With language as dazzling as the wondrous visionary landscapes they evoke, these seventeen works transport the reader to worlds in which sleep is i...
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reviews
Oct 01, 2007
Jim
rated it: 
In much the same way as Kate Bush can get away with singing about the number Pi, Jeanette Winterson can write about pretty much anything and you know it will be well done, professionally. The question is: How interesting would it be? It’s why I don’t buy every new book by an author I’ve enjoyed in the past. I do not doubt their ability to write, it’s simply that the subject matter might not be to my taste.
The stories in The World and Other Places are variable, not in quality, but in More...
The stories in The World and Other Places are variable, not in quality, but in More...
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May 11, 2011
Kate
rated it:
"It was a solo experience even when there were two of
you," observes the narrator of the title story in
Jeanette Winterson's collection, "The World and Other
Places." The narrator is a lifelong model-plane
builder who eventually joins the Air Force, and the
"solo experience" he describes is a training flight
when he realizes that pursuing the frontiers of his
fantasies isolates him from other people. It's a
discovery made by many char More...
you," observes the narrator of the title story in
Jeanette Winterson's collection, "The World and Other
Places." The narrator is a lifelong model-plane
builder who eventually joins the Air Force, and the
"solo experience" he describes is a training flight
when he realizes that pursuing the frontiers of his
fantasies isolates him from other people. It's a
discovery made by many char More...
Oct 22, 2007
Evan
rated it: 
The short stories at the beginning were brilliant. The last third of the book the stories were just okay for me. I was having trouble concentrating in general and maybe should have saved them for another time. The last short story was really well done. I think that this book would be a good way to introduce someone to J.W.'s work. It was full of good ideas and interesting commentary on society, make believe, future, present.
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Dec 17, 2009
Trebro
rated it: 
I give this book my highest possible recommendation, as it contains a wealth of good phrasings, varied narrators, and dynamic prose. But my review was too long for Goodreads, so you'll have to check it out here: http://trebro.livejournal.com/309461.htm...
Jan 26, 2011
I love this book because it talks about things so dear to us in a way that makes the inclination towards them most epic. I revisit this book and most all of Jeanette Winterson's books throughout the year because, as she herself has described them, they are living books that you can grow with; and in the case of this author, I prefer to.
"The stars show her how to hang in space supported by nothing at all. Without medals or certificates or territories she owns, she can burn as the More...
"The stars show her how to hang in space supported by nothing at all. Without medals or certificates or territories she owns, she can burn as the More...
Apr 03, 2010
Sam
rated it:
"The World and Other Places" is a collection of short stories, each entirely independent, yet tenuously linked. I found it a rough beginning - the first few essays did not draw me in as much as most of Winterson's work does, but by the end I was thoroughly engrossed. Several of the stories really stood out to me beyond all the rest - Atlantic Crossing, Disappearance I, Turn of the World and The World and Other Places were some of my favorites. I don't think this is one of Winterson's
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Nov 21, 2008
jessica
rated it:
rhythmic. no solid beginning or endings.
felt dangerous somehow.
felt dangerous somehow.
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Oct 01, 2011
M
rated it:
Jeanette Winterson crafts an eerily soothing set of tales in this volume. Opening with the a woman's decision to adopt - and then return - a puppy over the course of 24 hours, Winterson's tales are filled with a sad kind of hope and longing. A shopgirl's encounter with a fairy in her bedroom leads to the most subtle of wishes, a poetical essay on a lesbian couple mixes sex and wordplay, and the tale of Orion the Hunter is shared from the view of the goddess he raped. Overall, a good read that t
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Mar 13, 2008
Steven
rated it:
For me, this first collection of short stories by Jeanette Winterson should be divided into two halves. The first eight stories are witty and sarcastic tales that comment on modern society with a biting edge. “The 24-Hour Dog” is great re-shaping of Keats’ “Ode on Grecian Urn,” where the promise and excitement of owning a new puppy can never be fulfilled by the day-to-day monotony of caring for the needy pet, symbolizing the modern tension between “chaos and shape” (16), our constant need
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Aug 19, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
“All of one’s life is a struggle towards that; the narrow path between freedom and belonging. I have sometimes sacrificed freedom in order to belong, but more often I have given up all hope of belonging.”
