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Joy: And 52 Other Very Short Stories
Widely celebrated, McGraw returns with her strongest collection yet, stories that will haunt you and amuse you and are impossible to forget.
Claire Messud described Erin McGraw’s last collection of stories as “At once laugh-out-loud funny and utterly serious, [exploring] life’s profundity through its details.” This is even more true with McGraw’s new collection, Joy.
In these very short stories, narrators step out of themselves to explain their lives to us, sometimes defensively, sometimes regretfully, other times deceitfully. Voices include those of the impulsive first-time murderer, the depressed pet sitter, the assistant of Patsy Cline, the anxiety-riddled new mother, the aged rock and roller, the girlfriend of your husband—human beings often (incredibly) unaware of the turning points staring them in the face.
Crossing time, states, class, and religions, McGraw’s stories are on the edge, causing you to wince even as you laugh. And McGraw will draw you to a deep need to read some sentences aloud—a sweet voice, a shrewd insight, some uneasy charm.
Claire Messud described Erin McGraw’s last collection of stories as “At once laugh-out-loud funny and utterly serious, [exploring] life’s profundity through its details.” This is even more true with McGraw’s new collection, Joy.
In these very short stories, narrators step out of themselves to explain their lives to us, sometimes defensively, sometimes regretfully, other times deceitfully. Voices include those of the impulsive first-time murderer, the depressed pet sitter, the assistant of Patsy Cline, the anxiety-riddled new mother, the aged rock and roller, the girlfriend of your husband—human beings often (incredibly) unaware of the turning points staring them in the face.
Crossing time, states, class, and religions, McGraw’s stories are on the edge, causing you to wince even as you laugh. And McGraw will draw you to a deep need to read some sentences aloud—a sweet voice, a shrewd insight, some uneasy charm.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 5, 2019
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801 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 23, 2019
These stories are so short you might be tempted to devour them like chips, but I found them so powerful that I had to slow down and read only one or two a day. Some stories are funny; some are dark; some are devastatingly sad. All contained characters who felt achingly true to life. This is how the short monologue is done.
April 5, 2019
Joy and 52 other very short stories.
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Thank you for sending this gorgeous book @counterpointpress 🌻
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There's something hauntingly beautiful about this book which stays with you like an aftertaste of a bittersweet drink. Joy is a collection of 53 short stories written by Erin McGraw who has succeeded in reaching out to the readers in her attempt at sparking joy. The stories are not the usual kind and yet you can almost relate to few of them and that says something about the author's superb writing skills.
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The book consists of stories which are not limited to a certain set of people. The protagonists vary from being an old man who breaks the rules to be with his mentally ill wife to a girl who walks to the police station to get her father acquitted for he is a criminal. The stories are stunning and often left me breathless. It has never been an easy task to sum up such strong stories in just a couple of pages yet Erin did it marvelously. She brings out the very true nature of humans that we try to shy away from.
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It's honest, raw, joyous and also painful and I think that was exactly what the author was trying to put forward. A very apt book to switch in between heavy reads, just how I like it. I'll most probably re-read this book in the coming years to remind myself that there are others like us out in the world. A breezy read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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Rating -4.2/5.
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Thank you for sending this gorgeous book @counterpointpress 🌻
~
There's something hauntingly beautiful about this book which stays with you like an aftertaste of a bittersweet drink. Joy is a collection of 53 short stories written by Erin McGraw who has succeeded in reaching out to the readers in her attempt at sparking joy. The stories are not the usual kind and yet you can almost relate to few of them and that says something about the author's superb writing skills.
~
The book consists of stories which are not limited to a certain set of people. The protagonists vary from being an old man who breaks the rules to be with his mentally ill wife to a girl who walks to the police station to get her father acquitted for he is a criminal. The stories are stunning and often left me breathless. It has never been an easy task to sum up such strong stories in just a couple of pages yet Erin did it marvelously. She brings out the very true nature of humans that we try to shy away from.
