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Life and Other Shortcomings
Life and Other Shortcomings is a collection of linked short stories that takes the reader from New Orleans to New York City to Madrid, and from 1970 to the present day. The women in these twelve stories make a number of different choices: some work, others don’t; some stay married, some get divorced; others never marry at all. Through each character’s intimate journey, specific truths are revealed about what it means to be a woman―in relationship with another person, in a particular culture and era―and how these conditions ultimately affect her relationship with herself. The stories as a whole depict patriarchy, showing what still might be, but certainly what was, for some women in this country before the #MeToo movement. Both a cautionary tale and a captivating window into women’s lives, Life and Other Shortcomings is required reading for anyone interested in an honest, incisive, and compelling portrayal of the female experience.
170 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2020
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July 12, 2021
Update: this is a Kindle download for $.99 today!
I love these stories… So for me it’s a bargain and if you haven’t read it it’s worth your $.99.
WONDERFUL.....
contemporary-fresh-engaging interlocking stories!!! Yet each one ‘could’ stand on its own.
These are stories that make you *feel* and *think*!!!!
Sooooo enjoyable!!!!!
The first story is called;
*Dinner Conversations*
The year is 1998, in a New York City restaurant—a new popular spot for young cool types—the type of place that makes people feel sexy and dignified.
Dylan and Callie [the narrator] have been friends with Dana and Peter — and Marisa and Eric - close to fifteen years. They met at a parenting class before the birth of their first child.
“We’ve all been friends ever since. We know this is unusual. About ten years ago, five years into the friendship, five years worth of dinners and vacations and cocktail parties, we named ourselves: we are ‘The Sixers’”.
When Callie first met Dylan:
“Dylan fed me a line. You’re quite special, he said. Sexy too”.
“And from that point I focused on what I believed he’d want to hear. In doing that, I ignored or simply covered up parts of myself. And like water under oil, what was on the bottom had no chance to surface”.
FABULOUS—short story— a dinner conversation— ha— to cringe—( no spoilers)—and HAVE a CONVERSATION ABOUT IT!!!
Next was...
*Sunny Side Up*
Callie’s mother, Sharon, is the narrator.
Callie was six years old. Her parents were moving from New York to New Orleans—new job for her father, Steven.
Her mother was eight months pregnant. It was so hot—“you could fry an egg on the sidewalk”.
Her mother hated New Orleans and wanted desperately to move back to New York.
Callie may have been young and small, but she she had vivid memories of how she felt—and how her parents felt.
Callie remembers watching her father leave for work— wishing she could leave with him.
She asked her mother, “what’s wrong?”
“What could be wrong? Daddy went to work, and we get to move into our beautiful new house. Busying herself immediately, she packed away her feelings along with her belongings”.
Between her mother’s loneliness ( sometimes swept up by her husbands charms- she was seventeen when they married).... and her father’s upsets and sometimes distant sadness...
Callie - just a child took it upon herself to make her parents happy— especially by trying to please her father.
*The Joker*
Willow, was the narrator - daddy was playing a silly (?) games with the kids.
This was the shortest story of the bunch. Left me puzzled.
And...
who was Willow, I wondered.
*Blind Man’s Bluff*
Ha... Willow was Callie’s best friend. Their backyards connect.
Willow had an older sister who was a cheerleader...
who gave Callie beauty tips. “A girl should always look her best”.
Layers of black Maybelline mascara, fingernail polish touches, and lip glass was of great importance.
Two other friends of Willow and Callie came over. The four of them decide to play blind man’s Bluff.
The story didn’t move in any direction that I would’ve thought or wanted...
a reminder of how impressionable children are.
A very sad -no good -very bad -very sad day/story!
“All You Touch”
Willow and Callie were fifteen years old. Willow was taking Callie to meet some boys she met at a bar. Callie drove them—-( at fifteen?/!)....
Lip gloss applied.
Pink Floyd music was playing in the background of dilapidated structure behind a gas station.
They meet Wayne & John.
The four of them hop into Callie’s car and headed for the lake.
I’ll say no more.
“Happily Ever After”
“Once upon a time, there was a girl who was in chanted by a boy who drove a Porsche”.
It was an eerie dark ‘once-upon-a-time’ story...
Moral of the story? Perhaps it’s best to use one’s voice to express one’s feelings, rather than a hedge hammer.
“Shadows and Partially Lit Faces”
Dylan Douglas believed in living amongst the pretty people, and so he did.
He and Callie had been married for twelve years.
He worked in a jewelry store and knew how important it was to charm his customers— by telling some of the men:
“Bringing home something special for his wife is the right thing to do, and that he was sure she deserved the best.
It would be inappropriate to go home with something small, or even, god for bed nothing at all”.
Of course, Dylan would sell the customer a necklace for a good price.
In the meantime, Dylan knew he was supposed to call home— but he and Callie had a fight that morning and he didn’t want to.
Dylan thought about the conversation he just had when he phoned Callie—wasn’t coming right home after work.
We thought about it too.
The other stories in the collection are:
“Lucky”
“The Devil Makes Three”
“That’s How It Was with Howie”
“Tick Tock”
and....
“Drowning Girl”
They are all sooooo GOOD!!
compelling tales about women - all ages, stages, and circumstances—some are ‘cautionary tales’—a few explore Jewish traditions —
Some are both. (Jewish and cautionary).
From New York, to New Orleans, to Madrid.
It takes place from 1970 to our current days.
Readers just CANNOT go wrong in choosing this book —( yeah- even those of you who think you just don’t ‘do’ short stories)...
