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76th out of 275 books
—
274 voters
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us
by
Laura van den Berg (Goodreads Author)
The stories in Laura van den Berg’s rich and inventive debut illuminate the intersection of the mythic and the mundane.
A failed actress takes a job as a Bigfoot impersonator. A grieving missionary becomes obsessed with a creature rumoured to live in the forests of the Congo. And, in the title story, a young woman travelling with her scientist mother in Madagascar confronts...more
A failed actress takes a job as a Bigfoot impersonator. A grieving missionary becomes obsessed with a creature rumoured to live in the forests of the Congo. And, in the title story, a young woman travelling with her scientist mother in Madagascar confronts...more
Paperback, 194 pages
Published
October 1st 2009
by Dzanc Books
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The day after my 22nd birthday, I had one of those serene, emphatic moments people write about in books. You know when the world around you seems to freeze, and all you’ve ever done in life and all you are going to do, becomes suddenly clear. For me, this moment came while Christmas tree shopping with my parents. In the midst of the New England countryside, all those questions my twenty-something self struggled with so incessantly just didn’t seem to matter anymore. It was a quick, fleeting mome...more
Over all, quite a strong and affecting collection of short stories. These are stories of loss and identity, women seeking connection and escape, where emotionally resonant moments are sketched nicely and a handful of engaging characters are crafted, although more than a few will be quickly forgotten. Laura van den Berg's writing is often very graceful and catching, but occasionally just a little overwritten.
This tightly constructed and compelling encapsulation of the narrator's husband in "The R...more
This tightly constructed and compelling encapsulation of the narrator's husband in "The R...more
Some of the stories can get a little samey, but that tends to be a risk with story collections, particularly ones like this where the author has made an effort to create thematic links between the stories (explorers, monsters, bodies of water). And to be fair, I read this pretty quickly, whereas with story collections I'll often read one or two at a time.
A lot of really beautiful writing, and stories that manage to be inventive without being gimmicky. That's a tough line to walk, as I've seen so...more
A lot of really beautiful writing, and stories that manage to be inventive without being gimmicky. That's a tough line to walk, as I've seen so...more
If I was going to define who I want to be as a writer, if I had all of the ability of my dreams, if I could convey my stories in precisely the manner that I have always hoped to, I would say to throw Laura van den Berg, Lauren Groff, and Steven Millhauser into a blender. I don't think this actually sounds so odd.
Laura van den Berg's craft is one of poetic elegance. Readers are immediately haunted by her characters, whose loneliness resonates in tune with every human being's deepest and most priv...more
Laura van den Berg's craft is one of poetic elegance. Readers are immediately haunted by her characters, whose loneliness resonates in tune with every human being's deepest and most priv...more
I joined the Dzanc e-book club, and this book was one of a bundle of five that came with the subscription. The stories themselves are up my alley -- cryptozoology! Multiple references to primatology! -- but I found it quite hard to focus on the narrative structure because the e-book was edited so poorly.
For example, in "We are calling to offer you a fabulous life," there are multiple references to a noise machine the protagonist uses to calm herself. But once, it is referred to as a "nose machin...more
For example, in "We are calling to offer you a fabulous life," there are multiple references to a noise machine the protagonist uses to calm herself. But once, it is referred to as a "nose machin...more
Laura van den Berg was raised in Florida and earned her MFA at Emerson College. She is the recipient of scholarships from the Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers' Conferences, the 2009 Julia Peterkin Award, and the 2009-2010 Emerging Writer Lectureship at Gettysburg College. The winner of the Dzanc Prize, Laura’s first collection of stories, What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us, was published by Dzanc Books in October 2009 and selected by Barnes & Noble as a Holiday Discover...more
This is the first book I have won through Goodreads give away, thanks Goodreads This was a quick and easy read, which I enjoyed a lot.
Iloved it how in such a small amount of time the author could make you really feel for the characters. On the downside since there is only a small amount of time, there are many unanswered questions at the end of each story.
