مادری

by Helen Simpson, حسین کاظمی‌یزدی (Translator)

به مادری خوش آمديد - سرزمين درد و خستگی، ازخودگذشتگی مداوم و بندگی بی‌مزد، سرزمين جانسپاری بی‌انتها، دستان كوچك و پاهايی مثل رزهای صورتی، و بوسه‌های مخملی، اين‌جا سرزمين مردان و زنانی است كه روزی بی‌خيال مجذوب كار و روابط‌شان بودند و حالا سعی می‌كنند مسائل قديمی را حل كنند و بيهوده به دنبال ساعتی ديگر در روزشان هستند، شايد شما اين سرزمين را به خوبی بشناسيد، يا شايد برای اولين بار پا به آن گذاشته باشيد - در هر صورت به اين داستان‌های صادقانه‌ی انسانی بسيار جالب كه از جانب يك متخصص ارائه شده است، نيازمنديد... ؛

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Helen Simpson is an English novelist and short story writer. She was born in 1959 in Bristol, in the West of England, and went to a girls' school. She worked at Vogue for five years before her success in writing short stories meant she could afford to leave and concentrate full-time on her writing. Her first collection, Four Bare Legs in a Bed and Other Stories, won the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award while her book Hey Yeah Right Get A Life, a series of interlinked stories, won the Hawthornden Prize.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. (In particular, the mystery author Helen de Guerry Simpson is a different author.)

In 1993, she was selected as one of Granta's top 20 novelists under the age of 40.

In 2009, she donated the short story The Tipping Point to Oxfam's 'Ox-Tales' project, four collections of UK stories written by 38 authors. Her story was published in the 'Air' collection.

Reviews

[Mia Tiger · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book so incredibly depressing. Every story painted a devastating motherhood, featuring exclusively straight couples, in which the woman bore almost 100% of the caregiving to the children. I understand that these short stories were not originally written to form this book but have been pulled together from different places but they still manage to paint the same dreary image of a ‘mother’. I really don’t resonate with the idea of a book called motherhood formed of short stories telling the same experience over and over. This is the third book I’ve read consecutively about women in a society which exhausts and chastises then and it makes me tired and sad.

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, a lot more than I thought it would. A collection of stories by Helen Simpson, each one depicting a completely different aspect of motherhood. Different experiences of different types of mothers, but each one of them relevant to me, as a mother.

The working mom, the tired mom, the busy mom, the overly attached to her kids mom, the unable to cope mom, the mom with the unsupportive husband, the do-it-all mom, the wants-to-give-up mom, the wants-more-babies mom, each mom had something that made me think, "YES! I know exactly how you feel!"

I loved that Simpson was able to capture all the different facets of motherhood so well.

[Eleni Spanou (Overtheplace) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

[Ruth Wilde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got 3/4 through. Way too depressing. As someone without kids but knowing how hard it is to raise children this has basically put me off for another year thanks 👍 The main themes are: losing your identity, breakdown of relationship after having kids and being on the edge of a mental break down. Terrifying.

[Naphi3 kzm · Rating 1 out of 5]

خوندن داستان های کتاب حس خوبی در مورد دنیای مادری ایجاد نمیکنه، همینطور جنبه آموزشی پررنگی هم نداره. صرفا یک سری داستان های جست و گریخته از مادرانی که خسته از مادری کردن هستند.به نظر من اصلا جالب نبود.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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A word that holds the pillars of this world, the pillars of our lives and houses. This word is Motherhood. Taken from her short story collections, Simpson's book takes us on a short journey of five women each with her own bubble of thoughts, dreams, longing for past life, and worrying over her current life and her kids, Motherhood tackles the age-old problems that encounter mothers and new ones as well. .
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From a young girl who holds a leash around her freedom, refusing to succumb to the normalcy of getting married and bearing children, to a mother of two kids who barely catches up on how to handle her kids and daydreams about having the simple thing which's a friendly and smooth talk over a cup of coffee with another woman, to another mother who's the center of her three young kids, and a life full of nagging, crying, taking and picking up kids from school, and a father that's so busy working and trying to put some sense into his kids on not being leeches around their mom, to yet another mother who's crying over the spilled milk, and reminiscing her single life days where she's able to read whenever she wants, to the last mother whose kids are growing up so fast and she is trying to get a hold of the time's thread to slow it down a bit, and keeping them under her wings. .
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A standing ovation to my mom and all the moms out there, who have been juggling around with family responsibilities, trying to balance their lives with their life partners and their kids. Thank you for your endless sacrifices! Whether you've been a mother for years, pick up this brilliantly funny and sharply observed book, and for the ones who are expecting, I know it won't be a stroll in the park, but you're capable of handling the hardest of situations, for you are a leader by nature. Highly and strongly recommended.

[bongbooksandcoffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motherhood is regarded as a blessing and it surely is. For where we would all be without our mothers. But do we stop to think of the enormous self sacrifice, endless devotion, the sleepless nights, the constant servitude required to hold together the family unit, the bone crushing fatigue resulting in a hollowed out version of their selves that motherhood extracts from women. Most women gladly do it all because the chuckle of a child is the elixir that keeps them going. But are women even allowed to voice their helplessness that is inevitable with the slow dissolving of their former selves? Does society allow or take kindly to a woman who is on the brink of a meltdown performing her motherly duties day in and out like a perfect actor who is not allowed the luxury of a mistake? Do father's pitch in willing when the going gets real tough? Or is voicing dissent still not acceptable to society forcing women to keep on swallowing the bitter pill till they are a shadow of their former selves?
And when the children grow up and leave the nest what happens to the mothers who have long given up their individual identities, their ambitions and ceased to exist for themselves?
'Motherhood' by Helen Simpson is a collection of short stories that explores the challenges faced by mothers saddled with the overwhelming task of child rearing. It is a story of mothers enveloped by chubby cheeks, snotty smiles or precocious kids and their struggles, insecurities and heartaches.

[Beatriz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first bought this to give it as a gift.

I'm glad I didn't for two reasons: one, because, after starting to read it out of curiosity, I realised I was really enjoying Helen's writing style; two, because I don't think it is what I expected of it as a gift.

I was expecting a variety of motherhood experiences, a collection of stories that would explore different ways of being a mother. It was more of a quick look at the way of life of British SAHMs, but that was it. Oh, and of course, it also confirmed that men are useless.

Anyways, I'm curious about Helen's work and will look into her other books.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting selection of stories, though kind of more on the pessimistic side. It seems like a quite realistic portrayal of the hard parts, but completely lacking anything good about the lives of the mothers... Would have liked a few positive anecdotes of motherhood sprinkled in there. (Disclaimer: this is coming from someone who doesn’t have kids, but wants them in the future. I‘m aware this review might seem naive to someone who has kids.)

[T. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't imagine any mother not relating to these short stories. They make you feel that you're not alone. Helen Simpson is excellent in putting mother's daily life, thoughts and emotions on paper. This book feels so familiar, cozy and warm to a mother. I don't recommend it to people without kids, can be found depressive and pessimistic.

[Girnar Anand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up because it looked like a light and quick read; it was anything but that. This book doesn’t shy away from the brutally honest, less-than-glamorous world of motherhood, especially during the initial years. It’s raw and human and honestly it sticks with you, long after you turn the last page

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the selection of stories but found them pretty pessimistic. I had got it as a gift for a recent mother but decided not to gift it in the end.

[Cenk Karagören · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started to hate children after I finished this book.

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depressing AF, but very, very true. Admirably written.

[Gazala · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice set of short stories that I am sure most moms can relate to!

[میترا · Rating 5 out of 5]

رمان مادری بازگو کننده‌ی خاطراتِ تجربیات و انتظارات و نیاز هاست. هدف نویسنده درک مادران و بازشناسایی مفهوم مادر امروزی است. خواندن این کتاب را توصیه میکنم، برای همه.

[nazanin · Rating 5 out of 5]

تو ذهنم میمونه

[Reyhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

به نظرم هر کسی که میخواد بچه دار بشه و مادری رو تجربه کنه باید این کتاب رو بخونه
کتاب جالبی بود سختی ها و مشکلات رو ب خوبی توصیف کرده بود

[AngryGlitterWitch · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you thought motherhood looked miserable before, wait till you read this... 😬

[سارینا · Rating 3 out of 5]

چه ناراحت‌کننده. اما حتا بعد از خواندن داستان‌های این کتاب باز هم می‌خوام مادر باشم یک روز‌.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weird thing happened here where when I started reading this, I thought it was non-fiction and I didn’t think much of it. Then I realised it was short stories and started to really enjoy it. I’m not sure what that tells you about me.

What I liked here was that it showed children as they really are – as intelligent, autonomous beings of their own. The tales of Motherhood that Simpson shares feel more honest because of that, and also because it shows a darker side to motherhood including its impact on your friendships and your sex life. All in all, it’s an insightful read.