Rage & Other Cages

by Aimee LaBrie

Joyce Carol Oates calls LaBrie's writing "Mordantly funny, eerily discomforting, & unexpectedly wise — an audacious gathering of stories mirroring our contemporary world."  In her award-winning collection of short stories, Rage and Other Cages , LaBrie offers lessons on grief, loneliness, and relationships that examine what it means to be female in today's America.  The characters range from a former child actress turned real estate agent who yearns for her past, to a nurse who must convince a murderer to donate his girlfriend's organs, to a bartender at Ray's Happy Birthday Bar who is kidnapped by a customer searching for a mysterious key. Bad dates, bad jobs, and bad situations force these characters to use their wits and wiles to survive. In a voice akin to Lorrie Moore meets Mary Gaitskill, LaBrie has her readers laughing on one page and raging on another. Her voice is memorable, raw, and undeniably skillful.

Genres: Short Stories

234 pages, Paperback

Published June 11, 2024

Reviews

[Book Nerdection · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to love about Rage and Other Cages. If you often get bored while reading a traditional single-story book, we highly recommend the short-story format. One of the best features of this novel, in particular, is that the short stories are still long enough for the reader to make a connection with the characters. You still become invested in the individual tales.

Each short story contains a vital life lesson or problem we face daily, making even the fictional tales feel personal. You will quickly find yourself captivated by LaBrie’s ability to tell a story.

Any good book should contain some sort of life lesson for the reader to take with them after completion. There are so many valuable lessons packed into this novel that it can sometimes feel overwhelming for the reader.

That said, there is fluidity between the different short stories, making it easy to follow and effortless to read. The novel is jam-packed with action and jaw-dropping revelations, keeping the reader locked in from the very first word.

Rage and Other Cages offer advice on common emotions, such as grief and loneliness. In addition, the novel is designed to portray and examine what life is like in modern America for the average female citizen.

If you are looking for a new short-story fiction novel, Rage and Other Cages should definitely be at the top of your list of considerations.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why don't I read more short stories?  This collection "Rage & Other Cages" motivates me to do so.  If Stephen King's latest "Dark" was dark, this collection is dark x10 (and just as good as King's, maybe better).  

I'm not sure my review can exceed the Joyce Carol Oates quote on the front of the book "Mordantly funny, eerily discomforting, & unexpectedly wise - an audacious gathering of stories mirroring our contemporary world."

It's great storytelling.  I was entertained from beginning to end! The writing is rich and her voice is relatable. I enjoyed all the smart and well-written surprises like "When I was lying in bed with him, I felt like one should with another person - a deep, gnawing loneliness." Instant classic line and these stories are full of them.  Favorite stories for me were:  "Whistling in the Dark," "Rage," "Dirty" and "Feral."

I recently saw a live performance by comedienne Nikki Glasser and realize this book is a literary version of that, where nothing is off-limits and even the most shocking and taboo topic is fair game for some sharp, unique, dark perspective in "Rage & Other Cages."

[Marcus C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was awesome, I miss Rutgers, the last story touched a nerve with me & my relationship nihilism (in a good way)

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful. This was the sardonic balm I needed to keep me off the ledge these last two weeks. I devoured it.

[Emily E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several times my stomach turned, or I had tears in my eyes. Several times I also laughed out loud.

LaBrie has written a collection of stories that show very strongly what it is to be a woman in America. “Rage” and “Our Boys” are particularly excellent.

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories are absolutely compelling- darkly funny and completely potent in both long and short form. I will definitely return to this one.

[Lindsay Haber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aimee is a true literary talent. Every one of these stories is filled with humor, rage, honesty, poignancy, and a world view that is nuanced and sharp yet highly relatable. LaBrie has a way of capturing womens' deepest fears and harshest realities through brash, analytical, hilariously hyperbolic narrators. This book is so wonderful, so compelling, so spot on that you will think about it for days and days and weeks and weeks after you put it down. READ THIS BOOK! You won't regret it.