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26th out of 26 books
—
4 voters
Mattaponi Queen
by
Belle Boggs (Goodreads Author)
Winner of the 2009 Bakeless Fiction Prize, a confident debut collection about life on and around the Mattaponi Indian Reservation
Set on the Mattaponi Indian Reservation and in its surrounding counties, the stories in this linked collection detail the lives of rural men and women with stark realism and plainspoken humor. A young military couple faces a future shadowed by i...more
Set on the Mattaponi Indian Reservation and in its surrounding counties, the stories in this linked collection detail the lives of rural men and women with stark realism and plainspoken humor. A young military couple faces a future shadowed by i...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
May 25th 2010
by Graywolf Press
(first published 2010)
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It has taken my book group almost a year to get to this book. I could say it was worth the wait, but that was many too months of not reading Boggs' wonderful stories. I wonder how long I will have to wait to encounter another story by Belle Boggs.
I liked the way some of these stories were linked by the same characters and then others were linked by place. All of them were well written and imagined.
Since I know the general area where these tales take place, it was fun seeing the characters and s...more
I liked the way some of these stories were linked by the same characters and then others were linked by place. All of them were well written and imagined.
Since I know the general area where these tales take place, it was fun seeing the characters and s...more
I'm giving this book a solid three stars. I enjoy short stories, especially if they can really capture my attention in just a few pages. And Ms. Boggs certainly did that because I was never ready for any of the stories to end. In fact, that is why I haven't given the book four stars; because I really, really wanted just a bit more at the end of each story. I felt like ending in such a way was artsy, but not satisfying, if that makes sense. And some of them really end weirdly.
My favorite stories...more
My favorite stories...more
I produce an event that celebrates short stories by Virginia writers. I picked up Mattaponi Queen, hoping to find something I could feature, and I did. Of the twelve stories in the collection, "Jonas," about a middle-aged woman who comes to terms with her husband's desire to have a sex-change operation, is my favorite. It is gentle, lyrical, and has so much heart it almost beats.
The other stories are finely wrought, and succeed to varying degrees. While I applaud Bogg's language and the specific...more
The other stories are finely wrought, and succeed to varying degrees. While I applaud Bogg's language and the specific...more
I loved this book so much I can't even handle it. I've been doling out the stories carefully, savoring them, but after reading "Election Day" there was no hope to tame myself and I charged through the rest.
As a Virginian, I may love this book with added ardor because I know how pitch-perfect Bogg's characters are. But it's really the final moment of "Shelter" that took my breath, that made me say "Yes," with this relief that someone caught the exact feeling of that moment and spelled it in word...more
As a Virginian, I may love this book with added ardor because I know how pitch-perfect Bogg's characters are. But it's really the final moment of "Shelter" that took my breath, that made me say "Yes," with this relief that someone caught the exact feeling of that moment and spelled it in word...more
I loved this book. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it was very simply written. There are some writers who craft sentences in such a way that you have to read them several times. This book did not have a lot of those kinds of sentences but the writer DID catch the nuance in human interaction in a very fetching way.
Part of the attraction of this book was the simplicity of the writing as well. It was part of the character of the book itself. The characters were all very well-crafted and dre...more
Part of the attraction of this book was the simplicity of the writing as well. It was part of the character of the book itself. The characters were all very well-crafted and dre...more
What a treat to get to meet Belle Boggs at book club! She is thoughtful, interesting, and devoted to her craft. It was a lively conversation! I enjoyed these stories and highlighted a number of passages that struck me as particularly true and beautifully-written. The stories were sufficiently connected that I found myself sometimes wishing it were a novel to allow for greater growth development of the characters. Glad I now know how to say MA-ta-puh-NI; it's so much more musical than Ma-tuh-PO-n...more
Boggs writes realistic short stories that have you feeling as if you personally know the characters. Her simplistic characterization, her vivid descriptions of place, all contribute to this amazing collection of stories. Her characters lead realistic lives, experience things we've all either experienced or known someone that has. A native of King William County, Boggs gives us descriptions of the Mattaponi, the reservation, Walkerton, King & Queen and King William counties that are accurate...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of beautifully written intertwined stories. With each new story, I'd find my perception of the place (Virginia along the Mattaponi River) and its several generations of characters shifting, as each new tale revealed different links and histories. The author seemed to have equal affection for all her characters, no matter their flaws, and I admired the natural way she inhabited each of their points of view.