These stories are terrific!!!
Even the acknowledgments warmed my heart.
NO QUESTION....
*Corie Adjmi*
is my FAVORITE new discovery/author in 2020
I usually have at least one new ‘exciting’ author discovery a year ... and boy oh boy— Corie Adjmi is ‘it’ for me!
Highly recommend
5 stars*****!!!!!
I love these stories… So for me it’s a bargain and if you haven’t read it it’s worth your $.99.
WONDERFUL.....
contemporary-fresh-engaging interlocking stories!!! Yet each one ‘could’ stand on its own.
These are stories that make you *feel* and *think*!!!!
Sooooo enjoyable!!!!!
The first story is called;
*Dinner Conversations*
The year is 1998, in a New York City restaurant—a new popular spot for young cool types—the type of place that makes people feel sexy and dignified.
Dylan and Callie [the narrator] have been friends with Dana and Peter — and Marisa and Eric - close to fifteen years. They met at a parenting class before the birth of their first child.
“We’ve all been friends ever since. We know this is unusual. About ten years ago, five years into the friendship, five years worth of dinners and vacations and cocktail parties, we named ourselves: we are ‘The Sixers’”.
When Callie first met Dylan:
“Dylan fed me a line. You’re quite special, he said. Sexy too”.
“And from that point I focused on what I believed he’d want to hear. In doing that, I ignored or simply covered up parts of myself. And like water under oil, what was on the bottom had no chance to surface”.
FABULOUS—short story— a dinner conversation— ha— to cringe—( no spoilers)—and HAVE a CONVERSATION ABOUT IT!!!
Next was...
*Sunny Side Up*
Callie’s mother, Sharon, is the narrator.
Callie was six years old. Her parents were moving from New York to New Orleans—new job for her father, Steven.
Her mother was eight months pregnant. It was so hot—“you could fry an egg on the sidewalk”.
Her mother hated New Orleans and wanted desperately to move back to New York.
Callie may have been young and small, but she she had vivid memories of how she felt—and how her parents felt.
Callie remembers watching her father leave for work— wishing she could leave with him.
She asked her mother, “what’s wrong?”
“What could be wrong? Daddy went to work, and we get to move into our beautiful new house. Busying herself immediately, she packed away her feelings along with her belongings”.
Between her mother’s loneliness ( sometimes swept up by her husbands charms- she was seventeen when they married).... and her father’s upsets and sometimes distant sadness...
Callie - just a child took it upon herself to make her parents happy— especially by trying to please her father.
*The Joker*
Willow, was the narrator - daddy was playing a silly (?) games with the kids.
This was the shortest story of the bunch. Left me puzzled.
And...
who was Willow, I wondered.
*Blind Man’s Bluff*
Ha... Willow was Callie’s best friend. Their backyards connect.
Willow had an older sister who was a cheerleader...
who gave Callie beauty tips. “A girl should always look her best”.
Layers of black Maybelline mascara, fingernail polish touches, and lip glass was of great importance.
Two other friends of Willow and Callie came over. The four of them decide to play blind man’s Bluff.
The story didn’t move in any direction that I would’ve thought or wanted...
a reminder of how impressionable children are.
A very sad -no good -very bad -very sad day/story!
“All You Touch”
Willow and Callie were fifteen years old. Willow was taking Callie to meet some boys she met at a bar. Callie drove them—-( at fifteen?/!)....
Lip gloss applied.
Pink Floyd music was playing in the background of dilapidated structure behind a gas station.
They meet Wayne & John.
The four of them hop into Callie’s car and headed for the lake.
I’ll say no more.
“Happily Ever After”
“Once upon a time, there was a girl who was in chanted by a boy who drove a Porsche”.
It was an eerie dark ‘once-upon-a-time’ story...
Moral of the story? Perhaps it’s best to use one’s voice to express one’s feelings, rather than a hedge hammer.
“Shadows and Partially Lit Faces”
Dylan Douglas believed in living amongst the pretty people, and so he did.
He and Callie had been married for twelve years.
He worked in a jewelry store and knew how important it was to charm his customers— by telling some of the men:
“Bringing home something special for his wife is the right thing to do, and that he was sure she deserved the best.
It would be inappropriate to go home with something small, or even, god for bed nothing at all”.
Of course, Dylan would sell the customer a necklace for a good price.
In the meantime, Dylan knew he was supposed to call home— but he and Callie had a fight that morning and he didn’t want to.
Dylan thought about the conversation he just had when he phoned Callie—wasn’t coming right home after work.
We thought about it too.
The other stories in the collection are:
“Lucky”
“The Devil Makes Three”
“That’s How It Was with Howie”
“Tick Tock”
and....
“Drowning Girl”
They are all sooooo GOOD!!
compelling tales about women - all ages, stages, and circumstances—some are ‘cautionary tales’—a few explore Jewish traditions —
Some are both. (Jewish and cautionary).
From New York, to New Orleans, to Madrid.
It takes place from 1970 to our current days.
Readers just CANNOT go wrong in choosing this book —( yeah- even those of you who think you just don’t ‘do’ short stories)...
These stories are terrific!!!
Even the acknowledgments warmed my heart.
NO QUESTION....
*Corie Adjmi*
is my FAVORITE new discovery/author in 2020
I usually have at least one new ‘exciting’ author discovery a year ... and boy oh boy— Corie Adjmi is ‘it’ for me!
Highly recommend
5 stars*****!!!!!
