You Are Having a Good Time

by Amie Barrodale

In You Are Having a Good Time, Amie Barrodale’s collection of highly compressed and charged tales, the veneer of normality is stripped from her characters’ lives to reveal the seething and contradictory desires that fuel them. In “Animals,” an up-and-coming starlet harbors a complicated attraction toward her abusive director. In “Frank Advice for Fat Women,” an ethically compromised psychiatrist is drawn into the middle of a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. And in “The Imp,” a supernatural possession ruins a man’s relationship with his pregnant wife.

Barrodale’s protagonists drink too much, say the wrong things, want the wrong people. They’re hounded by longings (and sometimes ghosts) to the point where they are forced to confront the illusions they cling to. They’re brought to life in stories that don’t behave as you expect stories to behave. Barrodale’s startlingly funny and original fictions get under your skin and make you reconsider the fragile compromises that underpin our daily lives.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary, American, Adult Fiction, Anthologies, Womens

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2016

Reviews

[Adam Dalva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book of stories that zig and zag their way through unpredictable plots - sexual transgression, ethical dilemma, and impulsive behavior are the rules here. The first story, William Wei (https://www.theparisreview.org/fictio...), was quite possibly my favorite, but while these stories have similarities, the collection makes for a diverse, entertaining experience.

[Courtney Maum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like going to a party all alone where you didn't know anyone and drinking too much cheap rosé. At first, it was kind of rough going, and everything seemed weird. Then it was like you found the right people to talk to and someone gave you some upmarket red.

Barrodale's humor is so strange, so touching. It's like Loorie Moore and Deborah Eisenberg co-wrote together on LSD. I feel somewhat incapable of recalling the plots to most of the stories but each left me with a mood and atmosphere I won't soon forget.

Highly recommend.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was once talking to a friend about how books rated 4-stars on Goodreads are sometimes more interesting and complex than 5-star all-pleasing books. This is a good case for that argument. I loved this book for its oddness, it imperfections, and boldness of voice. I can tell that Barrodale is a writer who won't play by the rules or do what you always want. This sort of independence reminds me of Nell Zink and Ottessa Moshfegh. And it will probably make me pick up any book she writes after this.
This story collection is all about people not quite connecting to those around them (or even themselves) and doing not-quite-the-right-thing. Some of the stories are full of mundane details that add up to an awkward comedy and some are kind of stiff and brooding. My faves are The Sew Man (about a guy who can't figure out how to tell a suit maker he doesn't like his suit), Catholic (about a woman who dates a drummer she doesn't really like), and Frank Advice For Fat Women (about a woman and her mother who both fall in love with a psychiatrist).

[Trike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars because I did not like these stories. They aren't about anything, yet they're so vague one could say they're about everything. This kind of plotless, pointless nonsense is why I stopped reading the New Yorker.

Maybe people like to read these because these types of characters lead pointless, random lives, which accurately depicts the pointless, random lives of the people who like to read this sort of thing. A pretentious and bored ouroboros eating its own tail miserably forever.

[Patrick Cottrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my bedside table for months. The first story, William Wei, is so good. So sad. The last line is amazing and perfect. There are many savage moments in these stories, and many brutal sentences packed with thought and emotion. Amie Barrodale is one of the most generous writers because I don't have the feeling that she's trying to be in control or masterful. Her writing is direct and vivid and it speaks to me.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

(DNF @ 21%) I only managed the first two stories. Barrodale writes in a flat, affectless style full of unconnected sentences; her themes are of Hollywood and the emptiness of modern life. This reminded me most of Miranda July, so if you’re a big fan of hers I’d say go for it. Otherwise, don’t bother.

[Lena Hurzook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book of short stories to read quickly between other books. Well it took me way too long to read (I was determined to finish) because it was so hard to get through. These stories are weird and feel disjointed, plus they seem to end abruptly as if in the middle of a thought or sentence. I would not recommend them.

[Ben Bush]

Maybe it was just the mood I was in but I laughed a lot reading this book.
Stylistically, I found myself thinking about Jesus' Son, in which dialogue is the vehicle for showing what's in the room or what's happening. Does that make sense? There's a lot of very well done compression happening in here and things are often described in a way that assumes knowledge, like how you would tell a friend. Like, you'd just mention Carole, you wouldn't go into a big thing about who Carole is.
Faves: "William Wei", "Frank Advice for Fat Women", "The Commission"
Also--wow--there's chutzpah on display in that acknowledgements section, or that's the nice way to put it.

[shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading the opening passage, I thought I would have loved this, but I really, really didn’t. I was bored. Most of the time I didn’t even know what I was reading (or why I was forcing myself to try). I’m sure it’s a good book for someone, but that someone just isn’t me.

