What do you think?
Rate this book
Het weer van gisteren
Het weer van gisteren gaat over verlies en verlangen en is geschreven met de bitterzoete tederheid die het werk van Anne Enright kenmerkt. In Het weer van gisteren staat het menselijk bestaan centraal: de relaties die we aangaan met anderen en de relaties die mislukken. De verhalen spelen zich af in Dublin en Venetië, op een Amerikaanse campus en in een caravan op een Franse camping. De vrouwelijke personages in de verhalen worden ontroerd, lastiggevallen of gefascineerd door mannen die ze maar niet kunnen doorgronden. Deze scherpe, schitterende verhalen maken eens te meer duidelijk dat Anne Enright moet worden gezien als een van de beste auteurs van deze tijd.
242 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
105 people are currently reading
1100 people want to read
About the author
Anne Enright
54 books1,372 followersAnne Enright was born in Dublin, where she now lives and works. She has published three volumes of stories, one book of nonfiction, and five novels. In 2015, she was named the inaugural Laureate for Irish Fiction. Her novel The Gathering won the Man Booker Prize, and The Forgotten Waltz won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
June 18, 2019
‘I never wanted money — wasn’t that lucky? Because if I’d wanted it I might’ve got it, and wouldn’t that be an awful tragedy, an endangerment to my soul?’
October 14, 2008
I have decided that there are two types of fiction writers: those who study writing and then write about life and those who study life and then write. I prefer works from the latter type of writers and Anne Enright fits very comfortably into this category. Barely a page goes by in this collection without genuine insight or poignancy into what it means to be human. Her writing in both these stories and The Gathering, her last novel, is prickly. Her narrators aren't always likeable, but they always have wisdom.
March 19, 2020
'Not that she minded men. She had two grown sons at home, so she was used to it: the cheerfulness, the indifference and the mess. Though sometimes she turned around in the kitchen and was shocked by the sheer size of them – all that protein and carbohydrate, the muscle and milk of them, as though she had fed a couple of potted plants, and grown triffids.'
Oh, how well I can relate to the excerpt above!
Anne Enright writes like a dream (although I'm sure she is incapable of using such a well-worn phrase as that). I must confess that I prefer her novels, but this collection of short fiction has enough gems to warrant anyone's investment of their time.
Oh, how well I can relate to the excerpt above!
Anne Enright writes like a dream (although I'm sure she is incapable of using such a well-worn phrase as that). I must confess that I prefer her novels, but this collection of short fiction has enough gems to warrant anyone's investment of their time.
December 29, 2008
This is a collection of Anne Enright's short stories, published originally between 1990 and 2008. They are presented in reverse chronological order, with the most recent ones first. This has an interesting effect. The stories in the first two-thirds of the book are truly outstanding, with surprising honesty and deceptive simplicity. The last stories are all self-consciousness. It's fascinating to see that growth in a writer over 18 years.
March 1, 2009
While I usually don't like reading short stories, these I really enjoyed. Although whenever reading Anne Enright "enjoyed" seems a contradiction as she is an Irish writer with all that it means. The story of the wife enraged by her husband's infidelity captures the unspoken pacts made in marriages.
January 5, 2009
A collection of short stories that were not uplifting or fun to read. The stories represented the worst of human character with no plot and I felt no connection to the character's.
November 4, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. I really almost hated The Wren, The Wren by Anne -- it was overwrought, and perplexing, and honestly a struggle to read. My dad gave me this one, though, and I've liked a lot of the ones he's lent me lately (thank you for the Raymond Carver and Raymond Chandler and Muriel Spark, btw), so I decided to try it. And wow. The first two-thirds of this book had me absolutely captivated, and oftentimes squirming with discomfort, or rereading her prose because it was so tender, yet straightforward, and bitter and beautiful and ... yeah. I like that the stories were in reverse-chronological order, so that you were reading her most recent stories first, and then her at her youngest/most experimental at the end of the book. You could definitely tell that the later stories were contrived, and less polished -- although still had an element of brutal honesty about the human condition.
I love books that deal with the minutiae of life, and with the beauty to be found in domesticity -- and these stories did that so well. I especially loved "Caravan", about a trip to France on the cheap at a mobile home park. A line from it -- “She watched the cloth relax, and lift, and start to float, then she bent over again to knead and swirl and wring the clothes out for a second time. It was actually quite pleasant, as work went: tending to your family when they weren’t there to annoy you; loving them up in the shape of their clothes.” Washing clothes in a Tupperware can be beautiful, too. Right??