November 10, 2024
My girls claim that I can’t relate to women. I can see where they are coming from, but it is a product of my upbringing versus theirs. I went to a traditional public school, and, even though I am not athletic to say the least, I am sports crazed. In elementary school other than my foray into brownies, most of my school friends were boys because I wanted to talk to them about sports. Clothes, shoes, makeup, and traditional toys geared toward girls did not appeal to me. An ideal day is watching sports on the couch. My daughters have each other and have attended all girls schools since preschool. Girls don’t compete but encourage each other, and clothes, makeup, etc is a normal point of conversation. My girls tease me for enjoying men’s sports while they gravitate to the WNBA and gymnastics, but we are wired differently. It would come as a surprise to them that I selected a book that is dubbed as stories that explore what it is exactly to be a woman. Corie Adjmi is a Sephardic Jew who has lived in New Orleans and New York. One of my Goodreads friends recommended her second book to the Jewish Book Club as an example of people overcoming odds, and the premise of that novel appealed to me. I decided to read Adjmi’s debut story collection first to see if her writing style meshed with my tastes or if this is yet another time when I can’t relate to women.
Life and Other Shortcomings contains twelve stories of varied length. The narrator is a woman named Callie Douglas, who has been married to her husband Dylan for twelve years. Dylan runs a successful jewelry business, so the Douglas’ live in a Brooklyn brownstone with their three children. Dylan is a go getter, and from other stories it appears that Callie has been manipulated by both men and alpha females for her entire life- her father’s treatment of her mother, her friend Willow always being the one to plan their escapades, a fling with a guy named John, and later allowing her husband to choose everything they did throughout their marriage. Callie’s story arc occurs during the first six stories, so readers see her during all stages of her life. At present, her friends group is known as the Sixers, and they do everything together, not giving Callie space for personal freedom and exploration. One can’t help but feel sorry for her, as though she goes through life as a victim. Even her so called friends have more in common with Dylan than herself, and I would hope that she could learn to assert herself and explore her own interests. I know it is hard as a housewife and mother to have time for oneself, especially when her husband goes to work everyday. One day, the kids grow up. I have faith that one day Callie will do for herself, but, by being married to Dylan, she has relinquished that control, and aperhaps she will continue to submit to his needs for her entire life. One can only speculate what path her life takes.
The other stories involve people that Callie knew in New Orleans who are now living their adult lives in New York, connected by a web of who knows who. The story that I related to the most is that of Iris and Morris, living a Torah observant lifestyle in Brooklyn with their six children. Most mainstream literature portrays orthodoxy in a negative light so people don’t see the beauty of it and view it as restrictive. As a woman turning forty, Iris questions some of the rules; this is natural because life ebbs and flows over time. She wants to know about the world beyond her community but in a kosher way because she knows that her lifestyle is beautiful even if at times it can appear hard to maintain. This is called a chok- a law we do unconditionally. Going into the sabbath, Iris’ story was refreshing to read and taught me about balance, something I struggle with at times too. Perhaps, reading about the human nature of women from time to time can be a good thing for me. The other story that described life around the Jewish calendar was tale of June and Hal. After a miscarriage, which happens to too many people, June spiraled into post partum depression and became a hypochondriac. I laugh at this because my grandmother was June but the character here is more like my other grandmother who enjoyed being a patient. Having a familiar name allowed me to relate to June’s character, and I rooted for her to resolve her health problems and be there for her two daughters Ivy and Bea. I give Adjmi credit for writing about topics like the rules of Judaism from a positive perspective and about miscarriage. These are topics that are not discussed enough and I laud her for doing it.
In another story Sally and Keith travel to Madrid as a means of coping with a genetic diagnosis of their son. With these stories being character driven, I felt that Adjmi did not give readers enough of a sense of place in Madrid, and this had been a setting listing on the blurb. Looking forward to the city of Madrid as a character and a contrast to New York, I felt letdown when Adjmi did not explore the city enough aside from a foray to a Flamenco dance. Sally and Keith needed to get away to breathe and they could have gone anywhere so why Madrid. They don’t speak Spanish and Keith acted like a complacent American. He had a lot on his plate with his son’s diagnosis, and he buried his coping mechanisms deep inside; this vacation was his means of grieving. Finally, we meet Howie and Lori, who is June’s sister, who recently divorced. The split has been tough on their daughter Olivia, who appears to be a daddy’s girl but lives with her mom. Lori has moved on with her life and Howie has slumped into a depression, as apparent by the stacks of dirty dishes in his sink and his inability to quit smoking. Olivia at ten has more introspection than most adults and tells her dad that he promised to quit and is upset that he can’t or won’t. I don’t want Olivia to become another broken woman who becomes a people pleaser the way Callie has turned out. That is a full length story for another place and time, and I think Adjmi has those stories in her.
My sports crazed self in the end could not relate to the escapades of the women in these books except maybe Iris, and that is only because we live a similar lifestyle. People like Callie, Kelly, and Lorie who have been in poor marriages is something I thankfully have not had to deal with in my life. Corie Adjmi came from New Orleans to New York and developed stories about what she knew in her life. She crafted these short stories in a short span of space and the reader got to know about the characters, something that is admittedly tricky to do for any writer. Adjmi’s second book is a full length novel about an orthodox woman who may or may not be Iris, and I will be intrigued to read it. I would still rather watch men’s sports on the couch than get a manicure, and I have few friends to gab with, but I will read books by authors who craft multilayered characters, allowing readers to learn the many facets of their personalities in the span of a story or book. I might not be the best reader for this book but I did appreciate the attention to detail, and I can tell my daughters that I read a book marketed toward women. I have a feeling that these girls who would rather talk hair and makeup and watch football for celebrity sightings will be impressed at my stepping out of my comfort zone and reading about the inner workings of female emotions.
