Susan is a very accomplished writer, with
a true understanding of her subject.
The title says it all.

I preface my review by noting that I am a guy. So if you totally disagree with my point of view, then you can conclude I just don't get it. Fair enough, because I just don't get it.

I'd heard so much buzz about this collection that I picked up a copy and gave it a couple reads. It's short enough to read several times. The collection includes three sections, each section has four stories. Each story averages seven smallish pages. So the stories are definitely minimal. I would consider roughly 10 of the 12 to be sketches or vignettes rather than short short-stories. There is no plot, no sense of place, no characterization, and no character development in most of the pieces.

Eleven of the stories focus primarily or exclusively on female characters, one of the stories has a significant but unexceptional and largely uninteresting male character. The typical character is female, twenty-seven, works as a writer, has been through one or more bad relationships, and is in another bad relationship and feeling bad about it. However many of the characters are just "the woman" with no other substantial details given.

The central premise of most of the stories is that men (unemotional, detached, and always looking for the next sex partner) benefit greatly from numerous sexual relationships; women (emotional, inescapably drawn to obviously emotionally distant men, and always trying to build a permanent relationship) suffer from the same relationships. If that meshes with your world view then you'll probably like this collection. Otherwise, the writing will engage you with its technical proficiency, the linguistic construction will astound you with its beautiful crafting, some of the passages will nail you between the eyes, some of the ideas will interest you, but the entire collection will leave you looking for a more engaging read.

I might note the title is pretty fierce compared to the contents. There's no big sex scene or anything like that. In fact, there's not much discussion of actual lust.

This collection of short stories is so brilliant, so completely enthralling, I didn't want to put this down. With stories about ordinary women as they make their way through life and relationships, Lust made me a huge Susan Minot fan. Every woman should read this.

I have wanted to read a Susan Minot book after reading Rapture. Lust and Other Stories is one of the most beautiful short-story collections I have read. The theme is centered on women and their bad choices with men. The stories are to the point and hit close to home in more than one occasion. I was enthralled by Ms. Minot's precise characterization and dark, compelling language. My favorite stories are "Sparks," "The Knot," "The Swan in the Garden," "The Man Who Would Not Go Away," and "The Breakup." These stories have beautiful prose that borderline at being poetic at times. And, as said earlier, a lot of the subjects here hit very close to home. Don't let the title of the book mislead you, for you'll get more than you'd bargained for with this collection. I cannot recommend Lust and Other Stories enough.

After reading this (and this feeling followed suit after reading each of her books) I wanted to simultaneously call the author every female-related curse word I could muster and crawl into her lap and just bawl. What I actually did was throw the book at the wall.

This is a collection of short stories / snippets that as one reviewer (professional, I believe) put it, "small moments that yield larger truths". Each piece will stir something within you, whether you've been there or not. Its so blatantly human and yet its difficult to believe that someone else can feel something only you thought yourself capable of. Emotion runs high. Understatement of the year.

She's so poetic yet so devastatingly honest you can't help but love it. I mean, who wants to be depressed? Yes. Its THAT good.

If you purchase this book and fall head over heels in love with it, read all of her other books. You will not be disappointed. What will disappoint you is that she cannot seem to crank out these little gems fast enough.

Also, as a bit of trivia and perhaps interesting tidbit, she wrote the screenplay for the film Stealing Beauty. I loved the film because you may have a wonderful imagination but its amazing to see a film that so captures all the emotion with which she writes.