Okay, and a last line about an adult child's heartbreaking realization about mortality -- "Watching them go through the departure gate at Dublin airport - her mother in a powder-blue tracksuit and her father in white running shoes - Kate realised that they would die. It was the tracksuit that did it." OUCH. It's all just so ... human. Infidelity, loss, motherhood, wanting more, wanting less, regret, responsibility ... Anyway. Read it!
C u next time :)
I love books that deal with the minutiae of life, and with the beauty to be found in domesticity -- and these stories did that so well. I especially loved "Caravan", about a trip to France on the cheap at a mobile home park. A line from it -- “She watched the cloth relax, and lift, and start to float, then she bent over again to knead and swirl and wring the clothes out for a second time. It was actually quite pleasant, as work went: tending to your family when they weren’t there to annoy you; loving them up in the shape of their clothes.” Washing clothes in a Tupperware can be beautiful, too. Right??
Okay, and a last line about an adult child's heartbreaking realization about mortality -- "Watching them go through the departure gate at Dublin airport - her mother in a powder-blue tracksuit and her father in white running shoes - Kate realised that they would die. It was the tracksuit that did it." OUCH. It's all just so ... human. Infidelity, loss, motherhood, wanting more, wanting less, regret, responsibility ... Anyway. Read it!
C u next time :)
December 4, 2023
31 stories are in this 2008 collection, and the author's note at the beginning is worth reading - to understand that the stories are in chronological order, from the-then most recent to her earliest written stories. Some are more vignette than story, some are true short stories, love, and fury, gulfs between spouses and parents and children, sex, friendship, compassion, separate destinies and more can all be found here. Voiced predominately by women, there is warmth, wit, wisdom, and humor in them, and sometimes I laughed out loud.
November 6, 2014
I'd probably give this book 3.5 stars if I could.
The first half, or so, of the book's stories are written in Enright's mature, sophisticated, painfully sharp, sarcastic, rare style. The women in her stories are never simple-minded or sentimental. But, they are always filled with feeling. I appreciate, as in, I understand, the view she gives of the underside of intimacy. She writes about the things we don't admit, to ourselves, partners, friends, family. I think most people are more or less oblivious to the repulsions, fears, jealousies, neediness, shame that move about in their intimate relationships, and I think this is especially true in our American culture. This is what Enright seems to do best. She writes these stories with what might be called a cold but tender compassion.
I think it's possible many do not like Enright's writing because she brings up uncomfortable, dark or complex subjects, many revolving around sex and marriage, infidelity and compromise in the face of shame and betrayal. What I don't believe is that her tone is negative, as I read in some reviews on GR. The negative feelings in some readers may be brought on because women, at least in the U.S., cannot afford to admit to these types of very personal and deep insecurities; to the weaknesses, the meanness, perhaps, of very strong, but feeling and feminine women. The combining of these seemingly conflicting forces cannot be tolerated. Enright's women are too strong, too honest and perhaps too crude in their sexual honesty. They are very sexual and intelligent. What they are not is innocent or saintly. Yet, they suffer. And they continue. They live on with their pain or loneliness. They start over again. What I find in her writing, her stories, is that she has a deep compassion for these suffering women. Most of whom seem to be some reflection of this writer's own deeper self. I most admire her honesty.
Of course, I get that perhaps many don't like her writing because, bottom line, her subjects are not "happy". Finally, I have to say that the final half of the book's stories are, for the most part well-written, with a few exceptions, but I found myself going into her younger writing with some impatience (the book is arranged chronologically reversed, her newer stories come first). Her voice and style change; the subjects are less personal, and her lines are a bit cloudy. At the end, I felt grateful to be finished. Her mature writing deserves its accolades. Gratefully, we do grow up.
The first half, or so, of the book's stories are written in Enright's mature, sophisticated, painfully sharp, sarcastic, rare style. The women in her stories are never simple-minded or sentimental. But, they are always filled with feeling. I appreciate, as in, I understand, the view she gives of the underside of intimacy. She writes about the things we don't admit, to ourselves, partners, friends, family. I think most people are more or less oblivious to the repulsions, fears, jealousies, neediness, shame that move about in their intimate relationships, and I think this is especially true in our American culture. This is what Enright seems to do best. She writes these stories with what might be called a cold but tender compassion.