3.5 stars
Life and Other Shortcomings contains twelve stories of varied length. The narrator is a woman named Callie Douglas, who has been married to her husband Dylan for twelve years. Dylan runs a successful jewelry business, so the Douglas’ live in a Brooklyn brownstone with their three children. Dylan is a go getter, and from other stories it appears that Callie has been manipulated by both men and alpha females for her entire life- her father’s treatment of her mother, her friend Willow always being the one to plan their escapades, a fling with a guy named John, and later allowing her husband to choose everything they did throughout their marriage. Callie’s story arc occurs during the first six stories, so readers see her during all stages of her life. At present, her friends group is known as the Sixers, and they do everything together, not giving Callie space for personal freedom and exploration. One can’t help but feel sorry for her, as though she goes through life as a victim. Even her so called friends have more in common with Dylan than herself, and I would hope that she could learn to assert herself and explore her own interests. I know it is hard as a housewife and mother to have time for oneself, especially when her husband goes to work everyday. One day, the kids grow up. I have faith that one day Callie will do for herself, but, by being married to Dylan, she has relinquished that control, and aperhaps she will continue to submit to his needs for her entire life. One can only speculate what path her life takes.
The other stories involve people that Callie knew in New Orleans who are now living their adult lives in New York, connected by a web of who knows who. The story that I related to the most is that of Iris and Morris, living a Torah observant lifestyle in Brooklyn with their six children. Most mainstream literature portrays orthodoxy in a negative light so people don’t see the beauty of it and view it as restrictive. As a woman turning forty, Iris questions some of the rules; this is natural because life ebbs and flows over time. She wants to know about the world beyond her community but in a kosher way because she knows that her lifestyle is beautiful even if at times it can appear hard to maintain. This is called a chok- a law we do unconditionally. Going into the sabbath, Iris’ story was refreshing to read and taught me about balance, something I struggle with at times too. Perhaps, reading about the human nature of women from time to time can be a good thing for me. The other story that described life around the Jewish calendar was tale of June and Hal. After a miscarriage, which happens to too many people, June spiraled into post partum depression and became a hypochondriac. I laugh at this because my grandmother was June but the character here is more like my other grandmother who enjoyed being a patient. Having a familiar name allowed me to relate to June’s character, and I rooted for her to resolve her health problems and be there for her two daughters Ivy and Bea. I give Adjmi credit for writing about topics like the rules of Judaism from a positive perspective and about miscarriage. These are topics that are not discussed enough and I laud her for doing it.
In another story Sally and Keith travel to Madrid as a means of coping with a genetic diagnosis of their son. With these stories being character driven, I felt that Adjmi did not give readers enough of a sense of place in Madrid, and this had been a setting listing on the blurb. Looking forward to the city of Madrid as a character and a contrast to New York, I felt letdown when Adjmi did not explore the city enough aside from a foray to a Flamenco dance. Sally and Keith needed to get away to breathe and they could have gone anywhere so why Madrid. They don’t speak Spanish and Keith acted like a complacent American. He had a lot on his plate with his son’s diagnosis, and he buried his coping mechanisms deep inside; this vacation was his means of grieving. Finally, we meet Howie and Lori, who is June’s sister, who recently divorced. The split has been tough on their daughter Olivia, who appears to be a daddy’s girl but lives with her mom. Lori has moved on with her life and Howie has slumped into a depression, as apparent by the stacks of dirty dishes in his sink and his inability to quit smoking. Olivia at ten has more introspection than most adults and tells her dad that he promised to quit and is upset that he can’t or won’t. I don’t want Olivia to become another broken woman who becomes a people pleaser the way Callie has turned out. That is a full length story for another place and time, and I think Adjmi has those stories in her.
My sports crazed self in the end could not relate to the escapades of the women in these books except maybe Iris, and that is only because we live a similar lifestyle. People like Callie, Kelly, and Lorie who have been in poor marriages is something I thankfully have not had to deal with in my life. Corie Adjmi came from New Orleans to New York and developed stories about what she knew in her life. She crafted these short stories in a short span of space and the reader got to know about the characters, something that is admittedly tricky to do for any writer. Adjmi’s second book is a full length novel about an orthodox woman who may or may not be Iris, and I will be intrigued to read it. I would still rather watch men’s sports on the couch than get a manicure, and I have few friends to gab with, but I will read books by authors who craft multilayered characters, allowing readers to learn the many facets of their personalities in the span of a story or book. I might not be the best reader for this book but I did appreciate the attention to detail, and I can tell my daughters that I read a book marketed toward women. I have a feeling that these girls who would rather talk hair and makeup and watch football for celebrity sightings will be impressed at my stepping out of my comfort zone and reading about the inner workings of female emotions.
3.5 stars
January 28, 2021
It’s been a while since I did a DNF. I do not like doing it. I even gave this another chance after making my initial decision and I had to put the book down again. I couldn’t. People don’t act like this. I know that in any given novel, one could always level that criticism. It’s all subjective.
In this case what finally did me in was this verbiage from the book in which a woman is making a phone call from a telephone booth (time period is in the 1970s I guess) and a man is waiting to use the phone, and he is getting impatient and makes this snap judgment about her:
• He wondered how the woman could walk around this way—messy hair, no makeup, overweight. He brown leather sandals were stretched and worn, and he concluded that she was the kind of woman who ate canned soups so thick you could eat them with a fork.
