Small Avalanches and Other Stories

by Joyce Carol Oates
Small Avalanches and Other Stories  
published February 2004 by HarperTeen
binding Paperback
isbn 0060012196   (isbn13: 9780060012199)
pages 400
description When the sky blue ball comes soaring over the fence, a high-school girl is confronted with the haunting memory of her childhood. A jealous teen lets h...more
date added
03-10-07



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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 52)



Heather
Heather rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
03/31/08

bookshelves: y-a
Read in March, 2008
I'm still trying to figure out if I like Joyce Carol Oates' work. I disliked her book Beasts rather violently, which was probably the point. I cannot argue that her writing is visceral, evocative, and brilliant. It is. The writing itself is amazing. Some of the stories in this book struck me as really too dark for young adults - or at least, would have been really shocking for the young adult I used to be. There was an underlying, unrelenting grimness without hope in some of them....more
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Kelsey
Kelsey rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
06/06/08

Read in June, 2004
Though I would not recommend this for the average bear, I did appreciate all the short stories. I often think back on them and I remember many of them in great detail, which really speaks to the quality of the work. The storylines are obscure and the resolutions not-so-resolved but the characters are all so strong, which is quite the accomplishment for short story writing.
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Frederica
Frederica rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
02/19/08

This is probably one of J.Co's most accessible collections of short stories. It compiles her stories that (whether or not this is on purpose) get referenced the most in fiction writing classes. This is a great introduction to her writing, and very useful if you are a writing student yourself.
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Jenn
Jenn rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
07/15/07

As with any collection of short stories, some will appeal more to the readers than others, but overall, pretty interesting reads...
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Missy
Missy added it
05/22/08

Another favorite Oates collection. Especially good for the ladies out there.
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Lindsay
Lindsay rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
12/04/07

 

Elizabeth
Elizabeth rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
08/05/07

bookshelves: shortstories
 

nikki
nikki rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
02/02/08

bookshelves: nikkisbooks
 

Kim
10/14/07

bookshelves: 05books, short-stories
Read in December, 2005
 

Tara
Tara rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
10/12/07

 

Jessica
Jessica rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/28/07

bookshelves: children-youngadult, short-stories
Read in January, 2005
 

 Nance
08/01/07

bookshelves: to-read
 

Pine
Pine rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/03/08

 

Kari
Kari rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
01/25/08

Read in April, 2003
 

Christopher
Christopher rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/11/07

Read in July, 2007
 

Heather
Heather marked it as to-read
06/17/08

bookshelves: to-read
 

Jen
Jen rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
03/25/07

 

oddangel
oddangel rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
01/19/08

 

Bridget
Bridget added it
02/20/08

 

Ella
Ella rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/19/08

 


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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.75 (36 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.77 (35 ratings)
number of reviews: 5






other editions

Small Avalanches and Other Stories (Hardcover)
Small Avalanches and Other Stories Postcards (Unknown Binding)
Small Avalanches and Other Stories (Library Binding)









quote

"you're an insomniac, you tell yourself: there are profound truths revealed only to the insomniac by night like those phosphorescent minerals veined and glimmering in the dark but coarse and ordinary otherwise; you have to examine such minerals in the absence of light to discover their beauty, you tell yourself." more quotes »