I think it's possible many do not like Enright's writing because she brings up uncomfortable, dark or complex subjects, many revolving around sex and marriage, infidelity and compromise in the face of shame and betrayal. What I don't believe is that her tone is negative, as I read in some reviews on GR. The negative feelings in some readers may be brought on because women, at least in the U.S., cannot afford to admit to these types of very personal and deep insecurities; to the weaknesses, the meanness, perhaps, of very strong, but feeling and feminine women. The combining of these seemingly conflicting forces cannot be tolerated. Enright's women are too strong, too honest and perhaps too crude in their sexual honesty. They are very sexual and intelligent. What they are not is innocent or saintly. Yet, they suffer. And they continue. They live on with their pain or loneliness. They start over again. What I find in her writing, her stories, is that she has a deep compassion for these suffering women. Most of whom seem to be some reflection of this writer's own deeper self. I most admire her honesty.
Of course, I get that perhaps many don't like her writing because, bottom line, her subjects are not "happy". Finally, I have to say that the final half of the book's stories are, for the most part well-written, with a few exceptions, but I found myself going into her younger writing with some impatience (the book is arranged chronologically reversed, her newer stories come first). Her voice and style change; the subjects are less personal, and her lines are a bit cloudy. At the end, I felt grateful to be finished. Her mature writing deserves its accolades. Gratefully, we do grow up.
December 27, 2016
Anne Enright is long established as one of Ireland's most interesting and individualistic writers, accomplished in both novel and short-story formats. This collection, compiled for the American market, is humourous, witty, tender and realistic, depicting, the rapidly changing Ireland from the 1960's to the present day, especially the lives of women, who to all intents and purposes were, in severe cases downtrodden, but, usually controlled and educated by the State to lead lives of servitude. This servitude was in many cases to "their men", in the bed and in the home, or if unmarried and thus still allowed to work outside the home, to those who ruled the then ultra-conservative new country. Enright grew up in a good time while some of the now clichéd ceilings, principally in marriage, motherhood, career, sex and the till then the successful suppression by the Church and State, often working in tandem, of the feminine movement were beginning to crack if not shatter. She was, at least, part of the generation who laid the foundations for change to be executed by the following generation. Irish women were becoming independent and in control of their careers outside the home, their bodies and their destinies. In some stories, Anne Enright shows how the expected elation and new advantages in life at the realisation of these changes in their lives do not materialise. The feminine mivement also had a downside. Anne Enright writes brilliantly and entertainingly. These stories are distinctly Irish with Irish womanhood at their core. Yet, as a male reader, an Irish male, I am not constantly demeaned or disrespected. Sometimes, yes, we are ridiculed, but, gently an often with humour. Anne Enright won the 2007 Man Booker for her superb "The Gathering". I'd recommend this collection as a good introduction to the writer and her excellent novel "The Gathering".
May 5, 2020
I did not enjoy reading this book of short stories. It took entirely too much effort and proved not worth the work. I felt that the author was self-indulgent and had disdain for the reader, as she forthrightly says in the last story: "I might describe them--I have the words for it--but your prurience does not interest me; neither does your disbelief." With more than 30 stories in this little volume it disappointed me that none of the women featured touched a responsive note in me. After reading and enjoyed Enright's "The Green Road," I found myself greatly disappointed by this volume.
May 12, 2021
One of my favorite authors, never disappoints. Right now my mind won't wrap itself around a novel; this book fit my need precisely.
Read
December 17, 2012Some of the stories in this collection simply appealed to me on a shallow level: the funny quips and the beautiful prose. Most of them, however, made me stop reading and think; and after I had gotten lost in my thoughts, and had looped around back to the story, I realized that there was so much more.
I cannot do it justice in this little review blurb, but here is a brief impression: Enright is unsentimental, but very emotional, she is witty, clever and cruel, she is kind and giving. Her characters feel very, very connected to her, but they seem also to veer away into their own lives and their own mistakes. What is striking is not the funny things a character says or the heartbreaking things that they do, but rather, what is striking is the fierce intellect that drives everything so that when you have finished the story and begin rereading you realize that there is an entire submerged narrative, a philosophy, a critique, an amazement, that has been hiding in there the whole time, waiting for you to uncover it. I read Enright and I feel stupid, but I keep reading and I realize that she is simply so clever and that if I give myself a little time, she has planted the seeds for my own understanding and I feel, if not elated (there are some depressing stories here), then at least illuminated.