DNF, not interested in ever picking it back up.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had on okay time.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not going to lie, I only picked this up after reading an article in which my new fave Ottessa Moshfegh claimed that this is her favorite collection of short stories. I found a few of the stories really well-crafted with an underlying sense of dread, but the majority of these were just fine to me. Barrodale seems to be really fascinated with people who are having affairs, are in therapy, or are into vague religious beliefs. "The Commission", "The Imp", and "Frank Advice for Fat Women" were my favorite in the bunch mostly because they felt the most lived-in and complete. Nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but for those who enjoy stories about weirdos (and really, who doesn't?) this is a quick read. 3/5

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this book were so obscure, but solid. The characters were flawed and distractable--almost believable, but too blase about things that people tend not to be blase about to be realistic. The stories contained some wickedly funny lines and passages that described the pain and anguish that comes from disengagement perfectly.

If you like listening to tangential stories, you'll like this book. I like to be surprised, and none of these stories were predictable.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think after reading this I've pinpointed what makes some of these weird-people-type stories work, and some horribly dull and uninteresting: humor. They must understand that their characters are, in fact, weird, and proceed with humor. I laughed out loud at many of these short stories, and that's what made it so enjoyable (favorites: William Wei, Frank Advice for Fat Women, The Commission).

I'm never in a mood to read a self-serious author glorify weirdos because they've unlocked and broken past some societal secret. It's why so many of the Ottessa Moshfegh copies don't work (Binary Star, You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine)--but this one is pretty good!

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think about these stories all the time. One of my favorite collections.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t have a good time.

[Arthur Cravan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe a 4.5? But a definite round-up from me... I was just too captivated. The book goes a lot of places - nothing in it is really like William Wei (which is a hell of a starter story, by the way), & then we go all around. My favourites are definitely the odder ones - The Imp obviously stands out - but there's not a dud in here. I felt a lot of melancholy in a lot of them, & the odd thing is I'm not even sure it was written into it - it's just how I feel when I read a story like Catholic. In any case, here were my brief ratings I gave at the end of each reading (which, looking at them now, don't feel 100% the way I'd imagine them... I will say that sitting on these stories & living with them has only given me more love & respect for them, but I'll keep the original scores here for now):

William Wei - Wow. I had no idea what I was getting into there, but by the end, I was all in. 9/10.

Animals - 7/10. I thought it had some great naturalistic writing, & I could feel Libby. By the end I was quite sad... Idk. I liked all the acting/directing talk.

The Imp - Idk Tom upset me a lot at first, but I started having fun when they got to Gwen's. Then after the second ritual I obviously stopped having fun again... 7/10. Maybe 7.5. I just love the mix of oddness & utter realism in these stories.

The Sew Man - I honestly was a bit distracted reading this one, but it had its charm & its laughs. 6/10

Frank Advice for Fat Women - I don't know what exactly this story is rooted in. I don't understand from whence it came. But that was great. 10.

Night Report - Lmao what a way to close. Hats off. 9.5? Idk. I can't pick between so it's BETWEEN.

The Commission - 8.5 now that's a strange little tale.

Catholic - I like these kinda basic bohemian tales. This one's no different. But it makes me sad. Melancholy. 7/10

Mynahs - An interesting piece. 7/10

Rinpoche - I wanna know more about Amie Barrodale. She's a very interesting writer. This one... 6/10.

[Claire Bleiler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I just am not clever enough to get this book but I just did not understand if there was supposed to be meaning or not in these stories. Is the lack of meaning actually the meaning? I have no idea.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this because it looks like it has metro cards on the front. It’s a collection of depressing stories. But they are interesting. It’s kind of about real life, but also about the absurdity of enlightenment. I think.

[Rachel Pollock]

Actively disliked this one. I’m enjoying thinking about why, though, so I guess that’s preferable to wishing I had the hours of my life back.

[Elza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grāmatas vidū radās sajūta, ka rakstniece izlikusi savus stāstus secībā no labākā uz sliktāko - katrs nākamais kļuva arvien grūtāk pabeidzams.

[Mackenzi Elias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ottessa Moshfegh said she read You Are Having a Good Time, so I read You Are Having a Good Time

[Elizabeth Boroda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I just didn’t ~get~ it but this might be the worst short story collection I’ve ever read.

[holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

this just didn’t make sense
there were one or two good stories

[Emily Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really really strong collection of interesting stories, I highly recommend it.

[Kyle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider this book to be a perfect example of the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Not only is the jacket hideous, but as I picked it up I immediately started second-guessing myself, wondering, "Am I really going to enjoy something from the fiction editor at Vice?"