Ugh.
I read 7 of the 12 short stories. I couldn’t finish/didn’t want to finish the 8th. Stories are hooked together. Initially there are 3 married couples at a restaurant in 1998 and the stories bounce around I think with each one of those characters in different times of their lives. Although I can’t swear to it since I did not finish the collection.
In this case what finally did me in was this verbiage from the book in which a woman is making a phone call from a telephone booth (time period is in the 1970s I guess) and a man is waiting to use the phone, and he is getting impatient and makes this snap judgment about her:
• He wondered how the woman could walk around this way—messy hair, no makeup, overweight. He brown leather sandals were stretched and worn, and he concluded that she was the kind of woman who ate canned soups so thick you could eat them with a fork.
Ugh.
I read 7 of the 12 short stories. I couldn’t finish/didn’t want to finish the 8th. Stories are hooked together. Initially there are 3 married couples at a restaurant in 1998 and the stories bounce around I think with each one of those characters in different times of their lives. Although I can’t swear to it since I did not finish the collection.
May 20, 2020
Poignant , laugh-out-loud funny, and unnerving all at once, Life and Other Shortcomings is the one you’ve been waiting for. This collection is replete with emotionally charged , compassionate, true to life characters that you’ll already be missing as soon as you turn the last page. Stories come together, but also stand alone, to create layer over layer of veiled emotional and psychological complexity.
Thrilled to have received an Advanced Reader Copy of this collection. Five stars.
Thrilled to have received an Advanced Reader Copy of this collection. Five stars.
June 8, 2020
I loved this collection of short stories. Each character felt so familiar to me, and then I realized why - pieces of these characters are in every woman I know. Adjmi does a fantastic job creating scenes and circumstances that all women have experienced, or someone close to them has experienced, with an openness and frankness that has you questioning even the most mundane aspects of womanhood. Why do we make the choices we make? Who are we, really, if we strip away society and the communities that have us behaving the way we do?
I usually ride straight through books like a steam train, but this one was different. I enjoyed stopping between each story and reflecting on it, often calling a close friend or family member who I knew could relate. By the time I got to the last story, I was reluctant to read it because I didn't want the journey to end. But alas, I couldn't hold out too long.
I usually ride straight through books like a steam train, but this one was different. I enjoyed stopping between each story and reflecting on it, often calling a close friend or family member who I knew could relate. By the time I got to the last story, I was reluctant to read it because I didn't want the journey to end. But alas, I couldn't hold out too long.
June 27, 2020
I always find it hard to review short stories. I liked this one because the stories are all very closely linked to each other. The girl, Callie, and her friends are prominent in the stories and we see them grow from kids to adults in very different lives.
May 27, 2020
Corie Adjmi's impeccable writing style brings readers on a journey through family, friendship, and marriage. Her short stories are filled with characters full of life that you can't help but see yourself or someone you know in one of them. This is a must-read!
June 23, 2020
Corie Adjmi’s writing is simply beautiful. Her stories paint a picture so vibrant I can’t get it out of my head. With honesty and artistry, Adjmi addresses important issues and delivers a compelling message. Life and Other Shortcomings is the perfect addition to book club! Highly recommend.
June 5, 2020
Much as one would expect from a book published by She Writes press this short story collection is about the female experience. Though it is by all accounts good enough to elevate itself above the dreaded women literature genre trappings. It starts like this…in 1998 a well to do married woman named Callie sits in a restaurant with her spouse and two other couples, they are all close friends, so much so they’ve got a name for themselves, The Sixers. And yet the general conversation is fairly insipid and Callie’s interaction with her dearly beloved is based almost strictly on slight slights he lobbies at her throughout, from the ever so subtle Are you going to eat that? meaning breadstick to other comments. And Callie takes it like a trooper. Because she justifies it to herself, because David is a great looking man and a good breadwinner and a father of their three kids. And then we travel back in time to find out how Callie got to have that sort of mentality and check out her life as a kid, her family, her friends, etc. And then the stories start branching out more, so much so that the connection to Callie remains barely tangential at times. But all of them concentrate on female experience and almost always Jewish experience too. Frankly, I’m not sure what to make of the structure of this collection. It seems that the author might have had a Callie themed novel in her (and maybe additionally a bunch of random short stories too), but it got weirdly dispersed into this form. Possibly because novel needs more of a set three arc structure, more plot drivers and so on and these stories are almost consistently more along the lines of slices of life. Scenes from a movie that don’t add up to a movie. More like Polaroids from different eras. I mean, it works as is, but none of this is very plot driven, it’s mostly episodic. The main attraction here is the plain sturdy realistic sort of narrative that presents many aspects of womanhood in a very honest and thus, of course, not very appealing way. I mean, if an alien spy was choosing a gender for the form he was to take to live among the earthlings and he read this book, he would certainly go with testicles all the way. So yeah, this is a book certain to find an audience among people who like women fiction that isn’t so tediously Lifetimeish. The overall tone is quite bleak as the title would suggest, though not hopeless somehow. For me, it was just ok or slightly above that. Watching a recent Neftlix feature on feminism was way more poignant, but whatever form the message takes, it’s good, because it’s so very overdue. Thanks Netgalley.
June 30, 2020
Thanks to Corie Adjmi for the ARC of Life and Other Shortcomings in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on Tuesday, August 4.