~
It's honest, raw, joyous and also painful and I think that was exactly what the author was trying to put forward. A very apt book to switch in between heavy reads, just how I like it. I'll most probably re-read this book in the coming years to remind myself that there are others like us out in the world. A breezy read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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Rating -4.2/5.
April 24, 2019
JOY AND 52 OTHER VERY SHORT STORIES by Erin McGraw is a short story collection with a focus on ‘short’. This book took me a while to get through – not because I wasn’t enjoying the stories, but because each of the 53 stories packs a lot into just a few pages.
The cover is at once cheerful with that bright yellow cover and also a little sad as the flower is wilting and falling apart. Similarly, these are tales where joy and humor is mixed with pain and sadness. The protagonists are incredibly varied with different genders, ages, races and backgrounds. Most stories stand alone, but in a few cases the author gives the same story from different perspective, such as in the case of a woman dying of cancer where we get her POV and those of her husband and caregiver.
I found this to be a great story collection to keep close at hand, allowing me to meander through the book between other reads a story or two at a time so I could really absorb each story. I appreciated the humor and mixture of emotions brought throughout this book and I would definitely want to read more stories from Erin McGraw.
April 9, 2019
Misleading title, and not in a fun way. Not much Joy to be found here...
May 6, 2019
I enjoyed the way McGraw treats all her characters with empathy, no matter how unlikable they are or how questionable their decisions may be. There was a lot to admire in this collection, but reading it helped clarify that I ultimately find flash fiction unsatisfying. The endings came far to soon in 3/4 of the stories--which I get is the point but I just wanted more, because the characters and the situations they were in were so compelling.
Yeah, so, fan of McGraw's writing, not a fan so much of the flash fiction form.
Yeah, so, fan of McGraw's writing, not a fan so much of the flash fiction form.
March 3, 2019
Short, sharp, and poignant, with a strong focus on relationships and family dynamics, death and dying, and the crippling impact of the decisions we make, Erin's stories are charming and alarming, but also quite forgettable due to their brevity. Three to four pages a piece, they don't live long enough on the page to leave a lasting impression.
(one of my Most Anticipated Small Press Books of 2019: https://bit.ly/2SHKV5L)
(one of my Most Anticipated Small Press Books of 2019: https://bit.ly/2SHKV5L)
January 9, 2020
4.5 stars. A wonderful collection of super short vignettes. McGraw impressively captures vignettes that feel true to life. My favorites were the ones told from various points of view: Comfort 1 & 2, and Soup 1, 2, and 3. I also enjoyed the story about the hand model (bitter about the faceys), and the ones exploring disintegrating love. Recommend.
January 23, 2019
A wonderful collection. Look for my full review soon in The Englewood Review
March 22, 2019
Amazing work.
April 16, 2019
Exquisite example of the short story genre. I could barely believe how vivid the characters with so little time at her disposal. Brava Erin.
July 16, 2019
I really enjoyed this book of stories!
September 26, 2019
dark, real, raw, beautiful. 10/10 recommend.
February 12, 2021
I'm usually hesitant on short stories because I tend to not be as interested in them. I really enjoyed most stories in this book though. They were extremely short and captivating. Ironically the title of the book was Joy but most of the stories were melancholy. I also like that some of the short stories were related.
My favorite story was entitled Law and Order. I enjoyed the short stores throughout the book but actually found that the majority of the stories I liked were in the first half.
My favorite story was entitled Law and Order. I enjoyed the short stores throughout the book but actually found that the majority of the stories I liked were in the first half.
April 22, 2019
I love super short stories and I think she did a great job overall. There were maybe a third where the short story format did not work for her. There was too much left unsaid. Also, there was one that I was reading and I had about half a glass of wine and it was so odd I honestly wondered if I was drunk. It really was just that weird.