“I live in the space between chaos and shape. I walk the line that continually threatens to lose its tautness under me, dropping me into dark pit where there is no meaning. At other times the line is so wired that it lights up the soles of my feet, gradually my whole body, un More...
“I live in the space between chaos and shape. I walk the line that continually threatens to lose its tautness under me, dropping me into dark pit where there is no meaning. At other times the line is so wired that it lights up the soles of my feet, gradually my whole body, un More...
Dec 22, 2011
Valley Cottage
rated it:
Jeanette Winterson's writing is pure poetry. This is an eclectic collection of short stories, spanning about two decades of her career. The stories very in their plots from the adoption and return of a puppy, to a world where islands can fly. Her writing is intimate and every word is very carefully chosen. Don't expect clear plots and thoroughly described characters - she has an incredible way of describing the inner lives of her characters, rather than their actions.
Dec 12, 2009
Wina
rated it:
I really liked this book. The writing sort of felt flowery for me, but it wasn't overly flowery that I couldn't stand it. Her stories reminded me that there are other worlds/lives to be lived out there. She has a neat imagination that definitely stretched my brain. This is a book that I will need to read again to capture the many nuances. My favorite story at the time was "Green Square."
Jun 30, 2011
Colin
rated it:
probably the best collection of short stories i have read. they're all so fun. and perfect. i have also read WEIGHT by winterson and loved it. the only other thing i've read by her is THE KING OF CAPRI, her children's book, and it was great. i read it with the 3 year old i nanny, and while it was a bit wordy for her at times, it made me laugh and smile.
Jun 15, 2009
Juliet
rated it:
Short stories from the author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and other excellent novels. The first story 24 hour Dog is wonderful, totally beautiful, the book is worth reading for that alone, even though most of the other stories aren't quite up to that high standard.
Feb 23, 2009
Jane
rated it:
I love the way she writes. There are no unnecessary words in her writing. Every sentence is crafted, but not overworked. Some you want to memorize. Lovely.
Jun 03, 2009
Denise
rated it:
sometimes her writing is so wonderful .. the "bolted door" metaphor in one of these stories .. but many of these stories seemed weird to me.
Sep 07, 2011
sisterimapoet
rated it:
Fabulous, everything I'd hoped for and more. I rarely truly deeply enjoy short story collections - but this one hit the spot. I really love everything Winterson does, even if I'm not sure I fully understand it all. Some top notch pieces within this, even the weaker ones were still fancy-feathered flights of her wildest imagination.
Mar 10, 2010
WiscJennyAnn
rated it:
Every now and again I turn back to "The Green Square" and it props me up.
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Dec 21, 2011
Katie
rated it:
I'll say it again. I love Jeanette Winterson. Her stories don't even need to have a plot. It's just pure poetry.
Nov 10, 2008
Bob
rated it:
She can entangle you with words to the point where you don't care that what she is writing about is nonsense, you'll still be left thinking , 'Damn, she's good.'
It's a collection of stories, so some will grab you and others will register on the 'Yeah, okay' level. The worst of them is still a good example of great imagination and huge skills in the art of wordsmithing.
That being said, I did find myself wondering at times if she has a different persona that she wears when she goes to More...
It's a collection of stories, so some will grab you and others will register on the 'Yeah, okay' level. The worst of them is still a good example of great imagination and huge skills in the art of wordsmithing.
That being said, I did find myself wondering at times if she has a different persona that she wears when she goes to More...
Nov 04, 2010
Jason
rated it: 
An ex-girlfriend gave me Written on the Body as a gift, and I thought it was a really beautiful book, but this one, like most short-story collections by authors that don't usually write short stories, was a mixed bag. Four or five strong stories, watered down with a dozen throwaways & experiments that were published in magazines but didn't really deserve to be reprinted in book form. Her prose is top notch as always, but here it's mostly used to cover up shallow storytelling.
Mar 09, 2008
Brandy
rated it:
It's hard to know what to say about this collection of Winterson's short stories. The stories themselves are such unconventional, unexpected flights of realistic-seeming fancy, but her work is so much more than that. It's very possible to lose the rhythm of the story by being caught up in the language.
As with any collection, there are some pieces here I enjoyed more than others, but even the less inspired plots were still beautifully written, so I can't really complain.
As with any collection, there are some pieces here I enjoyed more than others, but even the less inspired plots were still beautifully written, so I can't really complain.
