All the Anxious Girls on Earth

by Zsuzsi Gartner

All the Anxious Girls on Earth marks the debut of a startingly original literary voice. Zsuzsi Gartner's exuberant prose gives voice to unforgettable characters who survive by their wits as they cope with indifferent relationships, lackluster jobs, and the myriad curve-balls life throws their way.

A woman calls in fake bomb threats from the nineteenth floor of a bank tower as revenge against her ex-lover. The mother of a girl killed by a teenage urban guerilla thrives spectacularly in her industrious grief, transforming herself into a forgiveness guru and talk-show host. Lured into the wilderness by her desire for a man who rebuilds vintage airplanes, a young woman finds she lusts more for biscotti and city sidewalks. A small, heroic child makes a guileless request for pajamas and creates a psychic storm at the center of her anxious, achievement-mad parents' lives.

Rendered in a jittery, jazzed-up prose that has been compared to that of Lorrie Moore and Mary Flanagan, these stories brilliantly capture the pathos, beauty, and alienation of contemporary life and signal the arrival of a writer to watch.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Canada, Contemporary, Womens, Literary Fiction

209 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Zsuzsi Gartner is the author of the short fiction collections Better Living Through Plastic Explosives and All the Anxious Girls on Earth, the editor of Darwin’s Bastards: Astounding Tales from Tomorrow, and the creative director of Vancouver Review’s Blueprint BC Fiction Series. Her stories have been widely anthologized, and broadcast on CBC and NPR’s Selected Shorts. Better Living Through Plastic Explosives was shortlisted for the 2011 Giller Prize.

Zsuzsi is a long-time contributing reviewer for The Globe & Mail, and has appeared on CBC’s Canada Reads. A former senior editor at the now-defunct Saturday Night, she has received numerous nominations and awards for her magazine journalism, and a 2007 National Magazine Award for fiction. She has been on faculty for the Banff Centre’s Literary Arts Programs and has been an adjunct faculty member for UBC’s Optional Residency MFA in Creative Writing. Zsuzsi lives in Vancouver.

Author Representation: Westwood Creative Artists

Reviews

[Sarah]

I’m whimsical! I’m whimsical! I’m whimsical! I’m whimsical! I’m whimsical!

[Saskia]

One of my top-five all-time favorite books, hands down. Collection of positively haunting short stories, each of which packs an entirely unique and entirely epic punch.

[Matea Pozdnikoff]

What an absolutely bizarre read that was. I think, perhaps, I did not understand the purpose and point of each story. I was incredibly mislead about what this book was going to be about from the title - if the title was to warn me about the anxiety I would experience reading this story, then that would make more sense.

Also, for some reason several of the stories were familiar to me, even though I know I’ve never read this book before. I’m unsure if I somehow had to read some of the stories for a class or something, but this added to my confusion.

[Holly]

There was so much good writing. I just don't think I was able to grasp the point in most of the stories.

[Jay | جِيمْ]

I'm not sure if it's because I'm busy and can't really focus at the moment, but I could get into it at all.
And while there are some well written sentences, the stories don't make sense that much, nor are they amusing.

I was intrigued by the book because of its title, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.

DNF at 51%

[nati kaori]

I had really high expectations for this book because the title alone had potential to make it into one of those books that I base my entire personality on (so maybe it's my fault) but this just wasn't for me.

[Camille]

DNF, random string of words, interesting character, no story

[Madi]

didn't love it

[Jennifer]

Didn’t mind the style, didn’t really like more than one or two of the stories. Would give her another try though

[Susan Scruton]

I'm on a short story kick right now. Zsuzsi Gartner's writing is a kaleidoscope of trippy little details. You can't get bored reading her stuff. Each one is completely different from the one before, but her style in the unifying force that ties them all together. I especially liked the last one, about the mother of the girl who was killed in the explosion. It's outrageously believable.

[Linda Olson]

A collection of short stories from a Canadian author. Several of the stories were compelling and lyrical, the remainder suffered from bad grammar and overblown prose. One story started with a sentence a page long; not pleasurable reading.

[Amber]

Favourite Story: The Tragedy of Premature Death among Geniuses

Least Favourite Story: City of my Dreams

Pros:
Sharp prose and interesting plots.

Cons:
Some of the writing got a little too experimental for my liking. Too much squeezed into too small an area.

[Julie]

I've read this collection countless times over the past 7, 8 (?) years and only on this re-read did I fully realize the extent that 'City of my Dreams' has influenced my perceptions & feelings about Vancouver.

[Keelyn Healy]

zany, tight writing with a humorous slant. All interesting and moving stories. Fresh voice.

[Camille]

Brilliant title. Some of the stories not as successful as others.

[Robyn]

put it down halfway through and now can't remember anything so I will have to start over.
Found too many other books to read so this one likely will not get picked back up for many moons.

[Andrea]

The stories created atmospheres that I thought were interesting but I wasn't excited enough about this book to finish the entire thing.

[Jerry Levy]

Almost a '5', a solid '4' anyway. Quite dark, full of alienated characters

[Cori Madrid]

I read this book when I was just out of college. I don't remember the various plots I just remember loving it. I'm thinking it's time to re-read it.

[Lauren]

Gartner's beautiful prose is the star here, but in the end there's too much style and not enough substance. This book took me forever to read and I wound up doing a lot of skimming to get through it.

[Areader]

Awesome thank you