June 4, 2019
Erin McGraw assembles 53 extremely short tales into her so-called Joy collection, each one offering different snippets of the drearier side of human existence. The stories carom from Hollywood infidelity to wasting away in a retirement home; from cultural identity in American schools to the toll an accidental shooting takes on all involved in the tragedy. Musicians play in hopes that their advanced students notice them, models discover how the camera defines their entire existence, and cancer divides a relationship triangle into lonely pieces. McGraw ironically sprinkles the tiniest glimmers of actual happiness into the characters within the covers of her book - characters who seem to derive joy from pain, sorrow, emptiness, violence, and other detrimental emotions. As such, readers are tasked with walking in these ancillary worlds and determining if such acts could - and should - bring about any semblance of glee. Joy is an oxymoron of a collection that would benefit from hope rather than despondence.
July 18, 2020
This book of short stories took me a long time to read because they felt like vignettes to be savored rather than devoured.
Joy holds at its center the ways we find joy - some perverse, some edged with pain, some a lie we tell ourselves.
The stories told multiple times from different points of view like Comfort and Soup really shine, and there’s something profoundly revealing about the ones that address death and dying like Phantom, Happiness and Cat.
There are some that have less, well, Joy in reading them. A few don’t achieve the sort of poignant tableau of others, but in some ways, it just shows that joy is relative - to pain, poverty, boredom, mistakes, death and hate.
Joy holds at its center the ways we find joy - some perverse, some edged with pain, some a lie we tell ourselves.
The stories told multiple times from different points of view like Comfort and Soup really shine, and there’s something profoundly revealing about the ones that address death and dying like Phantom, Happiness and Cat.
There are some that have less, well, Joy in reading them. A few don’t achieve the sort of poignant tableau of others, but in some ways, it just shows that joy is relative - to pain, poverty, boredom, mistakes, death and hate.
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July 23, 2019Joy is a collection of 52 poignant, literary short stories that pack a punch in just a few pages. It's hard to believe such satisfying tales can be told in just 3-8 pages but McGraw executes it flawlessly. These short stories are perfect to squeeze into any small amount of time you have in the day.
Monica, Information Desk
Monica, Information Desk
May 13, 2019
A great collection of short stories! Poignant and driving at the heart of the human condition, the writing was so good! Planning to read more of this author’s work. Quote from the story “Job”- “...everyday is ground glass in the soul.”
March 13, 2019
This suffered from the law of diminishing returns for me, but the first story, America, is worth checking out the book from your local library.
February 29, 2020
This book made me sad. And that is not what I was looking for when I picked up a book called Joy! The stories are well-written, but honestly all of them are sad except the first one.
July 10, 2022
This may be the most misleading title and book cover I've ever seen. So, yes, the flower on the cover is rather bedraggled, but it's a bright yellow cover with a flower and the giant title: JOY. Yet there is precious little joy in this book. Perhaps it's my current mind frame, but I found this soul-crushingly depressing. Beautifully, beautifully written. But depressing.
Erin McGraw did a fantastic job of making us care about these flawed but lovable characters. We knew them. We felt the pain of their misery or malaise. We felt trapped with them in their hopeless, joyless lives. But then nothing got better. Nothing got resolved. Hardly anyone even got a glimmer of hope. I experienced 52 heartbreaks (well, maybe 47 or so…there were a few bits of distant hope or relief and a couple of stories did have actual joy, like the first one). But for those 47 heartbreaks…It was brutal. I suppose the bedraggled flower on the front does fit, because I think the author was going for a "beauty amid darkness" theme. But if you're sensitive to the darkness, this might not be a good read for you. And if you're looking for a light, joyous read, look elsewhere.
On the back cover, one of the reviewers talked about "delight as the first gift and hilarity as a path to transcendence." Umm…I'm not sure she read the same book I did. "Delight" is not a word I would ever use with this collection. And hilarity? No. Dark humor, yes. Wit, yes. And finding the ridiculous in a dark world can be a path to survival. But hilarity? No.
Again, the author is extremely talented. Few of the stories were more than six pages, but the characters all felt so vividly real, the glimpses into their lives so powerful. The writing was absorbing. McGraw has mad skills.
Just don't expect joy or resolution.
