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196th out of 577 books
—
646 voters
Touchy Subjects: Stories
by
Emma Donoghue (Goodreads Author)
In this sparkling collection of nineteen stories, the bestselling author of Slammerkin returns to contemporary affairs, exposing the private dilemmas that result from some of our most public controversies. A man finds God and finally wants to father a child-only his wife is now forty-two years old. A coach's son discovers his sexuality on the football field. A roommate's b...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
June 1st 2006
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Had this out of the library for a while, dipping into it off and on, hoping I'd maybe get into it. Answer: no. The stories feel totally mundane, non-revelatory. They don't have the punchy power that a short story should have (in my opinion and to my taste). And now there's a book I want more in at the library, and I need to make space on my card. 'bye, Emma Donoghue.
This book is made up of short stories about ordinary people caught in unexpected situations and how they react to them. Filled with self-deprecating humour, the stories poke innocent fun at the cute and loveable characters who find themselves in helpless circumstances and awkwardly fumble to cope with or escape their predicaments.
For example, in ‘expecting’, a stranger misheard that a woman is pregnant. In that fleeting moment, the woman thinks it is not necessary to correct the perception of so...more
For example, in ‘expecting’, a stranger misheard that a woman is pregnant. In that fleeting moment, the woman thinks it is not necessary to correct the perception of so...more
Emma Donoghue's Touchy Subjects found its way on ipad accidentally. Initially, I was searching for her popular novel, Room, and in my quest stumbled upon this compilation of short stories. It is written touching exactly on what you might consider touchy subjects divided up in to five sections: babies, domesticity, strangers, desire and death. Some of these topics make people skin literally shutter, itch, and crawl. Emma explores a world that is so personal that you find it almost intriguing grab...more
I absolutely adore Short Story collections by fantastic authors. I've loved Ms. Donoghue's writing since I first picked up a copy of Slammerkin all those years ago and I was thrilled when I stumbled across this little collection.
There are 19 stories tucked into this little gem. Some are better than others, in my opinion, but that made it all the more enjoyable. The characters varied, moving from a high powered business-woman who's willing to do anything it takes to have a child, to a bitter craw...more
There are 19 stories tucked into this little gem. Some are better than others, in my opinion, but that made it all the more enjoyable. The characters varied, moving from a high powered business-woman who's willing to do anything it takes to have a child, to a bitter craw...more
I hadn’t read any Donoghue, so thought a collection of short stories would be a good introduction and safer than investing in a novel (burned by Sarah Waters, I won’t assume a mainstream writer will necessarily be good).
These are terrific. If there had been more lesbian stories, it would have gotten the full five stars. I was disappointed by that at first, so flipped through and read all the lesbian ones first. Charmed, I went back to read the rest and found no lack of interest. Even the ones wi...more
These are terrific. If there had been more lesbian stories, it would have gotten the full five stars. I was disappointed by that at first, so flipped through and read all the lesbian ones first. Charmed, I went back to read the rest and found no lack of interest. Even the ones wi...more
Frankly, I did not get this book at all. It is a collection of short stories - and pointless ones at that.
I like that the author was able to write stories around subjects that one wouldn't even count as a subject - and therein lies the problem. There was some humor and the stories were poignant in some places but after finishing every story - EVERY story - I kept coming back to the same question - SO WHAT ????
The ending to every story was un-fulfilling - I'm not asking for a big bang or a twist...more
I like that the author was able to write stories around subjects that one wouldn't even count as a subject - and therein lies the problem. There was some humor and the stories were poignant in some places but after finishing every story - EVERY story - I kept coming back to the same question - SO WHAT ????
The ending to every story was un-fulfilling - I'm not asking for a big bang or a twist...more
Some of these stories absolutely slew me-- I read them over and over, at home, on the beach, and out loud to friends. Donoghue takes the familiar (romance, domesticity) and reveals the unfamiliar hidden within those everyday situations.