Yes. Through the first story, my doubts remained. But as I made my way through the collection (quite quickly, I might add) I became obsessed with her writing, her characters and the complex situations they find themselves in. I love this collection.

On the back page, there's praise from James Franco likening Barrodale to Cheever. While the themes certainly relate, I find Barrodale's short, blunt, succinct writing to be more similar to Carver. Any one of her stories could easily fit in Will You Please Be Quiet, Please? though "The Imp" and "Animals" stand out as the most likely candidates.

The stories weave from humourous to bizarre to strikingly dark. Sex is a major driver of the stories, though her characters' relationships are fraught with difficulties. A number of stories take place after hours, while many of us are sleeping. None of the characters are overly spectacular, but neither are they necessarily unspectacular. Barrodale has accomplished something truly inspiring in the way she brings her characters to life, especially with how economical she is in doing so.

This is a truly enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys darker dirty realism. Barrodale is a writer to watch and this short collection is an easy way to dive into her work.

[Beer pairing: Refined Fool Brewing's Antique Peepshow. The name alone is enough to make Antique Peepshow the right choice for Barrodale's collection. Among the late-night adventures of her characters, I wouldn't be shocked if any of them happened to head into one for a laugh - or for other reasons. This beer is just hoppy enough to give a bit of a wallop, but reserved enough to not overpower - much like these stories. It's citrus flavours make it a good choice for wandering through the alleys of a hot, sticky summer night when Barrodale's characters come out to play.]

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much emptiness in this book. Or maybe it's space? It's a strange way to write short stories; to leave so much untold, and I was hypnotized by most of it. Barrodale's collection seems to float, untethered to time or place most of the time, just engaging the reader with a character or two and their thoughts or obsessions or quiet observations. And sometimes it's not very quiet. They're usually very funny too, even in their eerie emptiness. In this way, Barrodale invites the reader into these characters’ lives, and lets them start to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions, and that's when she starts questioning you.

"Miserable people often think they have a special purchase on the truth. My husband was one of those. At the moment of his death, I told him I was relieved."

And perhaps moments like that are why Ottessa Moshfegh loves this collection; she mentioned the book in an interview and it's the sole reason I picked it up. I own and haven't read Moshfegh's short story collection, though—it's one of those books I have waiting in the wings, knowing it's there, ready to be consumed when nothing else makes sense.

I'd recommend this collection, but it's not writing that tries to win the reader over. As stated earlier, it kind of feels like Barrodale is interrogating you. For every question or thought I had about an undefined or out-of-focus context to a scene, I imagined her leaning in saying, "and why do you think that?" Even the title is directed at you.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining collection of stories. Delusional, lost characters, miscommunication, missed expectations, insanity. I really enjoyed this whole collection and its views of morality and relationships. Dark comedy and drugs and losing yourself.
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Here's a story-by-story synopsis for me to go back to later:

William Wei is a tale about two lonely people (both of which are kind of terrible).

Animals is about an actress and an insane director. That one was funny.

The Imp was an interesting domestic story about a man who thinks he's haunted.

The Sew Man is a funny, straightforward story about a bad tailor in India.

Frank Advice for Fat Women is the funniest tale about a chubby therapist who specializes in helping women lose weight.

Night Report was very interesting as a woman inadvertently becomes someone she admired and now hates.

The Commission is about a shy sales manager at a Japanese art store and a Southern gentleman. Is funny.

Catholic about a lost, lonely woman, a priest who is being nice but mostly avoiding her, and a band called Catholic.

Mynahs is about two (or three) writers and was very strong.

Rinpoche was about a Buddhist who is kind of an asshole, but he ends up making the protagonist become something she didn't think she was.

[Ric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of these short stories just seem weird-for-the-sake-of-weird, though a couple of them, notably "Animals" and "Frank Advice for Fat Girls" rise above. Not a fan of the adamant "non-resolution" endings, though.

[John Paul Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread in preparation for her next book. Diverse collection of stories. I remember them all (last read 7-8 years ago now) as a part of the same sharp, cruel, and distant stream. That's true to an extent, but what stood out to me coming back was the variety. Narrators from different backgrounds, ages, sensibilities. All of them inevitably do or say not-quite-the-right thing, but they're not as twisted as I remember. They all make sense.

[Christa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by my fiction teacher about two years ago and I remember being so in love with the stories he showed us--the night report and the imp. however, i found myself grasping for some answer as to what all these endings mean. maybe i'm not getting something. maybe ive not lived enough to understand. but the endings were always a little far out for me. at the same time, impactful? it's difficult to describe. overall i loved these.