All up this was a really good read, and I am looking forward to seeing what Laura Van den Berg does next.
Iloved it how in such a small amount of time the author could make you really feel for the characters. On the downside since there is only a small amount of time, there are many unanswered questions at the end of each story.
All up this was a really good read, and I am looking forward to seeing what Laura Van den Berg does next.
"It was late, 4 A.M., and I’d just finished the story for the third time. I turned back to the title page, “We Are Calling to Offer You a Fabulous Life,” and just sat there, not thinking of anything in particular. Instead, I sat there in the sleeping house, doing my best to chain-smoke myself into a coma, and rolled the feeling of the story back and forth. It was smooth and delicate, with just the right pacing, nothing too high or low. It was the delicacy that grabbed me. Laura van den Berg cert...more
An excellent first collection. The theme of expansive water and its dangers, tie these stories together. At times these stories felt too closely tied, as if only the stetting changed from story to story. Stories containing water monsters followed each other, which made the details hard to distinguish and separate. At times her narrators also felt as if they were recycled from story to story. I got the feeling that her narrators could share clothes, pants even. At the eye of each story was a woma...more
Loved these stories, that are steeped in the marvelous, but concern the intensely personal subjects of abandonment, loneliness, and what it means to find a way in the world. An out of work actress dons a bigfoot costume to work in a theme park in which tourists pay to be chased by the mythical creature. The daughter of globe-trotting parents straight from the editorial board of National Geographic raises her younger brother after her parents are killed. Scientists in Scotland descent in a tiny s...more
This one's by a fellow grad of my MFA program... I’m a little late to the party –this collection has been lauded all over the place since it came out in late 2009: The book was a 2009 holiday selection for the Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” Program, shortlisted for the Frank O’Connor Award, and long-listed for The Story Prize.
There’s a quiet sorrow in all of these stories, which have in common themes of loss and loneliness, despite their disparate geographic settings. (Van den...more
There’s a quiet sorrow in all of these stories, which have in common themes of loss and loneliness, despite their disparate geographic settings. (Van den...more
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I love short stories, I like to support small independent publishing houses, and I thought the description on the cover sounded interesting. Or kind of...
Unfortunately I was wrong. The stories here were competently written, even if a lot of the characters felt flat or undeveloped and the descriptions clicheed. My biggest problem wasn't so much the writing. My biggest problem was that there was nothing new or interesting in this book. The stories were dul...more
Unfortunately I was wrong. The stories here were competently written, even if a lot of the characters felt flat or undeveloped and the descriptions clicheed. My biggest problem wasn't so much the writing. My biggest problem was that there was nothing new or interesting in this book. The stories were dul...more
A BARNES AND NOBLE DISCOVER GREAT NEW WRITERS OFFICIAL 2009 HOLIDAY SELECTION.
"van den Berg taps into her characters’ losses with an impressive clarity."
—Publishers Weekly
"Stunning, desolate, and unforgettable."
—Booklist (starred review)
"van den Berg taps into her characters’ losses with an impressive clarity."
—Publishers Weekly
"Stunning, desolate, and unforgettable."
—Booklist (starred review)
I rarely ever read short stories so I'm feeling so very inadequate to provide any sort of review. All the stories, however, have one thing in common (as is mentioned on the back of the book) that about women all awaiting for something - some light to point the way to go next...
Whilst I can't imagine myself in these women's shoes, I can however imagine being in a position where things are either in such a mess or just so ordinary that you just go with the flow... waiting, just waiting, for that e...more
Whilst I can't imagine myself in these women's shoes, I can however imagine being in a position where things are either in such a mess or just so ordinary that you just go with the flow... waiting, just waiting, for that e...more
The Short of It:
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us is a gem of a little book. Filled with stories about women who don’t settle, yet struggle to find their place in society. Honest and thoughtful in her delivery, van den Berg creates a world where beauty exists in everyday things.
