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83rd out of 731 books
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492 voters
My rating:
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How We are Hungry
by
Dave Eggers
"Another"
"What It Means When a Crowd in a Faraway Nation Takes a Soldier Representing Your Own Nation, Shoots Him, Drags Him from His Vehicle and Then Mutilates Him in the Dust"
"The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water"
"On Wanting to Have Three Walls Up Before She Gets Home"
"Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance"
"
...morePaperback, 224 pages
Published
December 18th 2007
by Vintage
(first published 2004)
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Ah, another Dave Eggers book. I keep reading these and I might have to admit to liking his work. This is a book of short stories. Here is why this is a better book than A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: because the stories he wrote, are short stories. Eggers can’t meander here and there, and up and down before getting to the point. He has to hit it and hit it quick. Like the words themselves are costing him money. Like a hooker, a prostitute, a woman of the night. He can’t talk ...more
I'm sorry, Dave Eggers. I am so, so sorry, because I love you (yes, personally), I love AHWOSG, I love You Shall Know Our Velocity, and I love What is the What. But I did not love this book.
At first I just thought I didn't like the shift from novel to short story, but I can handle it from Wallace, Alexie, and Fitzgerald, so that can't be it. These are just not very well done. To be honest, I felt like Eggers was coasting on his success here. Once you've published something like AHWO...more
At first I just thought I didn't like the shift from novel to short story, but I can handle it from Wallace, Alexie, and Fitzgerald, so that can't be it. These are just not very well done. To be honest, I felt like Eggers was coasting on his success here. Once you've published something like AHWO...more
Yeah, this wasn't very good. I like Eggers' other stuff, and I love me some McSweeney's, but this - not so much. They seemed like rough drafts. There's even one (Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone) that has a great premise, but he doesn't actually write the story, he brainstorms how he would write the story. I know, I know, he's being very purposeful about all of this, I'm sure, but I don't think it makes for a very enjoyable reading experience. I wasn't interested in any of the c...more
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Dave Eggers... Years ago, I read the short story "After I Was Thrown in the River and Before I Drowned" (which just so happens to be in this collection) in Nick Hornby's collection Speaking With the Angel and enjoyed it. It wasn't my favorite piece in the collection, but I enjoyed it. I had never heard of Dave Eggers at that point.
Shortly after that, I started hearing *a lot* about him. Friends were recommending him to me, I heard interviews on the radio, read reviews a...more
Shortly after that, I started hearing *a lot* about him. Friends were recommending him to me, I heard interviews on the radio, read reviews a...more
I really enjoyed this book, but I'm a huge Dave Eggers fan. I'd probably enjoy reading Dave Eggers's grocery list. That said, some of these stories probably aren't as well thought out as an Eggers's grocery list, as he alternates 'legitimate' short stories with one-to-two page 'stories' that are little more than second drafts of a writing exercise.
However, the stories that were good were quite good, and 'Quiet' and 'After I was Thrown Into the River and Before I Drowned' (which was m...more
However, the stories that were good were quite good, and 'Quiet' and 'After I was Thrown Into the River and Before I Drowned' (which was m...more
I read part of this somewhere before but I did not realize this until the last few stories.
If yo think Dave Eggers books are too much for you to digest, too obnoxious and you feel he will never reach another puncutation mark, this is a friendlier read. It is a little hit and miss, but there are a few gems. The last story, once you get get past its obvious device, it spooky and sad and enouraging. The passive first person voice can be too distant at times but the story of the man who wan...more
If yo think Dave Eggers books are too much for you to digest, too obnoxious and you feel he will never reach another puncutation mark, this is a friendlier read. It is a little hit and miss, but there are a few gems. The last story, once you get get past its obvious device, it spooky and sad and enouraging. The passive first person voice can be too distant at times but the story of the man who wan...more
I love Dave Eggers. A really lot. This is only the second book of his that I've read, and it won't go on my favorites, but I was really pleased with the short stories a lot... I think his style lends itself to novels much better, since the longer short stories were my favorites:
"The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water" (Pilar and Hand from Velocity. What is not to love here. I was so happy I squealed.)
"Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance"
...more
"The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water" (Pilar and Hand from Velocity. What is not to love here. I was so happy I squealed.)
"Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance"
...more
The fact that Dave Eggers is a celebrated literary figure and writer is no secret but reading his work, especially How We Are Hungry, always feels like a very private act.
