Bloomsbury Birthday Quid: "She Wasn't Soft"

by T. Coraghessan Boyle

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

Paperback

Published September 19, 1996

About the author

T. Coraghessan Boyle (also known as T.C. Boyle, is a U.S. novelist and short story writer. Since the late 1970s, he has published eighteen novels and twleve collections of short stories. He won the PEN/Faulkner award in 1988 for his third novel, World's End, which recounts 300 years in upstate New York. He is married with three children. Boyle has been a
Professor of English at the University of Southern California since 1978, when he founded the school's undergraduate creative writing program.

He grew up in the small town on the Hudson Valley that he regularly fictionalizes as Peterskill (as in widely anthologized short story Greasy Lake). Boyle changed his middle name when he was 17 and exclusively used Coraghessan for much of his career, but now also goes by T.C. Boyle.

Reviews

[Beth A · Rating 1 out of 5]

**TRIGGER WARNING: Rape/Homophobic slurs**

What an awful story! Thank god it was only 49 pages, I hope Paula quickly became single & even more determined for Houston, g*ddamn Jason 🤨

It only took 10 minutes to read but I don't even recommend spending that much time on it, the writing and characterisation earned the extra star as it was fantastic writing, but just a horrible storyline, I feel so sorry for Paula & it put me in a very bad mood! I guess that's the point haha, because it takes skill to make you absolutely loathe a character in under 50 pages, but go to Hell Jason you ****!!

[BillyBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of T.C. Boyle's best short stories in a compact little book. Boyle is grounded in reality, painting a portrait of a relationship that is so real, it hurts. I'm sure you could find this story in one of his collections, but there is something satisfying about holding this little book (published only in the U.K.) and savoring its tragedy.

[Radek · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was very interesting and the dysfunctional characters were believable. The story was depressing but thought provoking. I kept reading because of the captivating plot.

I could not stand the writing style, though. I believe the author was trying really hard to come up with imagery and sound artistic. I had to keep stopping and trying to understand what the heck he was saying. Here's a line, for example "...the sun hanging in the window like a piñata, and she'd just stepped out of the shower after a six-hour tuneup for Sunday's triathlon..."

If the sun was appearing like a piñata, does that mean you wanted to hit it with a bat? Was it swaying a bit, like on a pendulum? Did it seem like it was full of candy?

What's a tuneup for a triathlon? Does that mean she was practicing for the triathlon? Changing spark plugs? How is preparing for a triathlon like maintaining a car? Wasn't there a better word the author could have used for "preparing" if he didn't want to use that word? A tuneup indicates maintenance and repairs.

I didn't feel like the writing was artistic and descriptive. It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to be considered a "good writer" by forcing adjectives and phrases in inappropriately and awkwardly.

[Megan Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The themes in this book are quite unsettling. The woman (Paula) is 'not like all those other girls/women', as is mentioned multiple times throughout, and this honestly gets old very quickly. The reason she is 'different and unique' is because she likes to participate in maratons and triathlons and of course all other women want to do is get married and have babies. The boyfriend is quite frankly creepy and nothing less than a manipulative liar. It's a story I'll remember, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this in a copy of "After The Plague". Kind of follows TC Boyle's repeated themes of an unattainable/successful female character paired with a male character who is almost always inadequate in some way—doesn't get the girl, is obsessed with her in a creepy way (see Termination Dust [Jordy], Mexico [Gina], Killing Babies [Susan]) or in this short story, completely wrecks everything that she's strived so hard for.

[Ani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was engaged but maybe not immersed, I cared for the characters until it became a story about a selfish, jealous boyfriend and assault, when I honestly switched off as I felt I could guess the ending. This is a simple story that likely won’t shock any women. It left me feeling a little disappointed and somewhat despondent but I would further explore the author, I did enjoy his writing style.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly good, and the writing and editing are absolutely phenomenal.

The story itself ... damn, that male protagonist. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Yikes.

Let's just say one has to be careful with how selfish one becomes.

[Mike Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story about a dysfunctional relationship in which a successful woman is, for some reason, with a boyfriend who is selfish and toxic. A good read that probably reflects too many real relationships.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly engaging and surprising short story.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story but really liked it. Would read something else by the same author

[Bárbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bittersweet story which reveals the best and the worth of a human being.

[grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

straight people

[Kris Onstine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Bloomsbury Quid

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

so demoralizing and sad. why why why are people so truly awful to each other. In this book a woman athlete is raped by her terrible, selfish boyfriend before a big race, and then he sabotages her during the race by mistake when he is coming to sabotage her rival, something that is by itself again terrible. it was very disquieting to read and has also left me, after the particular week i have had when i read this story, suspicious and sad about other people. I put liked it because this story definitely made me feel things but nothing good.
This was one of the books I found in a box in my mother's basement from when I was in high school/college.

[Tehzeeb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novelette or rather a short story with certain emotions that linger in you for long.... a tinge of pain crept in me after reading it.Nice one.Simple...yet Boyle striked on certain notes with mastery.Read it.just feel it!Its human.A review wouldn't help.

[Steve Rauscher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really, REALLY like TC Boyle, and the chance to read a short story of his that first appeared in the New Yorker in 1995 was just awesome. If you're a fan of his other works, find yourself a copy of this cute little Bloomsbury Quid.

[culley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becca convinced me I need to read TC Boyle... found this on the shelves, a tiny little paper back, just one short story. Sticker on the back says it cost 50p. Definitely want to read more Boyle.

[De lezer Regeert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik registreerde een boek op BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11960610

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A smart little story that packed a lot of cringe and suggestion into a short tale of motivations and choices. I'll remember this one.

[Sonali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very intense thought-provoking story. Great writing. Will definitely stick with me for some time.

[Mike]

What a really bad boyfriend !

[Popup-ch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird short story about a dysfunctional relationship.

Not my cup of tea...