Corie Adjmi’s short story collection Life and Other Shortcomings circles around a central group of friends who we meet in the first story. “Dinner Conversation” introduces three couples whose ties originated in different ways: childhood friendships, new meetings, parenthood. The connections seem tenuous at times, but as Adjmi builds her collection, she reveals the subtle whims of all relationships, the way that friendships can be cemented or shattered in a moment.
Adjmi’s writing is spare and beautiful. There’s a subtlety that means the power of each story sneaks up on the reader, building to climaxes whose impact can take time and thought to process. These epiphanies hit harder because of their gentleness: they aren’t huge, obvious moments but instead minute shifts of perception.
Even without the power of the stories, I would have loved this book because of the writing. I found myself digging into my tin of book darts on nearly every page, eager to mark each perfect turn of phrase. I was enchanted by Adjmi’s exploration of the transforming definitions of parenthood; of the truth of what holds couples together; of the rules that we’re willing to accept and those we feel compelled to challenge. The idea that we cherish most those things that are denied to us permeates the collection.
There’s joy in finding the connections between the stories, in completing the puzzle of each character, that stayed with me through the book. I found Life and Other Shortcomings to be a beautiful, satisfying reading experience, and I absolutely look forward to devouring Adjmi’s next book.
Corie Adjmi’s short story collection Life and Other Shortcomings circles around a central group of friends who we meet in the first story. “Dinner Conversation” introduces three couples whose ties originated in different ways: childhood friendships, new meetings, parenthood. The connections seem tenuous at times, but as Adjmi builds her collection, she reveals the subtle whims of all relationships, the way that friendships can be cemented or shattered in a moment.
Adjmi’s writing is spare and beautiful. There’s a subtlety that means the power of each story sneaks up on the reader, building to climaxes whose impact can take time and thought to process. These epiphanies hit harder because of their gentleness: they aren’t huge, obvious moments but instead minute shifts of perception.
Even without the power of the stories, I would have loved this book because of the writing. I found myself digging into my tin of book darts on nearly every page, eager to mark each perfect turn of phrase. I was enchanted by Adjmi’s exploration of the transforming definitions of parenthood; of the truth of what holds couples together; of the rules that we’re willing to accept and those we feel compelled to challenge. The idea that we cherish most those things that are denied to us permeates the collection.
There’s joy in finding the connections between the stories, in completing the puzzle of each character, that stayed with me through the book. I found Life and Other Shortcomings to be a beautiful, satisfying reading experience, and I absolutely look forward to devouring Adjmi’s next book.
August 4, 2020
I received a free electronic copy of this ARC collection of short stories from Netgalley, Corie Adjmi, and She Writes Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. This review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Corie Adjmi writes tales that reflect modern lives and many of its pros and cons. Several of these stories I considered a five star. Some were too close to the truth of being OLD in America today and thus broke my heart. A much younger soul might have seen them as humorous or a mini-lesson on aging gracefully...
pub date August 4, 2020
She Writes Press/reviewed on August 4, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
pub date August 4, 2020
She Writes Press/reviewed on August 4, 2020, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay.
May 22, 2020
Life and Other Shortcomings, taken at first by the great title then page after page until the end did not disappoint. Fun, light, entertaining and very well written. At times it took me down memory lane, at times I laughed out loud, at times it made me think, and at times I couldn’t wait to meet the characters in the next chapter. Corie is a great writer, with exceptional wit. I can’t wait to read more titles from this author as I did not want this book to end. The perfect summer read.
July 18, 2020
Corie is a fantastic storyteller. I devoured this collection of short stories and am longing for more. I need to know more about some of these characters. (I also am fascinated with the details given about Jewish life. I think I need to learn more.)
The women in each story really showcase different facets to womanhood. I responded and connected with many. I appreciate the efforts and time Corie took to intertwine these stories. This allows the reader to connected a bit more personally, but also try to figure out where each character fits in the puzzle.
This collection left me wanting more, and that is always a good sign.
If you are looking for a good feminist story(ies) then look no further. You will breeze through this and feel refreshed after.
I was gifted a copy of the collection from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts represented are my own.
The women in each story really showcase different facets to womanhood. I responded and connected with many. I appreciate the efforts and time Corie took to intertwine these stories. This allows the reader to connected a bit more personally, but also try to figure out where each character fits in the puzzle.
This collection left me wanting more, and that is always a good sign.
If you are looking for a good feminist story(ies) then look no further. You will breeze through this and feel refreshed after.
I was gifted a copy of the collection from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts represented are my own.
June 3, 2020
A refreshingly honest and entertaining collection of tableaus set in various day to day lives giving us a wide range of unique but relatable characters.
Life and Other Shortcomings was a collection of stories that packed its short pages to showcase a few scenes that left me thoughtful of the underlying tones and concepts. It whet and piqued my interest in every short story, wanting to know more about how their story unfolded but also knowing life doesn't change or come together that quickly. I love the range of timelines, scenarios, age gaps and cultures.
It empowered, saddened and inspired me to reflect on life choices - this is a thoughtful but fun read, one that is a conversation starter, I definitely recommend!
Thankful to have received gifted copy!
Life and Other Shortcomings was a collection of stories that packed its short pages to showcase a few scenes that left me thoughtful of the underlying tones and concepts. It whet and piqued my interest in every short story, wanting to know more about how their story unfolded but also knowing life doesn't change or come together that quickly. I love the range of timelines, scenarios, age gaps and cultures.
