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Liked It “I really, really enjoyed this; mainly since Zadie Smith and David Mitchell are two of my favourite writers. I didnt like all of the stories of course, since there was a pretty, uh, huge selection of very different writers. Overall, a smart idea for a collective of short stories, and accomplished...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Like most compilations, this collection is uneven. At best, I thought the stories mediocre, at worst, plodding and overly clever. How can a short story plod? It's only 12 pages, it should clip by and leave you wanting more. Most of these stories suffer from too much cleverness and not enough...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I really, really enjoyed this; mainly since Zadie Smith and David Mitchell are two of my favourite writers. I didnt like all of the stories of course, since there was a pretty, uh, huge selection of very different writers. Overall, a smart idea for a collective of short stories, and accomplished brilliantly. odd, funny, witty, sad, wierd....”
Lara F wrote this review Tuesday, June 9 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The Book of Other People is a collection of characters, not a regular collection of proses and so should be reviewed as that. The writers try to create believable characters who are not just protagonists or antagonists in the story but people with conflicting traits; characters that are not just lovable because of their vital roles in the plot of the stories but because of simply that - their characters. Like real people, the story of any one character cannot be summed up in the traditional short prose structure of an intro, a climax, a resolution or/and a twist. The focus is not on plot but character development.”
Eileen wrote this review Saturday, February 7 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A collection of short pieces by contemporary authors (Zadie Smith, Miranda July, Dave Eggers, etc.). I'll take character development over plot any day and that's what each of these pieces are -- a quick snapshot of a fictional person.”
Jenna wrote this review Saturday, November 22 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Collection of character portraits by a variety of wonderful authors, some more resonant than others. Highlights include Daniel Clowes's "Justin M. Damiano" an online movie reviewer, ZZ Packer's "Gideon" half of an ill-fated inter-racial romance, George Saunders's "Puppy" an unwanted dog that faces freedom or death, and Jonathan Safran Foer's "Rhoda" a Jewish grandmother full of advice.”
Tess wrote this review Wednesday, November 5 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Like most compilations, this collection is uneven. At best, I thought the stories mediocre, at worst, plodding and overly clever. How can a short story plod? It's only 12 pages, it should clip by and leave you wanting more. Most of these stories suffer from too much cleverness and not enough good writing. I tell you, Zadie Smith better get it together. ”
Vanessa B wrote this review Tuesday, July 15 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“hmm... i wanted so much more from this collection. i adore a good short story. not very many in this collection turned my head or moved me terribly, otherwise. the gems: miranda july's (she is genius, really) "roy spivey" and hari kunzru's "magda mandela". i'd never read hari kunzru before--now he's going to feature prominently on my wish list. the premise for the collection, which benefits san francisco's (and dave egger's) 826 valencia, is that each story is named for a person and fleshes out a character portrait. miranda july's story is not so much about roy spivey as it is about an unnamed woman--another of her totally oddball and yet thoroughly familiar and lovable characters--all limbs and insecurity, who finds herself seated next to a celebrity (the title character, roy) in firstclass, where she is by accident because she's a "pushover". during the flight she drenches her skirt in an attempt to wash her armpits in the bathroom, which he then febreezes--yes, her armpits--because she fears they smell (! a completely feasible scenario in july world). i can't stop talking about how fabulous miranda july is--her short story collection, _no one belongs here more than you_, is brilliant and beautiful and populated with heart-crushingly human characters, fragile and sweet and desperately searching for connection. i read it three times and would have read it again if i hadn't sent my copy to best friend cynthia in new mexico. sometimes i miss it dreadfully. sometimes i regret putting it in the mail. sometimes i consider asking cynthia to send it back, since she's read it. sigh. then i remember i love cynthia and insisted she read it and wanted to gift it to her. anyhow, i completely digress. hari kunzru's title character, magda, claims to be mandela's daughter and is outlandish, loud and garish, hilarious and sweet and obnoxious all at once. she is disarmingly, brutally honest (and/or thoroughly inebriated). she serves as the neighborhood's entertainment/conscience/trickster of sorts... both july and kunzru are a delight to read--i wish they'd written the bulk of the stories. i also wished for more out of danticat's story--she's another of my favorite writers. my recommendation: borrow the book from the library and get a copy of july's _no one belongs here more than you_ (it's now out on paperback in at least three delicious colors: fuschia, banana-yellow and electric lime).”
tagi wrote this review Wednesday, June 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“There were three or four genuinely enjoyable stories in this collection. I admire the effort by Zadie Smith to create a compelling collection with an interesting idea here, but this simply did not pan out.”
Brian B wrote this review Thursday, May 22 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Some of the stories are quite engaging, but most were disappointing.”
EmilyRuth78 wrote this review Sunday, April 27 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is like the Pro-Bowl of a generation of writers. Each one was tasked with creating a character, and the results are hugely varied, but pretty astounding. Some superstars you'll read include Zadie Smith (the editor), Dave Eggers, A.M. Homes, Jonathan Safran Foer, Miranda July, Nick Hornby, etc., etc. My favorite, I think, was Eggers' story "Theo."”
Leslie T wrote this review Wednesday, April 9 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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