book data
163 ratings, 4.07 average rating, 17 reviews
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published
October 12th 2004
by Vintage
binding
Paperback, 256 pages
isbn
0375707484
(isbn13: 9780375707483)
description
In the thirteen stories in her remarkable second collection, Alice Munro demonstrates the precise observation, straightforward prose style, and master...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 231)
Read in January, 2008
Written in the early seventies, some of the stories are strongly marked by the hippie culture of the time. If you can get beyond this the stories are very good.
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to Kerri by:
Sarahrecommends it for: Lovers of short stories and the inner workings of women
This collection of short stories got off to a slow start, and finished off the same way for me. But the middle was biting and raw, and those stories really hit at the core of some of the more uncomfortable feelings of being human (or female, specifically)?
I remember now that I tried to start this book long ago, and put it aside before finishing the first story-- I just couldn't get into it. That first story had me stuck again. It's the type of thing where you read five pages and realize...more
I remember now that I tried to start this book long ago, and put it aside before finishing the first story-- I just couldn't get into it. That first story had me stuck again. It's the type of thing where you read five pages and realize...more
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2 comments
Read in September, 2008
I am not sure how I missed out on Alice Munro for all of these years -- I am completely under her spell. I was incensed and confused by a New York Times review I found from the year of its publication in which the reviewer condescendingly refers to Munro's work as, "well-made" and "journeymen's work."
http://www.nytimes.com/1974/10...
The reviewer complains,
"Alice Munr...more
http://www.nytimes.com/1974/10...
The reviewer complains,
"Alice Munr...more
Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
This one's for everyone, but especially the ladies
Alice Munro = the best North American short fiction out there. Of all of her beautiful, stark-yet-full-of-feeling work, this one's my favorite. I've read the title story about a million times. There are so many novels and stories written by men, about men, for men... This book is for everyone, but it speaks to women, and what we understand and know to be true. Awwww...
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Alice Munro can't write a bad story, but some selections in this book were stronger than others. She conveys a very strong sense of place and even her early works portray human nature in raw, vulnerable and poignant terms. This book was one of my book club suggestions and I was surprised to see it had "won" over other works.
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Read in August, 2008
These stories are a bit experimental in their non-linear storytelling format, but the material itself feels familiar - not alien as one might expect from modern literature. Most of the stories are about older women, many of whom are divorced or single, who have a secret knowledge of something... (hence the title).
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Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone who loves stories
This is early Munro, but let's face it, there's no such thing as bad Alice Munro. Shows of lot of the themes that she will go on to explore in other books--the poor girl working for the wealthy family; men leaving and women left behind; issues of class and female jealousy.
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
Those who enjoy Short Stories
I read this for my Canadian Fiction class and really enjoyed it. The way in which it deals with the roles of women in society is very interesting. With each story there is no clear resolution, which is the main reason why I loved this book so much...
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
mei
I'm still reading this book, but I skipped ahead, which I'll do when reading a collection of short stories, to a story titled "The Spanish Lady". Even if you don't indulge in the full read. Read this story. It's flawless to the end.
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Read in November, 2007
"How I Met My Husband" is a particular favorite. My final senior project involved comparing this to Sherwood Anderson's "The Untold Lie" from Winesburg, Ohio
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so far i'm not that impressed. the characters are dull and there is no urgency in the stories. i find myself thinking as i am reading, why was this written.
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3 comments
Read in January, 1997
see other ravings about alice munro. i find every one of her stories crucial.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
suckers
Can Alice Munro even write a bad story?
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