The sparse, punchy prose drive to the heart of what people hunger for: love, acceptance, companionship, approval, that thing they feel will fill that growing hole in the soul. I’m not normally a massive fan of short story collections as I am often left feeling unfulfilled; if the idea and the story is good enough, I ...more
The sparse, punchy prose drive to the heart of what people hunger for: love, acceptance, companionship, approval, that thing they feel will fill that growing hole in the soul. I’m not normally a massive fan of short story collections as I am often left feeling unfulfilled; if the idea and the story is good enough, I ...more
Oh, Eggers. I don't want to admit it - but some of these are so close to being good.
There were four shorts in particular I enjoyed:
"She Waits, Seething, Blooming"
"Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone"
"About the Man Who Began Flying After Meeting Her"
Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly"
Or I should say, enjoyed until I remembered Eggers wrote them.
Thing is, Eggers has skill as a writer. He'...more
There were four shorts in particular I enjoyed:
"She Waits, Seething, Blooming"
"Notes for a Story of a Man Who Will Not Die Alone"
"About the Man Who Began Flying After Meeting Her"
Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly"
Or I should say, enjoyed until I remembered Eggers wrote them.
Thing is, Eggers has skill as a writer. He'...more
I read Dave Eggers short story collection How We Are Hungry and mostly enjoyed it. I felt that the longer stories were the most interesting and well written. Some of the shorter pieces came off as preciously whimsical or smugly knowing-the literary equivalent of a Wes Anderson film. However, the stories “The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water” and “Up The Mountain Coming Down Slowly” demonstrate Eggers’ excellent ear for dialogue, effective characterizations, and inventive descriptions. He does a...more
Like your wardrobe, this book is incohesive, comfortable, curious and cozy. Instead of getting furious because nothing fits together and it's impossible for you to create a suitable outfit, just pause, take a thoughtful second glance, and appreciate that despite it all, you own a collection of hand-selected garments that are individually interesting, eclectic, and varied. Not all of us can show up at the party lookin' all What is the What.
I really liked the way the stories alternate ...more
I really liked the way the stories alternate ...more
I need more practice reviewing collections of short stories. Just like when I began reviewing essays and I didn’t really say much of anything.
Anyway. I love Dave Eggers, that’s hardly a secret. I think the literature world would be better off if there were three of him working simultaneously. I honestly think we’d have to worry less about whether kids are or are not going to read, about the state of reading in general, about what people are reading. But there’s a difference between b...more
Anyway. I love Dave Eggers, that’s hardly a secret. I think the literature world would be better off if there were three of him working simultaneously. I honestly think we’d have to worry less about whether kids are or are not going to read, about the state of reading in general, about what people are reading. But there’s a difference between b...more
Dave Eggars approaches modern fiction in a wrestling ring and does a good job tackling it. He doesn't get that judo flip the opposing wrestler as it charges at him, but he for sure gets it in a pin. The voice of the book is childish in a way that intrigues the reader, but offers a nice way for Eggars to put descriptions in a style that keeps the reader engaged and excited. The stories range from domestic plainspoken stories about characters-mostly in exotic places, to strange "in between"...more
How We Are Hungry is the first time I am reading anything of Dave Eggers.
A few years ago, 'After I Was Thrown in the River And Before I Drowned', the last story in this collection, was recommended reading for one of my classes. I read the first part, thought the person who wrote it was high and moved on.
I was quite glad it was the last story, because the stories preceding it were the ones that convinced me to give it another shot. It really takes a while to get into the ...more
A few years ago, 'After I Was Thrown in the River And Before I Drowned', the last story in this collection, was recommended reading for one of my classes. I read the first part, thought the person who wrote it was high and moved on.
I was quite glad it was the last story, because the stories preceding it were the ones that convinced me to give it another shot. It really takes a while to get into the ...more
Dave Eggers is obviously an extremely talented writer which is why I gave him 4 stars here. I enjoyed the collection of stories, but felt like it wasn't his best effort on all of them. Some of them felt a little blah, especially on the overall story. They were well written but not always well thought-out. I got more excited about the shorter pieces (5 of them are only 2 pages). In case you want to pick it up at a bookstore and read a little (and care about my opinion), here are the stories I lik...more
I wish they had half stars because I did really enjoy this, but not quite 4 stars worth. My sister gave me this collection of short stories years ago and I started reading one story and remember being extremely put off and I didn't pick the book up again until a week ago and can't remember what I was so put off about.