Her characters include heterosexual couples, lesbian and gay couples, single-businesswomen-seeking-sperm, evangelical Christians, and people who just really love dogs; all of these are treated with honest affection, making their stories relatable. Had I known the...more
Her characters include heterosexual couples, lesbian and gay couples, single-businesswomen-seeking-sperm, evangelical Christians, and people who just really love dogs; all of these are treated with honest affection, making their stories relatable. Had I known the...more
This is a 3.5 from me.
I like to inhabit the worlds that Donoghue creates in her stories. You generally know how the stories will wind up fairly early on, but that is not the point. What is far more interesting are the set-ups for each little world. Writing this a month and a half after reading the book, I would say the stories that really stick out in my head are "The Man Who Wrote on Beaches," "The Sanctuary of Hands," and "Speaking in Tongues."
In fact, I think "Speaking in Tongues" may be the...more
I like to inhabit the worlds that Donoghue creates in her stories. You generally know how the stories will wind up fairly early on, but that is not the point. What is far more interesting are the set-ups for each little world. Writing this a month and a half after reading the book, I would say the stories that really stick out in my head are "The Man Who Wrote on Beaches," "The Sanctuary of Hands," and "Speaking in Tongues."
In fact, I think "Speaking in Tongues" may be the...more
If you liked the movie The Kids are All Right, try this set of short stories about relationships and families by the British lesbian author Emma Donoghue. Divided into categories like birth and death, this collection includes two stories that were so touching and poignant that I almost couldn't stand it: in one, a woman finds herself accidentally browsing in the maternity section of a department store, and, flustered, pretends that she is pregnant when an elderly gentleman congratulates her. In...more
A collection of short stories from Emma Donoghue that I enjoyed. The nineteen stories are divided into five segments: Babies, Domesticity, Strangers, Desire and Death. Babies get the lions share of the proceedings, with six stories, followed by Death with four. My favorite segment, given my sometimes-morbidity, was Death. I enjoyed all stories within it, with Necessary Noise, a story of two young sisters faced with the prospect of their younger brother's overdose, being my favorite.
My absolute...more
My absolute...more
I'm a longtime fan of Emma Donoghue, but this is the first time I have ventured outside of her historical fiction. This volume has been sitting on my shelf for years until I recently picked it up as part of my determination to finally figure out how to write a short story -- the best way to start, to my mind, it to read lots and lots of short stories.
It's interesting that I've always told myself I wasn't much interested in reading short fiction, and I think there's a part of me that's still cli...more
It's interesting that I've always told myself I wasn't much interested in reading short fiction, and I think there's a part of me that's still cli...more
Great book! I don't usually like short stories (as they're finished too quickly, without enough plot development). Having enjoyed Donoghue's Room, I picked Touchy Subjects up at my local library, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Each story stands on its own, but the book is grouped into three thematically related sections: birth, strangers, death (there may be more, but I forget). This is smart--the connections are not always what you'd think!
Well written, with good prose and idiomatic shifts.
Well written, with good prose and idiomatic shifts.
I went into this book with expectations (which I normally try not to do), I had heard so much about it. I had heard that the stories were addictive, had the WOW factor and had the ability to make your skin crawl... I unfortunately didn't feel any of that. sure there were a couple of stories I liked enough, such as, 'Touchy Subjects', 'Through The Night' and 'Speaking in Tongues'. But Overall I thought the collection was a lot weaker than I had expected.
Short stories. I had to stop reading the first one because I was on the tram and laughing till the tears came. It was writen deadpan, about a man donating his sperm to his wife's best friend. Excruciatingly accurate protrayal of the embarrassment and ludicrousness of the situation. An excellent collection of stories about everyday events. Often however, the endings didn't stand up to the rest of the story.
I really liked this collection - the writing is taut and fresh, and some stories give a very unusual take on everyday but, as the title suggests, "touchy" subjects :) I felt the stories were a bit weaker towards the end, otherwise I would have given this four stars. Some of the stories are absolute gems, very moving and a window into the human condition and how we relate to others.
