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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “A gorgeously imaginative tale, Russell writes with humor, tenderness, and imagination, all at the age of twenty-five! I was quite a fan of many of her short stories, but a couple of them seemed sub-standard. Regardless, I highly recommend this for any dreamer.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“Bizarre, haunting, mesmerizing, and surreal, Karen Russell’s St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves has a timeless quality with a contemporary voice. A collection of ten short stories, each page is filled with beautiful prose and unique characters. Vivid details bring quirky, fantastical situations to life, and the reader falls headlong into worlds unimaginable, though completely real.
Olivia D wrote this review Monday, November 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Russell’s voice is original, just like the fanciful characters she has created. Poetic descriptions of alligator wrestling farms, artificial snow palaces, and giant conch shells jump off the page, allowing the reader to visit these wondrous, fantastic places. As I read, I found myself writing down notable lines on scrap pieces of paper, so I could read them again and again. Even a simple description of the night sky was scribbled onto an old Heine Brothers napkin, “Overhead, the clouds stretch across the sky like some monstrous spiderweb, dewed with stars.” (8).
After reading her work, it is impossible to deny that Russell is a wonderful writer, yet she is surprisingly young. At twenty-five, this is her first book, and it has already received much critical acclamation. You can expect to see many good things coming in the future of from this Miami native.
Many of the stories take place in the swamps or beaches of Florida, reflecting the author’s roots. From boys canoeing in large hallowed crab shells in search of their lost sister, to kids attempting to steal away with endangered baby turtles, marine life is common in the book. However, a few stories take place in other regions, like the tale of a boy on the Oregon trail.
One of the most notable stories included is about boy in a choir which performs each year in a celebration atop a glacier to cause an avalanche. The boy’s dislike for this tradition is very clear, as well as his skepticism towards all adult figures in his life who force him to partake in this yearly spectacle.
“It's our local anthem. These squirrelly arpeggios that celebrate our pirate forebears' every ancient offense. Verse 1: The quick extinction of their sacred red penguins. Verse 2: The depletion of their greenstone quarries. Verse 3: The invasion of their mothers' bodies. Verse 4: Their stolen treasure. And what did we bring the Moa in return? Grog and possums. Quail pox. Whores.” (200).
The most overriding theme in Russell’s stories is the falsehood of childhood innocence. The majority of Russell’s narrator’s are children, and, through their hardships and trials, Russell shows these kids are anything but innocent. Horrible home situations lead them to become independent at very young ages, and some of the most disturbing scenes in the book have dark sexual undertones.
The stories in this book could be described as creepy, nightmarish, or strange. Russell never fully resolves any of the plot lines and leaves the reader with an unsettled feeling and lots of questions. She has an uncanny ability to drop the reader into a character’s world, make the reader fall in love with the story, and then ten pages later pull the reader out and drop them into another story. Some readers may find Russell’s lack of closure irritating, but to others it leaves a window of opportunity for these melancholy stories to have a happy ending. ”
“This is a pretty amazing collection of short stories. A bit rough in places, perhaps, but the characters and worlds presented in these stories.”
Ryan N wrote this review Friday, October 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No1 of 1 members found this review helpful“A gorgeously imaginative tale, Russell writes with humor, tenderness, and imagination, all at the age of twenty-five! I was quite a fan of many of her short stories, but a couple of them seemed sub-standard. Regardless, I highly recommend this for any dreamer.”
Samuel wrote this review Wednesday, August 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book is a very interesting read. I like the idea of short stories...so you can read this in between bigger reads. This gal has an impressive imagination. The stories are all really bizarre but entertaining. ”
Jenn wrote this review Tuesday, July 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The most whimsical set of short stories that I have ever read. I think about them every day.”
Emily wrote this review Sunday, April 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
0 of 1 members found this review helpful“very unique characters and eccentric yet familiar story lines...a wonderful book, i would definitely read her again...”
pomegranates wrote this review Friday, October 10 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I bought this book based on the short story I read of Russell's in The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, which I loved (and loved the entire book). This collection wasn't as great as I expected it to be, and as I read through the stories, it seemed like the premise was very similar for several of them (and not in the simple fact that they were short stories). Maybe it would have been better had I read other works in between each story, so the effect wasn't so concentrated.”
Kiboko wrote this review Friday, April 18 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Unusual little gems. I'm a fan of the short story. These are good. ”
Karin wrote this review Thursday, March 13 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The title short story is the best in the bunch. I did not like the other stories very much.”
Lindsey H wrote this review Saturday, January 19 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Highly original and entertaining, I loved this collection of short stories. Russell draws her reader in with a high powered Hoover, sucking all your attention to her imaginative settings and fully dimensional characters. She develops a storng sense of believability within the constraints of a short story form right off the bat. Karen Russell will be a young writer to watch. ”
carol k wrote this review Sunday, November 25 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