I cannot do it justice in this little review blurb, but here is a brief impression: Enright is unsentimental, but very emotional, she is witty, clever and cruel, she is kind and giving. Her characters feel very, very connected to her, but they seem also to veer away into their own lives and their own mistakes. What is striking is not the funny things a character says or the heartbreaking things that they do, but rather, what is striking is the fierce intellect that drives everything so that when you have finished the story and begin rereading you realize that there is an entire submerged narrative, a philosophy, a critique, an amazement, that has been hiding in there the whole time, waiting for you to uncover it. I read Enright and I feel stupid, but I keep reading and I realize that she is simply so clever and that if I give myself a little time, she has planted the seeds for my own understanding and I feel, if not elated (there are some depressing stories here), then at least illuminated.
April 5, 2010
Anne Enright really knocked me out of my socks with this book, which surprised me as I usually don't like short stories as much. I was amazed by how she developed such depth of character in short stories. Her dialogue hit me as very real, and I felt she wasn't afraid to allow her characters to be complex and have flaws. I was amazed by how she picked up the brilliance of Lolita, which I always thought relied upon the length of the story, and spun it into something understandable in a short story.
June 17, 2016
I don't really understand the negative feedback to this collection of very fine, understated, generally very sad, very short stories.
They aren't glimpses, not snippets, not really flash fiction. They are violent cross-sections of aged tensions and dormant fury, or love, or desire, or whatever. They are deft, sneaking, pinpoint, feinting and then kicking you in the liver.
'Nothing is incomprehensible when you understand that life is sad.'
They aren't glimpses, not snippets, not really flash fiction. They are violent cross-sections of aged tensions and dormant fury, or love, or desire, or whatever. They are deft, sneaking, pinpoint, feinting and then kicking you in the liver.
'Nothing is incomprehensible when you understand that life is sad.'
April 24, 2009
I should actually say that I'm giving four stars to the stories that I read. This collections combines all of Enright's stories into one volume, presented in reverse chronological order. I couldn't get into her early work, but the more recent ones are amazing. She does first person voices to rival George Saunders, and presents marriage and motherhood in a way that I've rarely seen. And I would kill for her sentences.
May 18, 2009
Not a fan of short stories to begin with. I kept hoping the stories would get better as I continued to read, but they didn't!
December 18, 2008
found the stories disjointed and not so compelling.
August 3, 2020
This book is rapturous. Ostensibly a short story collection set in contemporary Ireland, many of the stories are much more like poems. I didn’t always understand the story at all, but Enright is able to use words in ways that make the reader feel ecstasy.
She keeps to her ferociously honest internal dialogues of women who are 100% in the moment of experiencing their own sexuality, physicality, age/mortality, and especially deep urges to go outside the lines.
And not only women. One story, “Mr Snip Snip,” is about a film editor who is haunted by all of the footage he cuts out his work. He comes to the realization that his wife has been having an affair by noticing repetitive behaviors or things she herself has been editing out of their life together.
I can’t recommend this enough.
She keeps to her ferociously honest internal dialogues of women who are 100% in the moment of experiencing their own sexuality, physicality, age/mortality, and especially deep urges to go outside the lines.
And not only women. One story, “Mr Snip Snip,” is about a film editor who is haunted by all of the footage he cuts out his work. He comes to the realization that his wife has been having an affair by noticing repetitive behaviors or things she herself has been editing out of their life together.
I can’t recommend this enough.
September 2, 2020
Review to follow.
July 7, 2018
Good, but not great. The volume gets weaker as one progresses through the stories, which makes sense in that some of her more recent, mature prose comes first and some of her first writings come last. There are a couple of truly funny stories, but for the most part the tone throughout is ironic and detached at best, grim and ominous at worst. Some of the stories are so short as to border on micro-fiction, though a couple of those were among the most effective at conveying a mood or attitude. Read for the occasional flash of insight into some nooks and crannies of human experience that many writers will not harvest from, but not for a coherent collection nor for enjoyment. Read for exposure to Enright's skill in description and her ability to wield a deft psychological scalpel, but try not to be too dismayed when the dissecting table that is this volume ends up a bit of a horror.
September 29, 2008
Ho hum! There was a sameness to the stories and the characters' voices as they respond to loss, infidelity, non-connection. That sameness quickly becomes irritating and predictable after only a few stories. I just didn't feel either enlightened or engaged in the book overall; rather I was just weary and relieved when it was all over. Yes, she can occassionally write a good phrase but the range of her concerns comes across as very limited, this despite the stories being drawn from more than a decade of writing. Didn't read her Booker prize winning novel and can't say that I'm motivated to do so as a result of reading these stories. This book fell far short of the praise lavished on it, including that by one of my favorite contemporary Irish writers Colm Toibin.