Dave Eggers is really talented. He has such a non-fluffy, non-romanticized approach to human relationships. His characters are very honest with themselves and quite jud...more
Dave Eggers is really talented. He has such a non-fluffy, non-romanticized approach to human relationships. His characters are very honest with themselves and quite jud...more
After reading Egger's 'Zeitoun', I decided to pick this up again. I had bought it a few years earlier and read one or two stories, then set it down (I do that with a lot of books, even ones I really like, for some reason...).
Short stories have long been of special interest to me, and I especially enjoy stories that play with literary form. Eggers does so, and pretty effectively, but I would also say (to his credit) that formal experimentation never seems to be the main point. He...more
Short stories have long been of special interest to me, and I especially enjoy stories that play with literary form. Eggers does so, and pretty effectively, but I would also say (to his credit) that formal experimentation never seems to be the main point. He...more
While I didn't manage to finish the last story (reading about a dog who dies is just a little bit too much for me), I did read the rest of it, so I feel okay in giving my opinion about the other 97% of the book.
Which I liked.
Mostly.
The stories were sort of a quiet meditation on various aspects of living in the First World (which has been a major focus of mine lately, especially with regards to the last Dave Eggers book that I read, "What is the What"...more
Which I liked.
Mostly.
The stories were sort of a quiet meditation on various aspects of living in the First World (which has been a major focus of mine lately, especially with regards to the last Dave Eggers book that I read, "What is the What"...more
I love short stories. With a short story, every word or experience conveyed has a clear purpose - there is no room for extraneous detail. Short stories are simplistic, but very beautiful.
Such is the case with this collection, "How We are Hungry." Egger's language reminds me of laundry - clean, simple, fresh-smelling. One of my favorite passages from all of literature I've read was delivered in "The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water":
“GOD: I own you lik...more
Such is the case with this collection, "How We are Hungry." Egger's language reminds me of laundry - clean, simple, fresh-smelling. One of my favorite passages from all of literature I've read was delivered in "The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water":
“GOD: I own you lik...more
This is an impressive little book that spans genres and approaches to modern literature. I really enjoyed it, but interestingly I thought that it fell short of his usual work. There is no doubt in my mind that it is fantastic, but I have a hard time holding it up to the same esteem as his previous work YSKOV, or even AHWOSG... Again, if this was his first text and was held up to the light of other short fiction authors of today, it would be wonderful. My favorite text within it is 'Up the Mo...more
I don't know what to make of this book.
I love Eggers' writing style, and some of the passages here are stunning, describing totally mundane things in ways that make you notice them (Clouds! Cheap hotels! Waiting! Lots and lots of waiting!). Tiny mundane dramas are also portrayed really interestingly, in ways that make them feel momentous, and that nurture our sympathy for the people going through them. The stories use different styles, and going on for different durations (sometimes o...more
I love Eggers' writing style, and some of the passages here are stunning, describing totally mundane things in ways that make you notice them (Clouds! Cheap hotels! Waiting! Lots and lots of waiting!). Tiny mundane dramas are also portrayed really interestingly, in ways that make them feel momentous, and that nurture our sympathy for the people going through them. The stories use different styles, and going on for different durations (sometimes o...more
This is an eclectic collection of short stories by McSweeny's Dave Eggers. Many of these stories are spooky and surreal dealing with suicide, climbing mountains, soldiers, a woman with one arm. Some stories were harder to shake and move on to the next than others.
The story that really sold me was "Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly". A young woman who hasn't really ever completed anything embarks on a climbing expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. It...more
The story that really sold me was "Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly". A young woman who hasn't really ever completed anything embarks on a climbing expedition up Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. It...more
A hit or miss collection of short stories. Most stories felt like pure nonsense, relying on gimmicky formats and contrived situations in lieu of having any actual content, almost like an Internet meme masquerading as something real. Still, there were a few stories that were quite fun (e.g., the "After I Was Thrown in the River..." story from the point of view of a dog, complete with ideas about the afterlife). And, there were a couple of stories (including "Climbing to the Window....more
In this collection, Eggers (Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) is obviously straddling the line between being a writer__and a very talented one at that__and being the spokesman for the new age of self-conscious writing. Reviewers are unanimously unhappy with a few of his literary pranks here. "There Are Some Things He Should Keep to Himself," for example, offers up five blank pages. But when Eggers throws off our expectations and starts writing, he shines. His longer stories are
...more
A criticism I've heard about Dave Eggers is that his stories tend to be gimmicky, overly self-aware, unrealistic, jokey, or filled with dopey sentimentalism. Those criticisms may be true, but that doesn't prevent How We Are Hungry from being an absolutely great collection of short stories.
