Nothing Right: A Collection of Stories (edit title)

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Liked It Rated 5 stars “I just read that Antonya's writing career coincided with her motherhood. That may explain a few things for me. In most of her work, she has such a talent for fitting together bits and pieces of disjointed families. For me that means that each paragraph is loaded with multiple perspective. ...” see full review » see other reviews »

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  • Rated 5 stars

  “I just read that Antonya's writing career coincided with her motherhood. That may explain a few things for me. In most of her work, she has such a talent for fitting together bits and pieces of disjointed families. For me that means that each paragraph is loaded with multiple perspective. Sure, Antonya paints a picture of one person, but they don't seem to be independent of another.
  
  "Nothing Right," the title piece blows me away because Antonya picks up on the emotions and sensitivities of two, no maybe three families. The story begins with a single mom and a troubled son, and right there the complexities of the relationship are real and heartfelt. Not only does Hannah, the mother, struggle to make sense out of her child's behavior, at the same time she finds the need to analyze her own shortcomings. Wow! When Little Leo gets his weird girlfriend pregnant, Hannah goes into overdirive.
  
  Hannah has made plenty of mistakes in her life, but her character is so relentless to handle things with a sense of dignity and understanding, we root for the most improbable.
  
  Wow. That must be her secret. As the author struggles to keep the family together through the strange but real, the stories take on a life of their own.”

  Jam Maestro Jay wrote this review Monday, August 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 0 stars

  “I find short stories frustrating because I become invested in the characters and then the story ends, leaving me hanging and wanting more. Antonya Nelson, a professor of creative writing at the University of Houston, is a very good short story writer and Nothing Right, her newest collecdtion, is worth the frustration. Her characters are charming or perplexing, human in their quirks and failings, and infinitely interesting.”

  Karen L wrote this review Tuesday, August 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No