More detailed rating:
For prose: 4+
For character development: 5
For plot and resolution: 3
For how it drew me in: 4
For the personal emotional toll: 2 (which is perversely like a 4, because it was powerful…just not powerful in the way I want at the moment)
Erin McGraw did a fantastic job of making us care about these flawed but lovable characters. We knew them. We felt the pain of their misery or malaise. We felt trapped with them in their hopeless, joyless lives. But then nothing got better. Nothing got resolved. Hardly anyone even got a glimmer of hope. I experienced 52 heartbreaks (well, maybe 47 or so…there were a few bits of distant hope or relief and a couple of stories did have actual joy, like the first one). But for those 47 heartbreaks…It was brutal. I suppose the bedraggled flower on the front does fit, because I think the author was going for a "beauty amid darkness" theme. But if you're sensitive to the darkness, this might not be a good read for you. And if you're looking for a light, joyous read, look elsewhere.
On the back cover, one of the reviewers talked about "delight as the first gift and hilarity as a path to transcendence." Umm…I'm not sure she read the same book I did. "Delight" is not a word I would ever use with this collection. And hilarity? No. Dark humor, yes. Wit, yes. And finding the ridiculous in a dark world can be a path to survival. But hilarity? No.
Again, the author is extremely talented. Few of the stories were more than six pages, but the characters all felt so vividly real, the glimpses into their lives so powerful. The writing was absorbing. McGraw has mad skills.
Just don't expect joy or resolution.
More detailed rating:
For prose: 4+
For character development: 5
For plot and resolution: 3
For how it drew me in: 4
For the personal emotional toll: 2 (which is perversely like a 4, because it was powerful…just not powerful in the way I want at the moment)
June 23, 2024
I like minimalist fiction and American Short Story. I just haven't read much the last couple decades as I have to admit to myself 1) I like other things more, 2) I read so slowly that it's hard to consume something if the plot isn't compelling.
This book does keep the pages turning and the stories are so short I can get through them quickly. The writing is spot on, and even in 4-8 pages the author gets an amazing amount out of her characters. But being "spot on" also means the book carries all the weight of a lot of short story writing. In Dubus-like fashion while there is something satisfying, there also isn't a lot of happy. "Joy" is a misnomer. Most of the stories are a mixture of sad or angry. I found I liked "America" about a girl seeking to be noticed while playing a minor part in West Side Story my favorite, and it was the first story out of the gate. I guess I should have taken more meaning out of the wilted flower on the cover and expected the irony.
Nice writing, and if you like minimalism definitely get this book. Otherwise approach with your eyes open.
This book does keep the pages turning and the stories are so short I can get through them quickly. The writing is spot on, and even in 4-8 pages the author gets an amazing amount out of her characters. But being "spot on" also means the book carries all the weight of a lot of short story writing. In Dubus-like fashion while there is something satisfying, there also isn't a lot of happy. "Joy" is a misnomer. Most of the stories are a mixture of sad or angry. I found I liked "America" about a girl seeking to be noticed while playing a minor part in West Side Story my favorite, and it was the first story out of the gate. I guess I should have taken more meaning out of the wilted flower on the cover and expected the irony.
Nice writing, and if you like minimalism definitely get this book. Otherwise approach with your eyes open.
December 31, 2019
The writing was beautiful and the stories felt very visceral and real portraying the beauty and pain of life. It's the type of writing that's right up my alley, and the type of stories I love best. I especially loved the the multiple part short stories that were told from different points of view.
The only reason this is 4 starts instead of 5 is because there are just too many stories here. With so many stories they all end up blending together and the great ones just don't linger with you or stand out. Some of these stories are genius, and you want to be invested in them, but there were too many stories to allow myself to become as invested as I wanted to be. If this had been half the length or released in 2 or 3 volumes, think it it could have been a real masterpiece.
Definitely a worthwhile read, especially for lovers of short stories, but I recommend taking your time reading it and only reading a few stories at a time.
