Female Trouble: Stories
by Antonya Nelson
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 114)
Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
Me...three years ago
Nelson has been nothing but a famous name to me. Although I might read her stories in journals, I never had a context for the range of her themes, no clear idea of how her own obsessions mirror my own. After reading a new story in a journal this summer, I decided to check out Female Trouble from Alkek. Her prose is sturdy, meaty, yummy: she accumulates details and coils her metaphors only to be strung unexpectedly. My favorite stories--"Stiches," "The Lonely Doll," "...more
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Read in January, 2008
I just finshed this book yesteday, and we discussed this book in our book group last night. I am still digesting it.
I did not find this collection of stories a page-turner, but I enjoyed it none the less. Overall, I had the feeling that I was reading the same story over and over again with different players.
I would say that there are at least a couple of stories which satisfied what I am looking for in a short story, and that is an interesting twist in plot.
I would say that she d...more
I did not find this collection of stories a page-turner, but I enjoyed it none the less. Overall, I had the feeling that I was reading the same story over and over again with different players.
I would say that there are at least a couple of stories which satisfied what I am looking for in a short story, and that is an interesting twist in plot.
I would say that she d...more
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Read in January, 2008
I loved this collection. It was my first time reading Antonya Nelson and based on this book, I am now a devoted fan. Set in the southwest, Nelson's stories investigate sex, love, marriage, gender and the comfort of self-destruction. There are little pops of perfection through out this book and I found myself repeatedly underlining descriptions and drawing stars in the margins. A great book to read for short story writers, as even her missteps are beautiful. Read! I strongly recommend this to my ...more
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Read in January, 2006
recommends it for:
anyone...or women
Antonya Nelson's fiction frequently appears in journals and magazines like The New Yorker, Glimmertrain, Ploughshares, etc., and for good reason--she's one of the best short story writers out there. This particular book focuses on female protagonists in various types of relationships. One of my favorite stories in this collection is "The Other Sister." She's one of the writers I go back to when I'm trying to figure out how to make it all work, believable characters included.
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Read in November, 2008
A book of short stories, and the way I felt, is that while I was reading each story, it was engrossing and well-written. But as a whole, the collection seemed forgettable. I'm not sure if this is because there wasn’t much coherence between the stories, if they just weren't that amazing, or if I just wasn't in the mood for a short story collection. Anyway, decent but not great. Men beware: very female topics, perspectives, etc.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
I am currently reading this collection of short stories and am absolutely loving them. My girlfriend Kris is in a MFA fiction program and introduced me to her stories by reading one of her stories aloud to me on a car trip -- and then loaning me this book.
The characters are complex and interesting, the language and turns of phrase make me glad to be able to read.
The characters are complex and interesting, the language and turns of phrase make me glad to be able to read.
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
Auzelle
This book was unexpectedly fantastic. The stories have unexpected reversals and circumstances, the language is lovely and perceptive--"Loneliness left clues, and I would pick up his while he picked up mine, neither of us ever mentioning them." I found the characters sad, neurotic, devious, kind... no two stories were alike. I definitely recommend this book.
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5 stars for the short story "Incognito," with possibly one of the best opening sentences:
"You can live a second life under your first one, something functioning covertly like a subway beneath a city, a disease inside the flesh."
"You can live a second life under your first one, something functioning covertly like a subway beneath a city, a disease inside the flesh."
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I chose the book randomly-will welcome recommendations for any other of Antonya Nelson's books. I read her story "Or Else" in the New Yorker, and I am completely stunned.
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