The Rest of It:
How do I share the feeling that I am feeling right at this moment? Well, let’s give it a shot.
There are many wonderful stories in this collection and although each story contains it...more
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us is a gem of a little book. Filled with stories about women who don’t settle, yet struggle to find their place in society. Honest and thoughtful in her delivery, van den Berg creates a world where beauty exists in everyday things.
The Rest of It:
How do I share the feeling that I am feeling right at this moment? Well, let’s give it a shot.
There are many wonderful stories in this collection and although each story contains it...more
This book was given to me by a friend who won it in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, but decided it wasn't their cup of tea.
This is a collection of 8 short stories about woman who are looking for something in their lives or trying to learn about themselves.
All theses stories had something unique to offer and I was riveted from start to finish. Despite the brevity of the pieces, the characters were all well developed and believable and the stories were engaging and often thought-provoking.
The...more
This is a collection of 8 short stories about woman who are looking for something in their lives or trying to learn about themselves.
All theses stories had something unique to offer and I was riveted from start to finish. Despite the brevity of the pieces, the characters were all well developed and believable and the stories were engaging and often thought-provoking.
The...more
The best thing in this collection is the wonderfully clear, evocative prose in each story. Van den Berg's writing is emotive but quiet, presenting a core of melancholy and wanting within each piece that never has to turn up the volume in order to make you feel as her characters do.
Taken individually, each story is very good. As an anthology, thought, it suffers from repetition of themes, motifs and story structure. Van den Berg shies away from resolving her plots, preferring to stop the story ju...more
Taken individually, each story is very good. As an anthology, thought, it suffers from repetition of themes, motifs and story structure. Van den Berg shies away from resolving her plots, preferring to stop the story ju...more
I loved this book. Somehow, I missed the note on the cover saying this was a book of stories. When I got to the end of the first chapter, I was quite sad to realize my time with those characters was ending. That's the sign of a good short story - wishing it wasn't so short. These stories all tell moments of loss, of pain, of being reckless and fearless, of finding yourself when you're the only one looking. Some of the stories lacked a real resolution. You don't know how they end, but none of us...more
Most of the stories in this collection felt "written" and uninspired. I had a hard time connecting or caring one way or another about the majority of the characters. The two strongest stories were the title story and "The Rain Season,"--both first person stories with gorgeous imagery and complex, compassionate narrators. Bad marriages and a fascination with second chances or new leases on life are two of Laura van den Berg's most explored themes. As the title indicates, water and its scarcity is...more
The beauty of this book is in the prose. The sentences are exquisite. One great metaphor that sticks out is "the open wound of a construction site." Yes. The stories are thematically and emotionally consistent in such a way that they leave you with a feeling of loss--which is very much one of the themes running throughout the book. This book is intricately crafted. It is perhaps a bit safe--the narratives aren't too wonky, the characters somewhat uniform and conventional--but the people here are...more
"Up High in the Air," "Where We Must Be" and "Still Life With Poppies" were all stunning, cinematic, enormous, moving without being maudlin - pitch-perfect portraits of desire and loneliness and absurdity. At times I wanted the absurdity to be amplified; van den Berg's language is very straightforward in most stories, and I found myself remembering images more than paragraphs. This line, however, from the end of "The Rain Season" rang in my head for a week:
"I concentrate on the scent, but it van...more
"I concentrate on the scent, but it van...more
This was a stunning collection of short stories that I couldn’t put down. Usually short stories are a good pick for me when I’ve gotten in the habit of staying up too late reading, because it’s easier to put a book down when there’s nothing more to come, but with these I wanted to turn immediately to the next one. In each story, death and disappearance loom, characters seek out things mythical or rare, and the line between capture and escape is blurred. The pacing is slow, but I was spellbound b...more
Laura van den Berg writes beautifully. Her sentences and paragraphs feel like gauzy, ethereal dreams. It’s the kind of writing that seems effortless which means it probably took great amounts of effort. She populates the stories of What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us with people on quests for mythical creatures — bigfoot, Nessie the Loch Ness monster, Mishegenabeg (a monster said to inhabit Lake Michigan) –which adds to this dreamlike quality. But make no mistake these peo...more
My review as appears in The Short Review.
