Unkempt: Stories

by Courtney Eldridge

In the seven stories and one novella collected in Unkempt, Courtney Eldridge gives life to characters of astounding originality. Probing the darker corners of the human psyche,
she shows—with a sly and unexpected sense of humor—the neurotic mind at work, the skewed perspective of an alcoholic parent, the nature of sexual conquest, and the hazards of working in retail. Fresh, funny, and candid, Eldridge’s writing delivers a new and marvellous vision of life.

Fits & starts
Sharks
Thieves
Summer of mopeds
Becky
Unkempt
Young professionals
The former world record holder settles down

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Courtney Eldridge has written for McSweeney’s, The New York Times Magazine, Nerve, and others.

Her essay "Thanks, But No Thanks" [full text here ] was included in the collection Alone in a Kitchen with an Eggplant by Jenni Ferrari-Adler.

Reviews

[Thilardiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eldridge's writing style is fascinating. She writes as if she's the monologue running in your mind, and this style of writing has a way of infecting you, of pulling you into the story. You begin to really hear her voice in your head. Her short stories are often compelling and hinge on the psychological, not the plot or story, but often the psychological hurdle the character is faced and that character's reaction to said hurdle. If you're interested in plot driven books, you'll need to steer clear because Eldridge is a master of character development and psychological underpinnings. I often kept answering myself and the character, "Why the HELL would you do that?" for certain moments and I was compelled to read forward. I was rarely disappointed. She is one of the few contemporary authors whose name I will remember with the intention of actually owning one of her works, instead of only borrowing as I did with Unkempt.

[Abby Peck · Rating 1 out of 5]

horrid.

[Kris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished the first story and that was it for me. Not a fan of this style. Had no interest in finishing it.

[Vanessa Wolosz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did that last story/novella destroy me

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick, engaging read. The stories are dark and provide fascinating glimpses into human nature and human neuroses. Some of the stories initially feel like they were generated by prompts in a writing exercise book, but that didn't stop me from becoming engrossed in them as I kept reading. It's also worth noting that Eldridge's style consists solely of stream-of-consciousness first-person narrative, so if you don't like that, I'd probably steer clear of this book.

A few of the stories are less effective than the others. I particularly felt let down by "Young Professionals," a story told from the perspective of a young woman with OCD, and "Becky," the story of a woman struggling with food addiction. On the other hand, one of my favorite stories in the book, "Summer of Mopeds," is told very innovatively and left me wanting to know more about the protagonist and what happens next in her life.

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and plan to give Eldridge's novel a try, even though the reviews have been pretty negative.

On a final note, I would not recommend reading "The Former World Record Holder Settles Down" while on public transportation. I kept worrying someone might be looking over my shoulder and wondering what on earth I was reading. ;)

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. This is different than I remember it. I remember loving it seven years ago. I guess my tastes have changed a lot, because I found it a chore to get through this time around.

All the stories are written in first person, stream of consciousness, you really get inside their heads. I think when I was in my 20's and read this, I found that innovative. It's a cool technique, but that's all it is. The characters are stock characters that react exactly as you'd expect them to. And these are more like vignettes than stories. Nothing much happens in them, there's no plot.

I don't find any of it believable, either. Not to give a spoiler, I won't say the name of a story, but one takes forever just for the protagonist to reveal they were raped. I remember thinking the drawn out way the story was told was very creative the first time I read it, and maybe that's true, but reading it again.. It just fell flat. I already knew where it was going. Once it got there, I realized it was this stylized story with no heart. I didn't buy it.

[Destroydecay · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories feel like monologues and you just feel compelled to read them out loud. The voice of the narrator appears so strong in each of them. It's so wonderful how Eldridge creates these characters that would normally be so unlikeable and makes the reader feel for them, yearning to know more about why they are the way they are. Some of the more experimental stories would make for great exercises in fiction.

Overall, I was hooked and I recommend this book.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of short stories, and this collection is in my top five of all time. I seriously think about these stories about once a week. My favorites are Thieves (about a store clerk dealing with an insane customer) and Young Professionals (about a girl battling obsessive-compulsive disorder). If you like Deborah Eisenberg, give this a shot.

[Jacob Berger · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a couple of really powerful short stories in this book. Eldridge's themes are neurosis, dysfunction, obsession – all pretty familiar to most of us. When it gets funny, it gets good. The FOrmer World Record Holder Settles Down is one.

[Sarah Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Eldridge is a very creative writer that touches upon very real emotions of all ranges. I could definitely relate to her characters. Plus the different ways she approaches her stories and how that in-turn becomes a part of it all is amazing. All round good stuff.

[Patricia Geller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, Courtney Eldridge rips the skin off her characters and shows you the internal working of their minds. It is both fascinating and disturbing. Some of the stories are better than others but I read them all in one sitting.

[Salimah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of short story collections, but these were a treat. The best is the title story. It's an excellent study in character voice.

[Chary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indie. Cool.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sent to me by a very good friend who said when she read it it made her think of me...well, I'm all for that! It moves to the front of the line on my to-read list.

[Katherine]

One I'd wanted to check out, and there's an intriguing item in the latest issue of _Bitch_: one of her stories vs. a similar take on the same subject in Chuck Palahniuk's latest.

[Margery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I randomly picked this up at the airport when I realized I had forgotten a book. It was a treat!

[Marc Fitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Eldridge's prose is like a punch in the face. A beautiful punch in the face. It's strong and engaging and funny and heartbreaking all at once. What a voice!

[Emily]

Might get back to this later, but it was such hard work just getting half way through...

[Lisa]

I loved these stories. The characters were real and sometimes quirky. I read this collection in a few days and can't wait to read more from this author.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get through it. Won't finsh it either--not worth the time.

[Kara]

Universally hated in book club. Only book we ever all hated.