Having now read three Eggers novels and two short story books, I think his writing style is especially suited toward short stories, where he has a compact space to explore ideas that might otherwise...more
Having now read three Eggers novels and two short story books, I think his writing style is especially suited toward short stories, where he has a compact space to explore ideas that might otherwise...more
I am writing this review a bit delayed, so my reactions aren't quite as fresh as normal. I should start by saying that I generally love Dave Eggers. I thought "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" was amazing, and I was thoroughly impressed by "What Is The What." But I've also found some of his work a little much, a little off-putting - mainly "We Shall Know Our Own Velocity." The reading of this collection of short stories was brought on by seeing "A...more
I was kind of ambivalent about this book. I'm trying out Eggers because Anna loves him so much, but I'm not sure what I think, still. In this book I most enjoyed the last story about the dog.
I liked the way he was realistic about how people interact with each other, what their motives are and what their internal monologues are. It was honest and felt true to my experiences. I think this can be helpful - a way to see ourselves outside of ourselves. But it can also be painful and ...more
I liked the way he was realistic about how people interact with each other, what their motives are and what their internal monologues are. It was honest and felt true to my experiences. I think this can be helpful - a way to see ourselves outside of ourselves. But it can also be painful and ...more
I definitely preferred some of the story lines more than others. And for some reason I can never remember the name of this book. I think because the names of the stories inside the book are so intriguing.
For Example: "What It Means When a Crowd in a Faraway Nation Takes a Soldier Representing Your Own Nation, Shoots Him, Drags Him from His Vehicle and Then Mutilates Him in the Dust".
I loved his language and simple technique of writing in 'Notes for a Story of a Ma...more
For Example: "What It Means When a Crowd in a Faraway Nation Takes a Soldier Representing Your Own Nation, Shoots Him, Drags Him from His Vehicle and Then Mutilates Him in the Dust".
I loved his language and simple technique of writing in 'Notes for a Story of a Ma...more
Something about Dave Eggers' writing has always irked me. His characters usually annoy me and after reading "How We Are Hungry" I think I finally understand why. His characters are what I'm afraid I either am or what I might be perceived to be - yet another aimless late-twenty-something white guy who's bumbling around, looking for meaning, and leaving unfinished, complicated relationships all over the place. I'm probably over-simplifying, but doesn't that sound pretty boring? At the en...more
"After I Fell into the River" is an great story, I like to hear stories from the POV of other beings than humans. And the afterlife part adds a bonus.
"Your Mother and I" is a suburban, if-democrats-weren't-actually-less-stupid-republicans, ecotopia-vision told in dialogue and while making nachos, the nachos part is a little too cutesy but the ideas to change society are well done.
The very short stories in this collection all aren't that special.
Some of the st...more
"Your Mother and I" is a suburban, if-democrats-weren't-actually-less-stupid-republicans, ecotopia-vision told in dialogue and while making nachos, the nachos part is a little too cutesy but the ideas to change society are well done.
The very short stories in this collection all aren't that special.
Some of the st...more
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Dave Eggers is the author of six previous books, including his most recent, Zeitoun, a nonfiction account a Syrian-American immigrant and his extraordinary experience during Hurricane Katrina and What Is the What, a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award. That book, about Valentino Achak Deng, a survivor of the civil war in southern Sudan, gave birth to the Valentino Achak Deng F...more
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“GOD: I own you like I own the caves.
THE OCEAN: Not a chance. No comparison.
GOD: I made you. I could tame you.
THE OCEAN: At one time, maybe. But not now.
GOD: I will come to you, freeze you, break you.
THE OCEAN: I will spread myself like wings. I am a billion tiny feathers. You have no idea what's happened to me.”
—
95 people liked it
THE OCEAN: Not a chance. No comparison.
GOD: I made you. I could tame you.
THE OCEAN: At one time, maybe. But not now.
GOD: I will come to you, freeze you, break you.
THE OCEAN: I will spread myself like wings. I am a billion tiny feathers. You have no idea what's happened to me.”
“I see colors like you hear jet planes.”
—
53 people liked it
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