January 28, 2012
I wanted to broaden my horizons and enlighten myself by trying some modern, award-winning literature, but ended up very frustrated with this book. The stories are depressing, disjointed, and random glimpses into the lives of ordinary people. I couldn't relate to any of the characters. They were extremely unhappy people who either made irrational and often unhealthy choices in some effort to make some kind of change or obsessed about how terrible their situations were.
I only have one more story to finish this book, but I doubt the last chapter will change my opinion of Yesterday's Weather.
I only have one more story to finish this book, but I doubt the last chapter will change my opinion of Yesterday's Weather.
January 12, 2009
This collection of short stories made me feel stupid, it was frustrating because the author is a joy to read... but she crams so much in, too much to keep track of and it made me feel crowded and overwhelmed and then all of a sudden the story ends and I still didn't get what it's about or what's happening to who. And each of the 31 stories collected made me feel stupid that same way, in its own unique way.
Maybe I'll get her novels; The Gathering won a Booker Prize.
Maybe I'll get her novels; The Gathering won a Booker Prize.
September 18, 2009
These short stories are written in a literary style, and for that, I enjoyed the writing style. But I had a hard time connecting to any of the stories, characters, or themes. I remember that I really liked how well written these stories were, but can't remember what any of them were about -- even a day after I'd finished one. So, were they really well written if I couldn't find a connection?
November 17, 2009
I only got through the first two-thirds or so. I liked most of the stories in the first part of the book and then became less interested and haven't picked it up in months. I may go back to it someday, if someone can convince me?
July 8, 2012
What edgy and surprising stories. I usually prefer to live with characters longer...but these stories pack enormous punch, one punch after another. What a writer she is.
June 11, 2017
I usually have a strong tolerance for bad books. I usually feel that when I have selected a book, even if it is badly written, I will make my way through it to the end. In the hundreds of books that I have read (only some of them are listed on goodreads), I have put down possibly 3 books unfinished.
This is a record. I lasted until page 31. And I had to force myself to read that far.
This lady has the filthiest tongue that I have ever been exposed to. Even in thrillers where the behavior can get pretty base, I have never heard this kind of language. There are words used that normally would be printed with an initial letter followed by dashes. I am not naive. But I have good taste. There are enough words in the English language without having to resort to profanity to express yourself. The use of profanity overpowers the characters so that there is no other impression of them.
An author without skill resorts to the shock effect of profanity. A film producer without skill resorts to visual profanity.
A good author relies on skill.
Sadly, if this woman is trying to portray life in Ireland, she has given me enough reason in 31 pages to stay away.
I think that she might have some profound wisdom somewhere in her 19 years of writing this collection of short stories. But I didn't find it in the first 2 stories. Just selfish people with failures in human relationships in both sides of a marriage, and selfish parents who saw the problems of diapers, spit ups and sleepless nights as inconvenience, not an act of love. Yes, these people worked through their problems to solutions that they were able to maintain, but their selfishness remained.
I don't want to read about people who call each other c - - - or use the word f - - - frequently. Or many other words. Perhaps the author should realize that when the shock value has been reached, any more use of this vocabulary weakens its effect. It is the same as raising your voice once compared to shouting all the time. One action carries power; the other shows weakness.
Not trying to be offensive here. I apologize for even inserting the hints of these words. Just trying to warn you.
Perhaps someone should tell her that For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is the same as DUI. An acronym for a charge written up by a policeman for which a court appearance is necessary. The offense--sex outside of marriage. Yes, it used to be against the law. Someone who uses language that s/he does not understand is revealing his/her level of intelligence.
However, if you can handle this vocabulary, then read other reviews which really appreciate her style.
Sadly, although the thought of visiting Ireland has always appealed to me, this book has clouded my anticipation of visiting Ireland. And I don't think that was the purpose of her book.
And not everyone would be affected the same way as I was by reading this junk.
I hope to forget her as soon as possible.
This is a record. I lasted until page 31. And I had to force myself to read that far.
This lady has the filthiest tongue that I have ever been exposed to. Even in thrillers where the behavior can get pretty base, I have never heard this kind of language. There are words used that normally would be printed with an initial letter followed by dashes. I am not naive. But I have good taste. There are enough words in the English language without having to resort to profanity to express yourself. The use of profanity overpowers the characters so that there is no other impression of them.
An author without skill resorts to the shock effect of profanity. A film producer without skill resorts to visual profanity.
A good author relies on skill.
Sadly, if this woman is trying to portray life in Ireland, she has given me enough reason in 31 pages to stay away.