How amazing and ironic that these stories invoking vast bodies of water – the Loch Ness, the Atlantic, the Mozambique Channel, Lake Michigan (at its deepest, it’s a 1000 feet, did you know?) – should contain characters with such deep thirst. In the title story, a mother goes in search of lemurs while a teenage daughter tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. In Inverness, a scientist tracking down near-extinct twin flowers (the linnaea bor...more
How amazing and ironic that these stories invoking vast bodies of water – the Loch Ness, the Atlantic, the Mozambique Channel, Lake Michigan (at its deepest, it’s a 1000 feet, did you know?) – should contain characters with such deep thirst. In the title story, a mother goes in search of lemurs while a teenage daughter tries to figure out what she wants to do with her life. In Inverness, a scientist tracking down near-extinct twin flowers (the linnaea bor...more
An amazing collection of short stories. One of the blurbs on the back cover says it all: "This collection has searing emotions, a technical virtuosity, and a lyrical ferocity that dazzle us with undeniable force. Breathtakingly, we follow her characters as they seek escape in far-flung locales, both real and imagined, searching for that rarest of species--the feeling that they belong." The writing is magnificent and the stories moving and memorable. I loved this book!
what the world will look like when all the water leaves us is a book of short stories by Laura van den Berg. The stories are set in locations ranging from Boston to the Congo, from Paris to Madagascar. In eight stories, van den Berg's heroines deal with loss, disappointment, and other obstacles.
Despite the fact that this was a book of short stories, van den Berg quickly establishes her characters and their worlds in each. For example, in the opening paragraph of goodbye my loveds, I was amazed a...more
Despite the fact that this was a book of short stories, van den Berg quickly establishes her characters and their worlds in each. For example, in the opening paragraph of goodbye my loveds, I was amazed a...more
I love the blurring of the fantasy and reality in these short stories. I recommend reading each story on its own (and not the whole book straight through) because the stories all seem to evoke a similar mood and emotions examining women struggling with their identity and relationships - the characters blend together too much if you read the stories back to back. Beautifully written.
These stories have a perfect mix of the strange and the intimate ordinariness of character lives. Some have more bizarreness than others, but always the right amount. The best aspect of these stories, though, is the subtlety of the emotions. The emotion is always there, and you can always feel exactly what the message is through what the character is feeling, but it isn't crassly articulated. Pressed, I'm not sure I could articulate it myself. Instead, I just sat back after reading each story an...more
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I loved this book. The whole collection is strong. Excellent character development. She put me "inside" each story, and gave me a connection to the main character, quickly. Characters who search, struggle to hold on, or believe, or move forward with the world or their lives. Parts were just magical. I hated to close the book after the final story.
This collection of short stories by a new writer is one of the best that I've read over this past year. Her stories are fascinating in that they are completely original and wonderful at the same time. Her writing style is beautiful and eloquent as she delves into relationships against some of the most interesting backdrops of life.
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| short stories | 1 | 4 | Jun 28, 2010 09:32am |
I'm the author of a collection of stories titled What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us, published by Dzanc Books in October 2009. The collection was a Holiday pick for the Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” Program, received a starred review in Booklist, and was included on year-end lists published by the Louisville Courier-Journal, The Daily Beast, and Virginia Q...more
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“Winds shake the leaves and for a moment I smell smoke. I concentrate on the scent, but it vanishes into the aroma of rain and tree bark, the way one life can collapse into another and different people can stir within the same body, like bats thrashing inside a secret hollow.”
—
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Feb 07, 2013 07:50pm