It empowered, saddened and inspired me to reflect on life choices - this is a thoughtful but fun read, one that is a conversation starter, I definitely recommend!
Thankful to have received gifted copy!
August 1, 2020
Short stories are something I generally don’t read but this book intrigued me. The author weaves together interlocking stories that definitely were compelling. I particularly liked that she wrote about characters from another culture with different traditions. The book highlighted the struggles women have in society and with themselves to be seen and heard. There were also a couple of stories from the male perspective that helped round out the book. The writing was lovely and really captured what the characters felt. I would love to read more about some of the characters and how their lives are going forward.
August 3, 2020
This book wasn’t exactly what I was hoping it would be. The stories are convoluted and I often found myself asking “what was the point of this chapter?” To me, none of the characters where enjoyable. Each chapter left a bit of a ‘woe is me but I’m still happy teehee’ vibe to it. It felt like what I do when I write in a journal. People only like to write about when they feel the worst.
If you’re into these sort of books then it’s solid. The writing was fast paced. The book is relatively short. Doesn’t take much brain power since the writer basically pushes you to think a certain way about other characters anyways.
If you’re into these sort of books then it’s solid. The writing was fast paced. The book is relatively short. Doesn’t take much brain power since the writer basically pushes you to think a certain way about other characters anyways.
June 23, 2020
Corie Adjmi is an intuitive author who clearly represents the lives of women in a subtle yet powerful manner. The book connects you to characters, who like all people are affected and influenced by their backgrounds, parents, friends, and socio-economic status. I loved the character development and followed the emotions and thought processes of the characters through out the chapters. Corie brilliantly depicted the inner most thoughts of people and how human interaction tends to define us all.
August 4, 2020
What a wonderful read! Something for everyone. Takes you through a woman’s experiences and touches on parts of our lives we can all relate to.
Laugh out loud funny to thought provoking and genuine! A must read!
Laugh out loud funny to thought provoking and genuine! A must read!
June 10, 2020
Loved every word of every page of this book! Inspiring, thoughtful, and beautifully written. A must read!
June 19, 2020
Gut wrenchingly familiar, the characters in Adjmi’s collection of short stories were all so real, so alive, and so relatable. Every few pages I unknowingly stopped and found myself thinking, as chills crept up my arms and spine. Each story tapped into a part of me I never knew existed, or at least never wanted to think about for too long. While hiding behind facades of who we are expected to be or wish to portray, Adjmi’s characters illustrate the difficulty in being true to one’s self and the pain or sacrifice that comes with it. Beautifully written, with juxtapositions of sadness and delight, this heartbreakingly real and vivacious collection demonstrates the true rollercoaster of daily life.
July 4, 2020
ARC from Netgalley~ I really enjoyed Life and Other Shortcomings. It really shows the types of expectations women are faced with throughout life. Each chapter brought new insight on how women are critiqued unfairly on how their bodies change from pregnancy, how they are as wives/ mothers and how they age. It also touched on how women are often ignored or brushed off in the medical field and even by family/ friends when experiencing chronic pain and disease. Every chapter was well done. It was a solid read and I loved the writing.
November 18, 2020
Personal and deeply touching, this collection of stories cover the full range of the human experience. Her portraits of individuals, couples and families capture intimate details with maturity and sensitivity. Ms Adjmi’s style pairs detail and subtlety and lays bare the realities of love, marriage and friendship. It becomes easy to see yourself or someone you know in her intensely realistic vignettes. Bravo on a most successful debut.
August 11, 2020
Life and Other Shortcomings is a captivating and compelling collection of loosely linked short stories. This beautifully written volume reflects women’s voices at different stages, times, and places -- from 1970 to the present. The author, Corie Adjmi, takes us deep into their thought processes and makes us think about what it means to be a female in America then and now.
July 16, 2020
Life and Other Shortcomings is such a captivating read. Adjmi’s writing style is engaging, and brings readers on a joyride through a woman’s experience of family, friends, and well, life. Thought provoking, light and funny, Adjmi’s book is a must-read!
June 29, 2020
This felt lyrical and I loved it. I wanted a little bit more of each story!
July 16, 2020
Wonderful read! Bright and funny! As I came to the last story, I was sorry there weren't any more stories to read. Looking forward to the next book!
July 16, 2020
Fabulous storytelling. Great beach read! Can’t wait to read more from this very promising author.
September 7, 2020
[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself] -REVIEW IN ENGLISH SHORTLY-
No he entendido para nada este libro. Le doy más puntuación porque es original pero de verdad que nole he visto la gracia, no sé qué nos quiere contar. Son unos relatos breves que se relacionan unos con otros a través de algún personaje conocido en otro relato previo. Esos relatos nos abren una pequeña ventana a la realidad de dichos personajes, incluso al pasado de algunos de ellos, y nos dejan espiar vidas normales, poco idílicas. Ya os digo que eso me ha parecido muy original. El problema (para mí, claro) es que no entiendo qué nos quiere decir la autora con todo eso. Que la vida es una mierda? Que tus sueños eran fantásticos pero la realidad es lo peor y con eso te vas a tener que conformar? No es que esperara mucho pero lo que sí que no esperaba era acabar triste porque ningún personaje me parece feliz con la vida que tiene.
Me alegro mucho por los que han disfrutado de este libro pero desde luego no ha sido para mí.
(Y, por favor, unos turistas que llegan a Madrid y lo primero que les ofrecen en el hotel son entradas para una corrida de toros porque es la tradición, mátame ya con una motosierra!)
