[x]
Could not find that book.
My rating:
add to my books
Loading...
Old Girlfriends: Stories
by
David Updike
In this brilliantly told short story collection, critically acclaimed author David Updike skillfully portrays the multi-faceted nature of love and of the heart. From a father’s painful realization his son has discovered the dark heart of racism still beats, to a quiet love affair that needs an audience to bloom; from the bumbling of a professor who unwittingly falls f
...moreHardcover, 224 pages
Published
July 21st 2009
by St. Martin's Press
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
107)
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I received this book for free from the book giveaways on goodreads. Far be it from me to turn my nose up at a free book, but I must say that I would be willing to send this one back if they will take it. :P Updike's stories are an emotionally detached look at relationships exclusively from the perspective of an arrogant and emotionally detached male. For me, there was not really anything relatable for me to hang on to while trying to trudge through this collection. What further annoyed me wa...more
These stories have a certain plainly-spoken elegance that I enjoy. The masterful stroke in this collection is the thread of emotional tenderness that runs through all the stories. This emotional connection to other people interrelates the stories just as it interrelates the characters to each other and the rest of humanity. It's beautifully handled. Tender and powerful. Never melodramatic or overdone. The stories are all different, but they all share this same marvelous emotional tendernes...more
I loved "Shining So Nicely in the Sun". I would give it 5 stars. I had great sympathy for Thomas. I could relate to his story. I miss my grandma so much and I too would have picked the quilt from her bed. A lovely story that touched my heart.
My second favorite story was "Love Songs from America". I would give it 4 stars. A touching father, son story about how different worlds collide. Very well written.
The rest of the stories were just so-so. That is why I g...more
My second favorite story was "Love Songs from America". I would give it 4 stars. A touching father, son story about how different worlds collide. Very well written.
The rest of the stories were just so-so. That is why I g...more
The stories in Old Girlfriends are well-written and intriguing, but there's something almost clinical (if not emotional stilted) about the way in which Updike tells them. It's as if he's commenting on a series of intimate situations, but because he's on the sidelines and doesn't have access to what's truly going on, he just lists items and events, leaving it up to the reader to fill in the feelings. Of course, it's entirely possible this is the intention (to tell stories with familiar themes a...more
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree when it comes to John Updike's son's collection of short stories. Most all of them center around infidelity of the heart or the mind. If you're a fan of short stories, you'll enjoy it.
I really enjoyed this. The stories had something in common in terms of mood/topic but it wasn't monotonous at all.
In general the stories didn't have a heavy moral or overly dramatic twist - they just captured a feeling or moment in time, and I could identify with many of them.
In general the stories didn't have a heavy moral or overly dramatic twist - they just captured a feeling or moment in time, and I could identify with many of them.
Wonderful, quiet stories, all with a kind of simmering tension underneath. You won't feel compelled to compare him to his father, because David Updike really has his own unique voice.
I found Updike's characters to be rather uninteresting. I just couldn't connect emotionally to any of them, which made for a boring read for me.
This was a delightful little collection of stories!
I was amazed and awed at how much emotion, and story was squeezed into the tiny little tales of love in this book. Each story was unique and complex.
Well worth picking up this book and allowing yourself a decadent journey through its pages.
I was amazed and awed at how much emotion, and story was squeezed into the tiny little tales of love in this book. Each story was unique and complex.
Well worth picking up this book and allowing yourself a decadent journey through its pages.
He's got more than a bit of the old man's lyrical flair. If anything is missing, I would say it is imagination. All these stories read like literal autobiography.
Another free book through Goodreads! :)
Great collection of stories about various relationships (not all the specific category of the title). Updike has a wonderful flair for characterization with an economy of words; you're engaged with, invested in the characters very quickly, without his resorting to stereotypes.
Great collection of stories about various relationships (not all the specific category of the title). Updike has a wonderful flair for characterization with an economy of words; you're engaged with, invested in the characters very quickly, without his resorting to stereotypes.
This book of short stories is very good. Updike is a very skilled writer, and he tells these wonderful stories about the different kinds of love. I love short story collections about love! It's a fun read.
Despite multiple attempts I couldn't get into this one, and was not successful in finishing it. It never grabbed me, and as a result seemed to be a lot more work than enjoyment.
I tend to get distracted by collections of short stories, but these have such cohesiveness that a few times, I had to back track, just to make sure some of the characters weren't overlapping stories. Updike has a gift for the poetic and romantic. I often dwelled in his lovingly crafted descriptions of the "girlfriends."
Jamie Macke
marked it as to-read
Virginie
marked it as to-read
Lauren Nguyen
marked it as to-read
Cgburke
marked it as to-read
Anthony
marked it as to-read
Adrienne
marked it as to-read
Brian
marked it as to-read
Kristen Malesky
marked it as to-read
Tleebratt
marked it as to-read
Kristen
marked it as to-read
Lindsay
marked it as to-read
Kristin
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On Sale Today | 1 | 9 | Jul 21, 2009 06:53am |
The son of esteemed American writer John Updike, David was born in 1959 in Massachusetts.
He studied Art History at Harvard, and received his M.A.T. from Columbia University.
He has written a collection of short stories, Out on the Marsh, (Godine) as well as six books for children. His book, A Helpful Alphabet of Cheerful Objects, features his own photographs.
Hi...more
More about David Updike...
He studied Art History at Harvard, and received his M.A.T. from Columbia University.
He has written a collection of short stories, Out on the Marsh, (Godine) as well as six books for children. His book, A Helpful Alphabet of Cheerful Objects, features his own photographs.
Hi...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
