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Swimming with Strangers
This Life She's Chosen, Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum's acclaimed debut story collection hailed as "haunting and inspired" by The Boston Globe introduced readers to her penetrating and delicate voice. In eight new stories, Lunstrum further explores the nuances and complexities of women's relationships with their lovers, friends, and families in a new collection. Authentic, pro...more
Hardcover, 197 pages
Published
October 14th 2008
by Chronicle Books
(first published April 3rd 2008)
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I admit that the cover is what drew me to the book. A woman stands waist deep in a large body of water as a storm rages overhead; she’s soaking wet despite the bright red umbrella she clings to.
Then the title popped out: Swimming with Strangers. Those three simple words symbolized so much next to this image of a solitary woman. When I got home with the book, only moments passed before I was curled up with it, the promise of wordplay at hand.
The talent evident in Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum’s colle...more
Then the title popped out: Swimming with Strangers. Those three simple words symbolized so much next to this image of a solitary woman. When I got home with the book, only moments passed before I was curled up with it, the promise of wordplay at hand.
The talent evident in Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum’s colle...more
I adored this book. It is a collection of short stories that all take a very close look at the, "nuances and complexities of women's relationships with their lovers, friends, and families," (back cover). It's difficult to explain why each story felt like a precious gift to me. I believe it has something to do with the way the endings are anti climactic, but in a way that doesn't leave the reader hanging. Instead they reminded me of real life. Of how things are never wrapped up nicely in neat lit...more
I love short stories and thought I'd gotten used to the fact that sometimes they just fade to an ending without anything concrete happening to end the story. Maybe I've had enough of that because I was really hoping for something to happen at the ending of each of these instead of them just ending. Maybe I need a break from short stories?
So because of that I guess this collection was just ok for me. Some of the stories did stand out for me more than others including: Dangerous Women, about a co...more
So because of that I guess this collection was just ok for me. Some of the stories did stand out for me more than others including: Dangerous Women, about a co...more
I admit that the cover is what drew me to the book. A woman stands waist deep in a large body of water as a storm rages overhead; she’s soaking wet despite the bright red umbrella she clings to.
Then the title popped out: Swimming with Strangers. Those three simple words symbolized so much next to this image of a solitary woman. When I got home with the book, only moments passed before I was curled up with it, the promise of wordplay at hand.
The talent evident in Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum’s colle...more
Then the title popped out: Swimming with Strangers. Those three simple words symbolized so much next to this image of a solitary woman. When I got home with the book, only moments passed before I was curled up with it, the promise of wordplay at hand.
The talent evident in Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum’s colle...more
I remember reading "Familial Kindness" when it appeared in One Story. At the time I thought it was a bit of a puzzle, but it seems to fairly standard for Lunstrum's stories. I'm not a fan of clear resolutions, but these stories seem end ambiguously in a big way. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for me is less than satisfying. I found motivations of characters to be something of a puzzle, as well. Not that they behaved improbably, just that within the story it wasn't always clear why they...more
Gorgeous stories, like watching emotions under a microscope.
Well-crafted, but dull. Lacks that extra spark.
I am loving this collection of short stories so far. Water is the connecting thread from story to story, and the author beautifully captures the essence of quiet, life-transforming moments in each.
I left this book on a plane. :( I was really enjoying it, too...What I did get to read of it showed a really well paced writer.
Mar 10, 2013
Julia Van, yo!
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Jul 29, 2008 03:02pm
Jul 29, 2008 03:20pm