No he entendido para nada este libro. Le doy más puntuación porque es original pero de verdad que nole he visto la gracia, no sé qué nos quiere contar. Son unos relatos breves que se relacionan unos con otros a través de algún personaje conocido en otro relato previo. Esos relatos nos abren una pequeña ventana a la realidad de dichos personajes, incluso al pasado de algunos de ellos, y nos dejan espiar vidas normales, poco idílicas. Ya os digo que eso me ha parecido muy original. El problema (para mí, claro) es que no entiendo qué nos quiere decir la autora con todo eso. Que la vida es una mierda? Que tus sueños eran fantásticos pero la realidad es lo peor y con eso te vas a tener que conformar? No es que esperara mucho pero lo que sí que no esperaba era acabar triste porque ningún personaje me parece feliz con la vida que tiene.
Me alegro mucho por los que han disfrutado de este libro pero desde luego no ha sido para mí.
(Y, por favor, unos turistas que llegan a Madrid y lo primero que les ofrecen en el hotel son entradas para una corrida de toros porque es la tradición, mátame ya con una motosierra!)
January 2, 2022
This book is a collection of linked short stories set in many different places, from New Orleans to New York City to Madrid. The stories start in 1970 and lead to the present day. The women in these 12 stories make several different choices about their relationships. Along the way, they find out what it means to be a woman in a relationship with another person and a relationship with themselves.
I loved the first story, which was all about long-term marriages. It looked at the questions: What do you sacrifice of yourself? What do you hide? And, what do you share? I loved when the author talked about all the little jabs that couples throw out in relationships, those tiny, little things that make us bristle. Over time, those jabs can accumulate and how those little things can wear a relationship down. This reminded me that we shouldn't take our relationships for granted; we need to work on them to keep them solid. Each story was originally a stand-alone piece that was written on its own. Even though it's a collection, we get to see a longer arc, so it almost feels novel-like.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/cor...
I loved the first story, which was all about long-term marriages. It looked at the questions: What do you sacrifice of yourself? What do you hide? And, what do you share? I loved when the author talked about all the little jabs that couples throw out in relationships, those tiny, little things that make us bristle. Over time, those jabs can accumulate and how those little things can wear a relationship down. This reminded me that we shouldn't take our relationships for granted; we need to work on them to keep them solid. Each story was originally a stand-alone piece that was written on its own. Even though it's a collection, we get to see a longer arc, so it almost feels novel-like.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/cor...
July 17, 2020
Life can be pretty messy #amiright? There's something about those messy moments, this allure to being a fly on the wall of someone else's messy life, that is just so appealing to examine. I think that's what drew me in so quickly to this wonderful short story collection.
It's hard to explain the magic of @corieadjmi's use of language. The way she pronounces those slices of life, gives physicality to thoughts and ideas. Detailed yet succinct, she adeptly hones it to seemingly inconsequential events and reminds us that it's those exact moments in life, the small ones that sneak up on u, that end up affecting u in ways u may never connect back to, because they're so forgettable and yet somehow so impactful.
I loved each character’s observations. Loved how the observations filled up the page and occupied the negative spaces in the characters' lives. I loved being privy to the characters' interactions with each other, to see the different ways they chose to communicate or not communicate. I took note of so many phrases that were strung together in a way that was just so simply powerful. I think I'll leave u with a few of those...maybe they'll inspire u to pick up this book yourself and find the ones that resonate particularly with you.
• "...soiling the white wall-to-wall carpet with her misery"
• "His white Porsche was fast- faster than tradition or feeling, faster than sorrow or pain."
• "She crossed her arms in front of her chest, as if to protect herself from the fiery air between them. "
• "For the first time, Sally saw tears collect in Keith's eyes. They dropped from his face, hit the street, and disappeared, like expectations."
• "Self-importance has some kind of magical appeal, and people step up, as if dared, to get a non-smiler to part their cynical lips. It's like the world isn't right until they do."
• "As if I can turn away from the truth, I turn my head toward the painting on his bedroom wall"
Thank you @corieadjmi for sharing your stories with me, I can't wait to read what u have in store for us next❤
It's hard to explain the magic of @corieadjmi's use of language. The way she pronounces those slices of life, gives physicality to thoughts and ideas. Detailed yet succinct, she adeptly hones it to seemingly inconsequential events and reminds us that it's those exact moments in life, the small ones that sneak up on u, that end up affecting u in ways u may never connect back to, because they're so forgettable and yet somehow so impactful.
I loved each character’s observations. Loved how the observations filled up the page and occupied the negative spaces in the characters' lives. I loved being privy to the characters' interactions with each other, to see the different ways they chose to communicate or not communicate. I took note of so many phrases that were strung together in a way that was just so simply powerful. I think I'll leave u with a few of those...maybe they'll inspire u to pick up this book yourself and find the ones that resonate particularly with you.
• "...soiling the white wall-to-wall carpet with her misery"
• "His white Porsche was fast- faster than tradition or feeling, faster than sorrow or pain."
• "She crossed her arms in front of her chest, as if to protect herself from the fiery air between them. "
• "For the first time, Sally saw tears collect in Keith's eyes. They dropped from his face, hit the street, and disappeared, like expectations."
• "Self-importance has some kind of magical appeal, and people step up, as if dared, to get a non-smiler to part their cynical lips. It's like the world isn't right until they do."
• "As if I can turn away from the truth, I turn my head toward the painting on his bedroom wall"
Thank you @corieadjmi for sharing your stories with me, I can't wait to read what u have in store for us next❤
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