I really liked this book of short stories. I think Emma Donoghue is terrific. All of the stories were very different from each other. I didn't notice the "touchy subjects" so much. I guess I was thinking more taboo subjects. But they weren't that at all. It was more stories about human conditions-which were great.
My favorites were Lavender's Blue and WritOr.
My favorites were Lavender's Blue and WritOr.
I'm not actually a fan of short stories at all. They typically don't let you get into the heart of a character enough to make it worthwhile. Frequently they lack any character development at all. Not so with Donoghue's stories. She pulls you in to her characters and leaves you wanting more, but not feeling denied. I was pleasantly surprised.
I've been seduced! Emma Donoghue won me over on the short story issue. Usually don't like them - really liked these. It probably helped that they were arranged by theme, so the first several related to one other at least that much. But really it was the way she wrote them and the quirky angles she chose on common experiences such as pregnancy, parenting, encounters with strangers. Not to mention the range of her imagination. Also good that it was a whole book of them, as my basic short story pro...more
Since Emma Donoghue is a lesbian and she normally writes about lesbian subjects, I was hoping all these short stories would follow that theme. Sad to say, only one of them is about lesbians. I'm keeping this book only for that one story.
I discovered Emma Donoghue by reading her book Room for my book group. I really liked her style of writing. I went to the library and found Touchy Subjects, which is a collection of short stories. I loved them all. They were moving and insightful. And many of them were uncomfortable. I think I liked Team Men and The Welcome the best.
Good, solid collection of short stories, with a couple of gems thrown in. The story all have at their core an awkward, "touchy" subject, which makes for often amusing reading. My favorite one of all was "Writor", about a writer in residence.
I was a little disappointed with this book. I felt that some of the stories just came to a stop without explanation. My favourite story was the first one but I felt it was downhill from there. I really wanted to like this book but I'm afraid it just wasn't for me. Other reviewers seemed to love it so give it a go. Perhaps I'm just not a short story sort of person.
I thought this book started out better than it ended. The early short stories really gripped me and I could relate to them - awkward situations in which one mistake can bother you for years to come. The later stories just didn't reel me in like the earlier ones.
May 15, 2011
Abcdarian
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
short-stories
3-1/2 stars. While the stories were all good & the writing excellent, the general effect was spoiled for me by having the most fun, enjoyable story first; I kept waiting for more hilarity which did not ensue.
I get that it was a book of short stories. Still, just as I was starting to get into each story, it would end. The stories seemed so abrupt, I had a hard time enjoying it.
Well written short stories that have your
Interest right away and keep you thinking even after the story what would happen and continuing to develop the characters in your head.
Interest right away and keep you thinking even after the story what would happen and continuing to develop the characters in your head.
I rarely read short stories, but each of these is more than entertaining; captures you almost from the first line and feels like a novel rather than a short. I want to read more of this author.
Delightful book of short stories by Emma Donaghue. Sections on Birth, Strangers, Desire, Death. Everyday people, everyday circumstances, delightfully presented. Emma brings real people to life in novels and short stories.
I would be more inclined to give it a 3.5, were it an option.
Read my full review here.
Read my full review here.
I'm such a fan of Kissing the Witch that I come to ever Emma Donoghue book with stupidly high expectations and am usually ambivalent for the first while. Then I get into it and read like she was a normal mortal writer. I didn't realise this was short stories, very nice for dipping in and out of.
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Emma is the youngest of eight children of Frances and Denis Donoghue. She attended Catholic convent schools in Dublin, apart from one year in New York at the age of ten. In 1990 she earned a first-class honours BA in English and French from University College Dublin, and in 1997 a PhD (on the concept of friendship between men and women in eighteenth-century English fiction) from the University of...more
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May 04, 2013 08:15am
May 04, 2013 08:15am