I have heard many authors say in interviews that a short story is the most difficult genre. This author nails the genre! I bought this book at Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville this summer. I hadn't heard of the title or the author, but one of the staff encouraged me to buy it. The stories are uncomfortable but satisfying at the same time. I love how she intertwines the lives of her characters throughout the stories.
What I love so much about Mattaponi Queen is the incredible respect that the author shows for this region of rural Virginia and the people who live there. I'm in awe of short story writers. Every story in this collection is complete and the transformations achieved are just right.
"Imperial Chrysanthemum" has been the featured story from this collection (appearing in the Paris Review), and it is a good story but seems a bit too much like it belongs to a collection, or a novel, and you feel you need more resolution with the characters. "Shelter," however, is just about a perfect story, and one I would present if I taught a short story class.
I won this book from Goodreads Firstreads. It is a collection of short stories set around the Mattaponi River in Virginia. I really enjoyed reading all of the stories. Each one is different, but many are set in the same town and involve some of the same characters. I felt like all the characters were easy to relate to, while at the same time having different backgrounds and coming from a variety of cultures. I felt that as a whole Mattoponi Queen gives the reader a good picture of what life can...more
I have Belle Boggs to thank for reminding me of the joy found in short stories. A lovely collection of stories, some connecting with other stories and some not, that reveal people at their most human. Thanks Graywolf for insisting I read this!
I liked these short stories. The pace is leisurely, like the river, and we are afforded a glimpse into the lives of different people and the emotions and activities that make them who they are. The river and the landscape add a lot.
This book is so, so, so good. I found myself reading slowly because I didn't want this wonderful book of interwoven stories to be over. Boggs writes beautifully, but without showiness. Some of the characters will really get to you, sheesh.
These are short stories set in Virginia reservation land. I usually prefer a nice long novel but these stories were well-written, interesting, and I have a better feeling for life on the reservation for having read this book.
Beautiful, smart little gems. I met Belle at the Bread Loaf conference, and both her stories and her loveliness as a person makes me want to read more. Good luck Belle. Readers, you won't be disappointed.
I love short stories, and this collection is so well-written, I didn't want it to end. The connection between characters is often subtle, yet profound. I'm looking forward to more by this author!
Pretty good collection of stories that all tie together in some way. Very satisfying when you get to the end and you get quite attached to the characters.
Subtle. Deft. Goes to the heart of life with confidence, discernment, and beauty in the midst of cultural venues of great meaning.
Jul 04, 2010
Coquille
is currently reading it
My friend, Belle, wrote this! So wonderful! I just went to her reading in Tribeca. She looked beautiful as she read. Congratulations!
Excellent short stories that tie together the landscape and diverse characters into a "can't put it down" read.
Good short stories about an area I'm familiar with.
I love short stories, and I liked how the characters in these stories reappeared throughout the book, sort of like they do in Ellen Gilchrist's stories.
a beautiful collection of stories.
Moving and original short stories.
Good short stories
I read this book because it was featured in a recent issue of Poets and Writers and I loved it. There was only one story ("Homecoming") that wasn't interesting to me. So well written, so beautiful.
The author's a friend, so that's my full disclosure. But this book kept me up nights until I finished it. The short stories weave together, the characters cover a good breadth of humanity. It's very human reading, humorous and reserved. Can't wait to see what's next.
I wanted some of these stories to do more, to say something more definite. But this is top-notch writing.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle is one of the Daily Beast's Best New Writers! | 1 | 4 | Aug 16, 2010 07:06am |
Belle Boggs has published work in Glimmer Train, Oxford American, At Length, and Best New American Voices 2003. She holds an MFA in fiction from the University of California at Irvine and grew up in King William County, Virginia. Mattaponi Queen is her debut story collection.
More about Belle Boggs...
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Jun 12, 2011 12:31pm