I think that she might have some profound wisdom somewhere in her 19 years of writing this collection of short stories. But I didn't find it in the first 2 stories. Just selfish people with failures in human relationships in both sides of a marriage, and selfish parents who saw the problems of diapers, spit ups and sleepless nights as inconvenience, not an act of love. Yes, these people worked through their problems to solutions that they were able to maintain, but their selfishness remained.
I don't want to read about people who call each other c - - - or use the word f - - - frequently. Or many other words. Perhaps the author should realize that when the shock value has been reached, any more use of this vocabulary weakens its effect. It is the same as raising your voice once compared to shouting all the time. One action carries power; the other shows weakness.
Not trying to be offensive here. I apologize for even inserting the hints of these words. Just trying to warn you.
Perhaps someone should tell her that For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is the same as DUI. An acronym for a charge written up by a policeman for which a court appearance is necessary. The offense--sex outside of marriage. Yes, it used to be against the law. Someone who uses language that s/he does not understand is revealing his/her level of intelligence.
However, if you can handle this vocabulary, then read other reviews which really appreciate her style.
Sadly, although the thought of visiting Ireland has always appealed to me, this book has clouded my anticipation of visiting Ireland. And I don't think that was the purpose of her book.
And not everyone would be affected the same way as I was by reading this junk.
I hope to forget her as soon as possible.
July 18, 2024
In this collection of 31 short stories from Anne Enright, which includes all of Taking Pictures (2008), quite a bit of The Portable Virgin (1991), and a couple tales from First Fiction: Introductions 10 (1989), there is certainly a refreshing bit of female perspective and a sober look at the sadder aspects of the human condition. Even when she writes candidly of sex, it’s usually about the bad kind, but despite a general sense of disenchantment in her characters, there is at least some degree of buoyancy to her work that probably stems from her cleverness. Enright is an intelligent writer, demanding attention from the reader, and her stories are creative, often going to unexpected places. I have really enjoyed a couple of novels of hers, The Green Road and The Forgotten Waltz, and saw flashes of that same brilliance in some of these stories.
Unfortunately, this is a collection that is strongest in its first half, which means the stories from Taking Pictures, since Enright elected to sort them in reverse chronological order. There are several clunkers in the second half, which made finishing the book less enjoyable, and left a bad taste in my mouth. While that may show the evolution of the writer’s ability’s which may hold interest to her more ardent supporters, to me it felt like deep album cuts of a band’s lesser work being included on a greatest hits album. In any event, if you’re interested in short stories from Enright, I’d recommend just starting with Taking Pictures instead of this broader collection.
My favorites:
Yesterday’s Weather
Here’s to Love
Honey
Switzerland
What You Want
Shaft
Pillow
Unfortunately, this is a collection that is strongest in its first half, which means the stories from Taking Pictures, since Enright elected to sort them in reverse chronological order. There are several clunkers in the second half, which made finishing the book less enjoyable, and left a bad taste in my mouth. While that may show the evolution of the writer’s ability’s which may hold interest to her more ardent supporters, to me it felt like deep album cuts of a band’s lesser work being included on a greatest hits album. In any event, if you’re interested in short stories from Enright, I’d recommend just starting with Taking Pictures instead of this broader collection.
My favorites:
Yesterday’s Weather
Here’s to Love
Honey
Switzerland
What You Want
Shaft
Pillow
May 21, 2020
“These stories are not written by the person who has lived my life and made the best of it, they are written by people I might have been but decided against. They are written by women who take a different turn in the road. They are the shed skins of the snake.”
This is from the introduction written by Enright. In addition, she stated that the stories within the book are presented in reverse chronological order. They are scenes of everyday life from her native Ireland, most notably of relationships. The stories at the beginning were written in a direct and natural style -- conversational. As the book progresses, the brashness and ego of youth becomes more apparent. You can tell that when she was younger, there were instances where she was trying too hard, as opposed to the older stories which were written with more ease. Although there are a few misses, the majority of the book is solid and a great insight into human relationships
This is from the introduction written by Enright. In addition, she stated that the stories within the book are presented in reverse chronological order. They are scenes of everyday life from her native Ireland, most notably of relationships. The stories at the beginning were written in a direct and natural style -- conversational. As the book progresses, the brashness and ego of youth becomes more apparent. You can tell that when she was younger, there were instances where she was trying too hard, as opposed to the older stories which were written with more ease. Although there are a few misses, the majority of the book is solid and a great insight into human relationships
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews