoying. I don't know how I feel about it at this point.... maybe confused?? Anyways, not the type of story I thought it was goi...more
I'm not exactly sure. I have mixed feelings on this story. Some parts were humorous, other parts were sad, other parts were boring, others I hated the characters. The ending was very much open-ended... actually plenty of the short stories had open endings, nothing tied the stories together besides everyone knowing each other so I think that was quite annoying. I don't know how I feel about it at this point.... maybe confused?? Anyways, not the type of story I thought it was goi...more
This is supposed to be a series of interlocking stories about four young women, but I never felt like I got to know any of them well enough to really distinguish between them. (The exception to that is a peripheral character who has cancer, and that's really all we know about her.) I also found that it often wasn't clear at the start of a new story whose perspective it was from, which bugged me, especially because you never really got to know any of them well enough to be able to tell. I was rea...more
The basics: The Kissing List is the debut short story collection by Stephanie Reents. Some of the stories are linked.
My thoughts: The first story in the collection "Kissing," sets the stage for the rest of the book. Reents and the female narrators of her stories are young, brazen, fun and wise: "The funny thing about being in your early twenties is that it's a lot like being any other age, except you don't know it." I have a notoriously hard time reviewing short story collections as a whole, and...more
My thoughts: The first story in the collection "Kissing," sets the stage for the rest of the book. Reents and the female narrators of her stories are young, brazen, fun and wise: "The funny thing about being in your early twenties is that it's a lot like being any other age, except you don't know it." I have a notoriously hard time reviewing short story collections as a whole, and...more
It has taken me 6 months to finish this book. I bought it at a book signing where I met the author. She was fabulous, I instantly adored her. This was her first published book and I was excited to read it. It is a collection of short stories and so I could read one, set it aside for days or weeks or months, read another, etc. I have to admit I was not crazy about it for the first half of the book, I thought it was weird. Each glimpse into these lives was a chapter size story and wasn't really en...more
After picking up and setting back down this book for about two months I finally busted out the last 100 or so pages I had left in a matter of a couple sittings during my breaks at work. It's really difficult to explain my feelings in regards to this book because there were moments I was in tears laughing, in tears of despair and sadness (no headless women were involved with these tears fortunately), and then there were times I wanted to skip the short story completely because I wanted to strangl...more
This is marketed as a set of interconnected short stories, but that's a little misleading. The stories are interconnected only in that the characters all know each other and a few are the subject of more than one story. For the most part, the stories have little to do with one another. Just a warning, if that kind of thing is going to irk you.
So, you are probably only going to like this if you're a twentysomething who loves rich metaphors. The stories are all pretty heavily focused on the turbul...more
So, you are probably only going to like this if you're a twentysomething who loves rich metaphors. The stories are all pretty heavily focused on the turbul...more
Stephanie's stories are smart, acerbic, darkly funny, vivid and memorable. I've been a fan for years, and can't wait to give this amazing collection to everyone I know. Headless Woman and Roommates are two of my favorites by this or any writer. You could compare her to Aimee Bender or Stacey Richter, but while fans of their stories are sure to like these, she's a true original. Not a cliche in the book.
The title makes it sound like fluff and it is not so. I thought this was going to be chick lit, but there was much more to it. Interesting stories and characters. I stayed up late reading it. My only criticisms are the dumb title and a main character names Sylvie. I have never met a Sylvie in real life, but I have encountered them in many books. This bugs me for no good reason.
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| Read It Forward: * THE KISSING LIST by Stephanie Reents | 3 | 29 | May 09, 2012 09:00am |
Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Stephanie Reents has lived in a shared flat in Oxford, England, a tiny studio on the wrong side of the tracks in Idaho Falls, a fifth-floor walk-up in Manhattan’s West Village, an adobe near the Sonora desert, a garden apartment in the Upper Haight of San Francisco, and the old Hamilton Watch Factory building in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Her fiction has been included...more
More about Stephanie Reents...
Her fiction has been included...more
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“The funny thing about being in your early twenties is that it's a lot like being any other age, except you don't know it. For a long time, you think you'll change and become a better version of yourself, but really, you just wind up being a little more tolerant of the person you've always been. Or something like that.”
—
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“The topic of marriage makes all of us nervous... To say you don't want to get married makes you wonder what you're doing sleeping in the same person's bed several times a week, but to say you do brings waves of despair.”
—
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