The only reason this is 4 starts instead of 5 is because there are just too many stories here. With so many stories they all end up blending together and the great ones just don't linger with you or stand out. Some of these stories are genius, and you want to be invested in them, but there were too many stories to allow myself to become as invested as I wanted to be. If this had been half the length or released in 2 or 3 volumes, think it it could have been a real masterpiece.
Definitely a worthwhile read, especially for lovers of short stories, but I recommend taking your time reading it and only reading a few stories at a time.
June 23, 2019
I have a love/hate relationship with short stories. So much so that I named my daughter “Novella”! 😀 on the one hand, they are glimpses of a new author’s promise as a writer, and if they are from one of my favorite authors then they are more glimpses into their talented mind. But therein lies the issue-they are too short, and some are so good you wish whole novels had been made from them, because you’re not ready to let these characters go quite yet.
Erin McGraw has written a strong & poignant collection of stories. They touch on subjects such as family, grief, love, and the roads not taken. Fair warning-unlike other short story collections, each piece in here lasts for only 3-4 pages. Some of the pieces, in particular “Comfort (1) & (2)” “Haircut”, “Spice” and “Hope” stayed with me long after I had started the next piece, and those short stories I would gladly read a full novel about
Erin McGraw has written a strong & poignant collection of stories. They touch on subjects such as family, grief, love, and the roads not taken. Fair warning-unlike other short story collections, each piece in here lasts for only 3-4 pages. Some of the pieces, in particular “Comfort (1) & (2)” “Haircut”, “Spice” and “Hope” stayed with me long after I had started the next piece, and those short stories I would gladly read a full novel about
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February 13, 2025Most of the short stories in this book are no more than three pages, which could give them a breathless quality. Instead, they dive deep into human emotions, often offering a surprising chute towards the end. As in any collection, it's hard to fall in love with each and every story, and this is even more the case seeing as there are 53 stories in this book. Some of my favorites included Priest, Artist, Sympathy, Song, the Soup triptych, Learning, and Fat, which are vastly different from one another but similar in that they delve into uncomfortable and atypical emotions laced with shame and resentfulness but always with an undercurrent not just of joy but of hope.
August 31, 2019
Meh.
It was so all over the place. Out of 50+ stories, I thoroughly enjoyed maybe 5. Maybe. Though overall enjoyable, most of the stories didn't offer any closure, which seems to defeat the purpose of a story story. It's supposed to have the satisfaction of a novel in much shorter time, right? These simply left me wondering.
Wouldn't recommend unless you're fine with unanswered curiosity.
It was so all over the place. Out of 50+ stories, I thoroughly enjoyed maybe 5. Maybe. Though overall enjoyable, most of the stories didn't offer any closure, which seems to defeat the purpose of a story story. It's supposed to have the satisfaction of a novel in much shorter time, right? These simply left me wondering.
Wouldn't recommend unless you're fine with unanswered curiosity.
May 21, 2019
"It comes again, that feeling that will not be commanded or contained or even named. The bobwhite, the thick scent: The pleasure of this moment obliterates thought. Quivering, shapeless emotion spills and floods out of me. I'm surprised the lizard at my feet isn't washed away. Maybe this is grief. Who cares what we call it? Joy comes in waves, and will not hear no."
July 8, 2019
Meep. Notttt a fan of this one. I think I might need to take a break from short story collections for a while because I’m definitely struggling to connect with them at the moment! This one had the odd nice moment, but overall I found this to be a pretty depressing read (ironic given the title!), and still am not sure what the point of this collection was.
July 26, 2019
Maybe
I wonder why you have to write a review when you don't have anything to say. Should I critique an author based on a book I just wanted to hurry up and finish? She is the one who has accolades and reviews by other authors and magazines that keep her writing. I'm just someone who read the reviews and expected more because of them.
I wonder why you have to write a review when you don't have anything to say. Should I critique an author based on a book I just wanted to hurry up and finish? She is the one who has accolades and reviews by other authors and magazines that keep her writing. I'm just someone who read the reviews and expected more because of them.
April 22, 2019
Very misleading title. Did not bring joy, nor did these stories spur on joy. Very sad, but very easy read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews