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Shit Cassandra Saw
Margaret Atwood meets Buffy in these funny, warm, and furious stories of women at their breaking points, from Hellenic times to today.
Cassandra may have seen the future, but it doesn't mean she's resigned to telling the Trojans everything she knows. In this ebullient collection, virgins escape from being sacrificed, witches refuse to be burned, whores aren't ashamed, and every woman gets a chance to be a radioactive cockroach warrior who snaps back at catcallers. Gwen E. Kirby experiments with found structures--a Yelp review, a WikiHow article--which her fierce, irreverent narrators push against, showing how creativity within an enclosed space undermines and deconstructs the constraints themselves. When these women tell the stories of their triumphs as well as their pain, they emerge as funny, angry, loud, horny, lonely, strong protagonists who refuse be secondary characters a moment longer. From "The Best and Only Whore of Cym Hyfryd, 1886" to the "Midwestern Girl [who] is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories," Kirby is playing and laughing with the women who have come before her and they are telling her, we have always been this way. You just had to know where to look.
Cassandra may have seen the future, but it doesn't mean she's resigned to telling the Trojans everything she knows. In this ebullient collection, virgins escape from being sacrificed, witches refuse to be burned, whores aren't ashamed, and every woman gets a chance to be a radioactive cockroach warrior who snaps back at catcallers. Gwen E. Kirby experiments with found structures--a Yelp review, a WikiHow article--which her fierce, irreverent narrators push against, showing how creativity within an enclosed space undermines and deconstructs the constraints themselves. When these women tell the stories of their triumphs as well as their pain, they emerge as funny, angry, loud, horny, lonely, strong protagonists who refuse be secondary characters a moment longer. From "The Best and Only Whore of Cym Hyfryd, 1886" to the "Midwestern Girl [who] is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories," Kirby is playing and laughing with the women who have come before her and they are telling her, we have always been this way. You just had to know where to look.
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2022
570 people are currently reading
22533 people want to read
About the author
Gwen E. Kirby
1 book260 followersGwen E. Kirby's stories appear in One Story, Tin House, Guernica, Mississippi Review, Ninth Letter, SmokeLong Quarterly, and elsewhere. Guest editor Aimee Bender selected her story “Shit Cassandra Saw . . .” for Best Small Fictions 2018 and it also appears in the 2018 Wigleaf Top 50. Her story “Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories” won the 2017 DISQUIET Literary Prize for Fiction and she was the 2018-2019 George Bennett Fellow at Phillips Exeter Academy. She has an MFA from Johns Hopkins University, a PhD from the University of Cincinnati, and is an assistant professor of English at Carleton College.
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January 17, 2024
‘I regret that it took me this long to learn to use my body for its own sake.’
Something I love about literature is how often the zaniest stories can carry a lot of insight and commentary into real life and society. Satire has always been a powerful and subversive critical vessel because through laughing at absurdities we see how many we’ve tolerated disguised in daily life. Shit Cassandra Saw, the debut short story collection from Gwen E. Kirby, has a lot to laugh about and enjoy as we read of people finding avenues to have a voice and agency, be comfortable living in their own bodies, or be allowed to be the central figure in their own story. Many of these stories focus on empowerment, from getting supernatural powers to learning to be okay with oneself without guilt or shame. Kirby often flips society on it’s head with playful plots and narrative structures in this humorous collection of stories that take aim at convention for maximum effect.
‘People die in fires, cities are laid waste, and yet so little is as flammable as you hope.’
Kirby has a gift for humor paired with insight, and this is a loud, boisterous collection. It looks at obdurate social norms, particularly patriarchal ones, and asks if there is a better way. This is even extended to men, with several stories featuring a male narrator feeling oppressed by strict gender or social roles. Kirby acknowledges that these are problems many face and have spoken up about for centuries—there is a wide range of settings here from Helenic times to our own—but how much can we change if those who seek progress are pushed out from their own narratives or silenced? One story features the ghost of an 18th-century preacher following a woman around insulting her, and Kirby reminds us that so much of the rigidity in society is encased in a culture that never wanted to give women a voice to begin with (as you could expect, there is definitely a story about witch burning here).
The title comes from the opening story, written in full as Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway, which should more or less cue you in for the sly and raucous good time you are about to have with these stories. It also sets up a major theme that threads through a good portion of the book with women sick of patriarchal society and having their own insights. The punchline is swift and deadly, with Cassandra laughing at her vision that in the future ‘Trojan will not be synonymous with bravery or failure, betrayal or endurance’ but instead merely a brand of condoms. There is a sense of taking the power away from men here that carries joyously into the following story about with supernatural powers of defense. A woman told to smile more reveals her fangs and eats the man’s hand, getting indigestion from his wedding ring; another uses laser eyes to transform a man into bus fare; and a string of radioactive cockroaches are turning women into powerful roach-women who can shatter eardrums with their hiss. Soon ‘Men carry small cans of Raid in their pockets when they go out at night’ as Kirby invents this comical alternate reality where men feel they aren’t safe from strange women.
‘Our daughter loved that cat. It didn’t make Jelly a good cat. Jelly was a terrible cat. Our daughter loves me,and you wouldn’t say that made me a good husband.’
Beyond playful stories, Kirby has fun using narrative structures such as a how-to-guide or a Yelp review to frame her stories. A man writes a negative Yelp review about a restaurant that quickly reveals itself to be an examination of his failing marriage and an interesting commentary on how people who don’t feel they have a voice have turned to social media instead of a therapist. These stories often get surreal and 4th-wall breaking, and Kirby handles it very well.
Even the less fantastical stories have great social insights, such as one about a taxidermied wallaby becoming a contemplative look at friendship dynamics and the struggles young women have finding space to be allowed to become themselves. ‘He regards us from the shore in that way we are learning to expect from a certain kind of man,’ the narrator writes in the final story, We Handle It, and Kirby often looks at how socialized women are to view themselves, their bodies, and their worth, through the (often threatening) male gaze.
In an interview with NPR, Kirby is asked if her collection is about empowered women. She responds:
This truly captures the spirit of Shit Cassandra Saw letting women exist beautifully and imperfectly. A favorite in the collection is Midwestern Girl Is Tired Of Appearing In Your Short Stories, which reads like an ode to the nameless women that prop up the peripheries or only serve as a lens to better focus on the central character’s (typically male) emotional journey. Here Midwestern Girl realizes she is sick of the sidelines and figures her way into the center of the narrative in this comically metafictional story that is as much a satire on society as it is on literature in general.
Shit Cassandra Saw is a riot of a collection. While not every story hits, I suspect there will be a rotating list of favorites for everyone who reads it, particularly when she touches on historical aspects. Still, this is a solid debut and I definitely could not put it down, breezing through each of the short stories—and they are fairly short—with a smile on my face. Sharp, comically cynical and full of glorious rage, this is a good time.
3.75/5
Something I love about literature is how often the zaniest stories can carry a lot of insight and commentary into real life and society. Satire has always been a powerful and subversive critical vessel because through laughing at absurdities we see how many we’ve tolerated disguised in daily life. Shit Cassandra Saw, the debut short story collection from Gwen E. Kirby, has a lot to laugh about and enjoy as we read of people finding avenues to have a voice and agency, be comfortable living in their own bodies, or be allowed to be the central figure in their own story. Many of these stories focus on empowerment, from getting supernatural powers to learning to be okay with oneself without guilt or shame. Kirby often flips society on it’s head with playful plots and narrative structures in this humorous collection of stories that take aim at convention for maximum effect.
‘People die in fires, cities are laid waste, and yet so little is as flammable as you hope.’
Kirby has a gift for humor paired with insight, and this is a loud, boisterous collection. It looks at obdurate social norms, particularly patriarchal ones, and asks if there is a better way. This is even extended to men, with several stories featuring a male narrator feeling oppressed by strict gender or social roles. Kirby acknowledges that these are problems many face and have spoken up about for centuries—there is a wide range of settings here from Helenic times to our own—but how much can we change if those who seek progress are pushed out from their own narratives or silenced? One story features the ghost of an 18th-century preacher following a woman around insulting her, and Kirby reminds us that so much of the rigidity in society is encased in a culture that never wanted to give women a voice to begin with (as you could expect, there is definitely a story about witch burning here).
The title comes from the opening story, written in full as Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway, which should more or less cue you in for the sly and raucous good time you are about to have with these stories. It also sets up a major theme that threads through a good portion of the book with women sick of patriarchal society and having their own insights. The punchline is swift and deadly, with Cassandra laughing at her vision that in the future ‘Trojan will not be synonymous with bravery or failure, betrayal or endurance’ but instead merely a brand of condoms. There is a sense of taking the power away from men here that carries joyously into the following story about with supernatural powers of defense. A woman told to smile more reveals her fangs and eats the man’s hand, getting indigestion from his wedding ring; another uses laser eyes to transform a man into bus fare; and a string of radioactive cockroaches are turning women into powerful roach-women who can shatter eardrums with their hiss. Soon ‘Men carry small cans of Raid in their pockets when they go out at night’ as Kirby invents this comical alternate reality where men feel they aren’t safe from strange women.
‘Our daughter loved that cat. It didn’t make Jelly a good cat. Jelly was a terrible cat. Our daughter loves me,and you wouldn’t say that made me a good husband.’
Beyond playful stories, Kirby has fun using narrative structures such as a how-to-guide or a Yelp review to frame her stories. A man writes a negative Yelp review about a restaurant that quickly reveals itself to be an examination of his failing marriage and an interesting commentary on how people who don’t feel they have a voice have turned to social media instead of a therapist. These stories often get surreal and 4th-wall breaking, and Kirby handles it very well.
Even the less fantastical stories have great social insights, such as one about a taxidermied wallaby becoming a contemplative look at friendship dynamics and the struggles young women have finding space to be allowed to become themselves. ‘He regards us from the shore in that way we are learning to expect from a certain kind of man,’ the narrator writes in the final story, We Handle It, and Kirby often looks at how socialized women are to view themselves, their bodies, and their worth, through the (often threatening) male gaze.
In an interview with NPR, Kirby is asked if her collection is about empowered women. She responds:
‘I feel like the women in my book lie and cheat and fight and love and do everything that the male characters that I grew up reading got to do and I never thought about it. No one really ever called them an unlikable male narrator or something like that. So I think, yes, empowered women, but I just think - I don't know - alive women, just normal, real women.’
This truly captures the spirit of Shit Cassandra Saw letting women exist beautifully and imperfectly. A favorite in the collection is Midwestern Girl Is Tired Of Appearing In Your Short Stories, which reads like an ode to the nameless women that prop up the peripheries or only serve as a lens to better focus on the central character’s (typically male) emotional journey. Here Midwestern Girl realizes she is sick of the sidelines and figures her way into the center of the narrative in this comically metafictional story that is as much a satire on society as it is on literature in general.
Shit Cassandra Saw is a riot of a collection. While not every story hits, I suspect there will be a rotating list of favorites for everyone who reads it, particularly when she touches on historical aspects. Still, this is a solid debut and I definitely could not put it down, breezing through each of the short stories—and they are fairly short—with a smile on my face. Sharp, comically cynical and full of glorious rage, this is a good time.
3.75/5
July 11, 2022
Reading Kirby’s collection is like watching an irreverent halftime marching band scatter chaotically across a football field, only to find its perfect formation at the last second. Seemingly random events coalesce into a deeper meaning. Kirby’s characters aren’t necessarily wiser for their often harrowing experiences, but they do appear more content on the other side.
My full review in the New York Times (which has paywall after a few free reads)
My full review in the New York Times (which has paywall after a few free reads)
March 9, 2022
3.5⭐️
Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby is a collection of twenty-one short stories with strong feminist overtones. The stories are varied in plot, genre and tone -from dark and satirical, humorous and laugh out loud to wise and insightful.
The protagonists are as varied as the tone and treatment of these stories. We have characters from the myths, historical figures as well as modern day women of all ages at various stages of life. Each of these stories and characters is unique. In "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway", Cassandra looks into the future and finds solace in her vision of a future where the term “Trojan” would not necessarily invoke the memory of bravery and victory. (“Cassandra has not noticed a lack of men telling women what to do. Perhaps this will be a pleasure of the future, a male desire that goes unspoken. A desire that is only a desire, and not a command.”) In another story, we have a man who starts writing a Yelp review citing a disappointing experience at a restaurant that quickly becomes a critique of his marriage. In "Casper", a group of teenage girls is fascinated with a taxidermied wallaby they find in a piece of lost luggage brought to the shop they work in, leading up to a defining moment in their friendship. In “How To Retile Your Bathroom In 6 Easy Steps!”, we meet a middle-aged woman who ruminates on her failed marriage while retiling her bathroom. (“It is also unfair that your husband has left you for the orthodontist. It is unfair that he did not leave you years ago when you still had many different people you wanted to fuck and many frequent-flier miles. It is unfair that you never learned how to walk in heels and unfair that you might need to learn.”) In another story, we have teenagers fantasizing over how they would defend themselves if cornered by a threat. In "A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot", the author describes a scenario in which men carry a can of Raid to feel safe when some women bitten by radioactive cockroaches develop superpowers and other women start wearing antennae on the street to emulate them. In “Midwestern Girl Is Tired Of Appearing In Your Short Stories”, the author tackles the subject of stereotypes in life and literature. (“If every woman she has ever been were given a name, would there be a Midwestern Girl at all?”) In “Inishmore”, while on a hiking trip a woman examines how her relationship with her sister has evolved over the years, and how she is often blind to how both siblings have changed over the years. (“That’s the thing about places you know too well, and people—there’s an old-self waiting to take you back, to sneak up behind you and clap a formaldehyde-soaked cloth to your mouth before you know to scream.”)
Short story collections are always a mixed bag. I have mentioned only a few, but this collection,as a whole, is quite impressive. The author touches upon several sensitive issues revolving around women, entertainingly and creatively – marriage, relationships, friendships, gender roles, identity and discrimination, stereotypes and much more and offers a reflection on how women in myth, history and in the present-day are viewed and judged not just by men but also by other women and society in general. While I won't say that I enjoyed all of the stories in equal measure, a few of them stood out for me. My personal favorites would be "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway","A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot","Casper”, “Inishmore” and "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories". Wildly imaginative and entertaining , this was a welcome change from the kind of books I usually read. I found the stories very well written, versatile in content and context and definitely well worth the time invested.
Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby is a collection of twenty-one short stories with strong feminist overtones. The stories are varied in plot, genre and tone -from dark and satirical, humorous and laugh out loud to wise and insightful.
The protagonists are as varied as the tone and treatment of these stories. We have characters from the myths, historical figures as well as modern day women of all ages at various stages of life. Each of these stories and characters is unique. In "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway", Cassandra looks into the future and finds solace in her vision of a future where the term “Trojan” would not necessarily invoke the memory of bravery and victory. (“Cassandra has not noticed a lack of men telling women what to do. Perhaps this will be a pleasure of the future, a male desire that goes unspoken. A desire that is only a desire, and not a command.”) In another story, we have a man who starts writing a Yelp review citing a disappointing experience at a restaurant that quickly becomes a critique of his marriage. In "Casper", a group of teenage girls is fascinated with a taxidermied wallaby they find in a piece of lost luggage brought to the shop they work in, leading up to a defining moment in their friendship. In “How To Retile Your Bathroom In 6 Easy Steps!”, we meet a middle-aged woman who ruminates on her failed marriage while retiling her bathroom. (“It is also unfair that your husband has left you for the orthodontist. It is unfair that he did not leave you years ago when you still had many different people you wanted to fuck and many frequent-flier miles. It is unfair that you never learned how to walk in heels and unfair that you might need to learn.”) In another story, we have teenagers fantasizing over how they would defend themselves if cornered by a threat. In "A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot", the author describes a scenario in which men carry a can of Raid to feel safe when some women bitten by radioactive cockroaches develop superpowers and other women start wearing antennae on the street to emulate them. In “Midwestern Girl Is Tired Of Appearing In Your Short Stories”, the author tackles the subject of stereotypes in life and literature. (“If every woman she has ever been were given a name, would there be a Midwestern Girl at all?”) In “Inishmore”, while on a hiking trip a woman examines how her relationship with her sister has evolved over the years, and how she is often blind to how both siblings have changed over the years. (“That’s the thing about places you know too well, and people—there’s an old-self waiting to take you back, to sneak up behind you and clap a formaldehyde-soaked cloth to your mouth before you know to scream.”)
Short story collections are always a mixed bag. I have mentioned only a few, but this collection,as a whole, is quite impressive. The author touches upon several sensitive issues revolving around women, entertainingly and creatively – marriage, relationships, friendships, gender roles, identity and discrimination, stereotypes and much more and offers a reflection on how women in myth, history and in the present-day are viewed and judged not just by men but also by other women and society in general. While I won't say that I enjoyed all of the stories in equal measure, a few of them stood out for me. My personal favorites would be "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway","A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot","Casper”, “Inishmore” and "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories". Wildly imaginative and entertaining , this was a welcome change from the kind of books I usually read. I found the stories very well written, versatile in content and context and definitely well worth the time invested.
March 30, 2022
almost forgot that short fiction can be feminist and funny
October 12, 2021
As fun as it is furious, SHIT CASSANDRA SAW rewrites womanhood with a cast of complex, contradictory, brave, and bonkers heroines as likely to skewer you with a cutlass as they are to poorly re-tile your bathroom. I want to be friends with all the women in this collection who refuse to be anything other than exactly who they are. A barnburner of a book that will set you ablaze with its clear-eyed brilliance.
January 31, 2022
Audiobook….
….narrators: Julia Whelan,
Sura Siu, Rob Shapiro, Jeremy
Carlisle Parker, Rebecca Loman
….6 hours and 26 minutes
Debut short stories ….
Ha…
just a little provocative….
Mild harsh rebellion….
….powerful punches from gritty to worldly wise!
Another great ‘listening’ daytime buddy while,
washing, scrubbing, sweeping, crafting, quilting (I don’t but if I did . . . ), and walking 🚶♀️ entertainment!
Note….short stories are a great choice - when ‘knowing’ at any time of the day - unpredictable to predictable disruptions ‘will’ be happening while remodeling one’s house.
A few of these stories I thought were ‘really’ brilliant- a few ‘fair’…..
overall they’re crazy, witty & entertaining!
But … oh my goodness… that ‘cat’ story….
poor feline.
….narrators: Julia Whelan,
Sura Siu, Rob Shapiro, Jeremy
Carlisle Parker, Rebecca Loman
….6 hours and 26 minutes
Debut short stories ….
Ha…
just a little provocative….
Mild harsh rebellion….
….powerful punches from gritty to worldly wise!
Another great ‘listening’ daytime buddy while,
washing, scrubbing, sweeping, crafting, quilting (I don’t but if I did . . . ), and walking 🚶♀️ entertainment!
Note….short stories are a great choice - when ‘knowing’ at any time of the day - unpredictable to predictable disruptions ‘will’ be happening while remodeling one’s house.
A few of these stories I thought were ‘really’ brilliant- a few ‘fair’…..
overall they’re crazy, witty & entertaining!
But … oh my goodness… that ‘cat’ story….
poor feline.
June 5, 2022
In Greek Mythology Cassandra was a priestess of Apollo around the time of the Trojan War. She was a daughter of Priam, the King of Troy. Her main claim to fame was that the God Apollo bestowed on her the gift of prophecy. When Cassandra refused Apollos’ advances, he, as all the Greek Gods are fickle and love taking revenge on mortals who have spurned them, made it so Cassandra kept her gift of prophecy, but turned it into a curse. Yes, instead of just taking her power away he made it so that nobody would believe any of her prophecies. Maybe a metaphor for the collective voice of women. Heard but not heeded.
This is a collection of short stories in which empowered women turn the tables on men. But these are not just any ordinary stories, they are fantastical, supernatural, magical, and I must say most entertaining to read. They are humorous, dark and feminist, but they also, sometimes subtlety, sometimes not, make the reader realize that women throughout history have gotten the short end of the stick. It looks like huge strides have been made in the push for equality. The brave suffragettes who fought and won the vote. Women who have fought for equal pay, women who now lead countries and some of the world’s largest companies. Women’s sport is growing rapidly. Women now fight in the army on the front line. The old-fashioned patriarchal society is well and truly crumbling. And yet this has all happened recently, and many countries, particularly third world, still struggle with draconian chains. However, I have no fear that, if we don’t destroy ourselves first, that the day will come when there will be sexual equality, it’s getting closer all the time. We should all be judged on our merit not our gender.
In the first short story, women are bitten by radioactive cockroaches, which give them serious superpowers. Powers which enable them to flip roles with the men. Now it is men who fear being attacked. They know what it feels like to fear walking alone at night. They carry cans of Raid around with them, as women carry mace in their purse. It’s zany and bizarre, but the message is clear. This reminded me of the cases in the past where women have been attacked and murdered walking alone at night. And reading this story, you realize the power of what even a zany short story can release.
In the second short story a man is critiquing a restaurant online, and yet as you read it, he seems to be critiquing his wife and their failing marriage. Maybe a shot at the modern world of social media, where everybody has the power to critique and hide behind a shield of anonymity.
One story has a woman who is having an affair with her neighbor, while they have sex a ghost preacher from the past is always there calling her “Whore”, telling her she is going straight to hell. I could not help but wonder if he would be heckling her if she were a man.
Kirby is a talented writer and does a wonderful job, using these dark humorous stories to get powerful messages across. I love her style, writing and humour.
Society is still not equal, still slightly skewed in men’s favour. But enormous ground is being made by many brilliant and brave women, in all facets of life, fighting for equality. It is up to both sexes to realize that equality is the only answer. We need to get to the stage where the adjective “empowered” is no longer needed in front of the word woman.
This is a collection of short stories in which empowered women turn the tables on men. But these are not just any ordinary stories, they are fantastical, supernatural, magical, and I must say most entertaining to read. They are humorous, dark and feminist, but they also, sometimes subtlety, sometimes not, make the reader realize that women throughout history have gotten the short end of the stick. It looks like huge strides have been made in the push for equality. The brave suffragettes who fought and won the vote. Women who have fought for equal pay, women who now lead countries and some of the world’s largest companies. Women’s sport is growing rapidly. Women now fight in the army on the front line. The old-fashioned patriarchal society is well and truly crumbling. And yet this has all happened recently, and many countries, particularly third world, still struggle with draconian chains. However, I have no fear that, if we don’t destroy ourselves first, that the day will come when there will be sexual equality, it’s getting closer all the time. We should all be judged on our merit not our gender.
In the first short story, women are bitten by radioactive cockroaches, which give them serious superpowers. Powers which enable them to flip roles with the men. Now it is men who fear being attacked. They know what it feels like to fear walking alone at night. They carry cans of Raid around with them, as women carry mace in their purse. It’s zany and bizarre, but the message is clear. This reminded me of the cases in the past where women have been attacked and murdered walking alone at night. And reading this story, you realize the power of what even a zany short story can release.
In the second short story a man is critiquing a restaurant online, and yet as you read it, he seems to be critiquing his wife and their failing marriage. Maybe a shot at the modern world of social media, where everybody has the power to critique and hide behind a shield of anonymity.
One story has a woman who is having an affair with her neighbor, while they have sex a ghost preacher from the past is always there calling her “Whore”, telling her she is going straight to hell. I could not help but wonder if he would be heckling her if she were a man.
Kirby is a talented writer and does a wonderful job, using these dark humorous stories to get powerful messages across. I love her style, writing and humour.
Society is still not equal, still slightly skewed in men’s favour. But enormous ground is being made by many brilliant and brave women, in all facets of life, fighting for equality. It is up to both sexes to realize that equality is the only answer. We need to get to the stage where the adjective “empowered” is no longer needed in front of the word woman.
February 18, 2022
A weird and wonderful collection of odd stories that are funny, perceptive, and sometimes unsparing. I particularly enjoyed ‘Jerry’s Crab Shack: One Star’, an unusual restaurant review, ‘Here Preached His Last’, and ‘Marcy Breaks Up with Herself’. I do wonder whether a book is the best vehicle for this kind of collection as the stories work best when restricted to one story per reading session with a significant period of time between them. Maybe the fault is in my inability to stop myself from moving on to the next story.
March 14, 2022
So I will define this once again- white feminism is feminism that is solely concerned with the problems of able bodied white women.
I had a feeling this book would be a tribute to white feminists everywhere and I was right. The stories inside all deal with questions of agency and bodily autonomy in a way that will only appeal to able bodied white women. You can repackage these decades old themes however you want, it won't make them new or exciting.
I will add one extra star because "Midwestern Girl is Tired" is a genuinely good short story. Everything else in this collection you've read at least 100 times before if you've read any kind of feminist lit. Lots of heterosexual couples who hate each other, women choosing monstrosity or crime over childbirth, women reclaiming their sexuality in various ways.
So if you like white feminist lit that is very heteronormative you'll love this book.
I had a feeling this book would be a tribute to white feminists everywhere and I was right. The stories inside all deal with questions of agency and bodily autonomy in a way that will only appeal to able bodied white women. You can repackage these decades old themes however you want, it won't make them new or exciting.
I will add one extra star because "Midwestern Girl is Tired" is a genuinely good short story. Everything else in this collection you've read at least 100 times before if you've read any kind of feminist lit. Lots of heterosexual couples who hate each other, women choosing monstrosity or crime over childbirth, women reclaiming their sexuality in various ways.
So if you like white feminist lit that is very heteronormative you'll love this book.
January 28, 2022
Weird in the way that I like. On point in the way that I like. A perfect example:
Thanks to s. penkevich for putting me on with his stellar review that led me to this book!
My favourite stories were: A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot, Jerry's Crab Shack: One Star, The Disneyland of Mexico, Marcy Breaks Up with Herself, Scenes in a Public Park at Dawn, 1892 and We Handle It.. I also really really enjoyed How to Retile Your Bathroom in 6 Easy Steps!
A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot really fed me over and over again. I read it three times. Jerry's Crab Shack made me laugh. Marcy Breaks Up with Herself took me on an emotional ride, and Scenes in a Public Park at Dawn, 1892 made me think deeply about flowers and fighting and what it means to connect and what it retribution could look like. We Handle It tripped me out in its accuracy.
I love the nuances that Gwen E. Kirby has provided each woman or girl in the book; simultaneously fleshed out enough for you to make out yourself in their appearances, but also with enough subtly and sometimes magic to be unique and prismatic even when/especially when covered in conflict, fur, a corset or the dust from digging up bathroom tiles.
I enjoyed Shit Cassandra Saw immensely.
"A woman waits for the bus and a man stands too close to her. He puts his hand on her ass, with no idea that she is the first successful subject of a top-secret science experiment. She turns and points her laser eyes at him and transforms him into bus fare: two dollars and seventy-five cents in cool coins." - 6% in 'Shit Cassandra Saw' by Gwen E. Kirby
Thanks to s. penkevich for putting me on with his stellar review that led me to this book!
My favourite stories were: A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot, Jerry's Crab Shack: One Star, The Disneyland of Mexico, Marcy Breaks Up with Herself, Scenes in a Public Park at Dawn, 1892 and We Handle It.. I also really really enjoyed How to Retile Your Bathroom in 6 Easy Steps!
A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot really fed me over and over again. I read it three times. Jerry's Crab Shack made me laugh. Marcy Breaks Up with Herself took me on an emotional ride, and Scenes in a Public Park at Dawn, 1892 made me think deeply about flowers and fighting and what it means to connect and what it retribution could look like. We Handle It tripped me out in its accuracy.
I love the nuances that Gwen E. Kirby has provided each woman or girl in the book; simultaneously fleshed out enough for you to make out yourself in their appearances, but also with enough subtly and sometimes magic to be unique and prismatic even when/especially when covered in conflict, fur, a corset or the dust from digging up bathroom tiles.
I enjoyed Shit Cassandra Saw immensely.
August 2, 2025
☆☆☆/5
"A volte è meglio mettere fine al dolore in fretta, evitare che si trascini, se tanto il risultato non può cambiare."
È un po' quello che ho provato leggendo lo schifo che ha visto Cassandra, ma in inglese rende di più "La merda che ha visto Cassandra".
Stravagante e cazzuta raccolta di racconti su altrettanto cazzute, bizzarre e complesse donne, donne del presente e del passato, donne che ne hanno abbastanza, che con rabbia e forza reclamano il loro potere.
Una scrittura cupa ma a sua volta umoristica.
Siamo passate un po tutte dall'imbarazzo di prenderci troppa cura di noi, la vergogna per il nostro corpo, le prime delusioni amorose, l'eccitazione per qualcosa che dovrebbe metterti a disagio.
Io voglio essere IO ed avere tutte le fragilità e la forza che ho come persona, indipendentemente dal mio sesso.
"A volte è meglio mettere fine al dolore in fretta, evitare che si trascini, se tanto il risultato non può cambiare."
È un po' quello che ho provato leggendo lo schifo che ha visto Cassandra, ma in inglese rende di più "La merda che ha visto Cassandra".
Stravagante e cazzuta raccolta di racconti su altrettanto cazzute, bizzarre e complesse donne, donne del presente e del passato, donne che ne hanno abbastanza, che con rabbia e forza reclamano il loro potere.
Una scrittura cupa ma a sua volta umoristica.
Siamo passate un po tutte dall'imbarazzo di prenderci troppa cura di noi, la vergogna per il nostro corpo, le prime delusioni amorose, l'eccitazione per qualcosa che dovrebbe metterti a disagio.
Io voglio essere IO ed avere tutte le fragilità e la forza che ho come persona, indipendentemente dal mio sesso.
March 13, 2022
I can't remember being so thrilled by a title in a while. Who could be a more apt symbol for the female experience of being demeaned, discounted, and passed over than the mythic Cassandra, who was blessed with future sight then cursed to be disbelieved and labeled mad. The thrill continued with the first story, "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because At That Point Fuck Them Anyway", a title that wonderfully encapsulates the book's sarcastically witty voice, and in just five pages gives Cassandra a satisfying opportunity to lament and honor womanhood and flip those Trojans the finger. Sadly for me, the remaining stories didn't live up to the first one, although "Midwestern Girl is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories" came the closest. I think my problem was with the writing - what felt deadpan droll in the presence of Cassandra, felt flat and dull without her. Likewise, the plots and characters felt equally lackluster and led me to skim and speed read. Other readers saw more in these stories than I did, so I'm willing to concede that I could have missed a lot by racing through it. But on the other hand, there was nothing there to make me want to slow down.
February 11, 2022
"A woman walks down the street and a man tells her to smile. When she smiles, she reveals a mouthful of fangs. She bites off the man's hand, cracks the bones and spits them out, and accidentally swallows his wedding ring, which gives her indigestion."
Everything about this book is an attention-getter. Between the bright and colorful design of the cover to that perfect title, I was sold before I even knew what this book was about. Sometimes that makes me a tad bit hesitant but this one was worth my full attention.
All throughout history women have been getting the short end of the stick. This is our time to stand up, fight back, and make men afraid of us. This book is taking us in that direction and I love it.
Shit Cassandra Saw was a fantastic book and I've been recommending it to everyone that I see. It was raw powerful emotion and it made me want to get my riot grrrl gear out and make men fear all the strong women in the world. This was an incredible collection of short stories and I can't wait to read it again!
Beware of powerful women, we fight back and have fangs! ♥
"There is something about ugliness that demands more ugliness."
Everything about this book is an attention-getter. Between the bright and colorful design of the cover to that perfect title, I was sold before I even knew what this book was about. Sometimes that makes me a tad bit hesitant but this one was worth my full attention.
All throughout history women have been getting the short end of the stick. This is our time to stand up, fight back, and make men afraid of us. This book is taking us in that direction and I love it.
Shit Cassandra Saw was a fantastic book and I've been recommending it to everyone that I see. It was raw powerful emotion and it made me want to get my riot grrrl gear out and make men fear all the strong women in the world. This was an incredible collection of short stories and I can't wait to read it again!
Beware of powerful women, we fight back and have fangs! ♥
"There is something about ugliness that demands more ugliness."
November 14, 2023
‘Movidas que vio Casandra’ es uno de los libros que más he disfrutado su lectura en este año. No es común encontrarse con alguien con una mirada tan aguda, voz tan clara y pluma tan afilada. Con la capacidad de hacer reír mientras te obliga a pensar sobre tu presente -sobre lo que te pasa a ti, a tus amigas, a tu vecina, a tu madre…- y sobre nuestro pasado común, devolviendo (o dando por primera vez) la voz a mujeres que hasta ahora han tenido apenas un papel secundario en la historia de otros o en la Historia (Casandra, Mary Read, Nakano Takeko…). Es decir, propone una reconquista de las mujeres de su propia narrativa.
Este volumen es una antología de relatos frescos, originales, irreverentes, a veces surrealistas, algunos con experiencias desgarradoras y otras tan rutinarias como decidir arreglar (sin tener ni idea) el alicatado del baño (o cualquier actividad que se te ocurra) o hacer la reseña de un restaurante (donde hablas más de lo que te pasa a ti que de lo buenas o no que estaban las croquetas). Es genial esa sensación de no tener ni idea de por dónde te va a salir Gwen E. Kirby en la siguiente historia, ¡qué experiencia!
Si tuviera que buscar un punto en común, diría que los relatos abordan la amplia y variada experiencia de ser mujer (con ejemplos en diferentes momentos de la historia y del mundo) y una exposición de la variedad de violencia ejercida contra las mujeres. Esto suena dramático, y lo es por supuesto, pero hay poco drama en este libro y de ahí mi enorme admiración por la genialidad de la autora que consigue ser tan profunda y reivindicativa de una forma tan divertida. Básicamente tenemos protagonistas que están hartas, las vemos en momentos más o menos extremos, tomando decisiones vitales o simplemente tirando hacia delante. También tenemos protagonistas y narradores masculinos con los que Kirby expone como las estructuras heteropatriarcales tan presentes en nuestra realidad constriñen a todas las personas.
Los relatos son independientes entre sí, pero es genial tenerlos todos recopilados juntos porque tienen esa capacidad de a partir de la sátira hacerte reflexionar, ser más crítica con tu realidad, y también, son en cierta manera, zona de confort. Con estas protagonistas, estás entre amigas, a las que escuchas, entiendes, acompañas, con las que te agobias y te ríes. Aunque todos los relatos me han encantado (cosa difícil), los que están ambientados en el presente han sido mis favoritos (y el más favorito ‘Algunas cosas normales que pasan mucho’).
Unos relatos inteligentísimos, para leer de forma absolutamente desacomplejada, con ánimo de pasarlo bien y reflexionar sobre nuestro tiempo y nuestra vida. Un libro que visibiliza mucho de lo que pasa y no se habla, desde lo anecdótico va haciendo fotografías en las que todos salimos. Genera conversación, encuentro y un espacio para compartir, ¿puede haber algo mejor que eso? Para mí, en pocas palabras, un libro tan brillante y genial.
No puedo pensar en este ‘Casandra’ sin que las amigas con las que lo leí vengan a mi cabeza. Risas y lágrimas compartidas, mil reflexiones y debates. Me encanta como cuando se rompe con la idea de la lectura como actividad solitaria, surge la magia. Gracias por la compañía y por el espacio seguro.
Este volumen es una antología de relatos frescos, originales, irreverentes, a veces surrealistas, algunos con experiencias desgarradoras y otras tan rutinarias como decidir arreglar (sin tener ni idea) el alicatado del baño (o cualquier actividad que se te ocurra) o hacer la reseña de un restaurante (donde hablas más de lo que te pasa a ti que de lo buenas o no que estaban las croquetas). Es genial esa sensación de no tener ni idea de por dónde te va a salir Gwen E. Kirby en la siguiente historia, ¡qué experiencia!
Si tuviera que buscar un punto en común, diría que los relatos abordan la amplia y variada experiencia de ser mujer (con ejemplos en diferentes momentos de la historia y del mundo) y una exposición de la variedad de violencia ejercida contra las mujeres. Esto suena dramático, y lo es por supuesto, pero hay poco drama en este libro y de ahí mi enorme admiración por la genialidad de la autora que consigue ser tan profunda y reivindicativa de una forma tan divertida. Básicamente tenemos protagonistas que están hartas, las vemos en momentos más o menos extremos, tomando decisiones vitales o simplemente tirando hacia delante. También tenemos protagonistas y narradores masculinos con los que Kirby expone como las estructuras heteropatriarcales tan presentes en nuestra realidad constriñen a todas las personas.
Los relatos son independientes entre sí, pero es genial tenerlos todos recopilados juntos porque tienen esa capacidad de a partir de la sátira hacerte reflexionar, ser más crítica con tu realidad, y también, son en cierta manera, zona de confort. Con estas protagonistas, estás entre amigas, a las que escuchas, entiendes, acompañas, con las que te agobias y te ríes. Aunque todos los relatos me han encantado (cosa difícil), los que están ambientados en el presente han sido mis favoritos (y el más favorito ‘Algunas cosas normales que pasan mucho’).
Unos relatos inteligentísimos, para leer de forma absolutamente desacomplejada, con ánimo de pasarlo bien y reflexionar sobre nuestro tiempo y nuestra vida. Un libro que visibiliza mucho de lo que pasa y no se habla, desde lo anecdótico va haciendo fotografías en las que todos salimos. Genera conversación, encuentro y un espacio para compartir, ¿puede haber algo mejor que eso? Para mí, en pocas palabras, un libro tan brillante y genial.
No puedo pensar en este ‘Casandra’ sin que las amigas con las que lo leí vengan a mi cabeza. Risas y lágrimas compartidas, mil reflexiones y debates. Me encanta como cuando se rompe con la idea de la lectura como actividad solitaria, surge la magia. Gracias por la compañía y por el espacio seguro.
November 6, 2022
She is tired of speaking to listening ears. The listening ears of the men who think her mad drive her to madness. She wishes she could move far away to an island and own a bird. She will never do this because she knows she never does. It is said that Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy - this is true. It is said that, when she refused his advances, he spit in her mouth so that she would never again be believed. A virgin the same as a seduced woman the same as a violated woman the same as a willing woman, all women opening their mouths to watch snakes slither out and away.
Cassandra is done, full the fuck up, soul weary.
From the first and title story (to give its full name, Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell The Trojans Because At That Point Fuck Them Anyway - isn't it glorious?), Gwen E. Kirby is writing stories that appear straightforward - feminist, uncompromising, making their point in clear language that leaves no room for misinterpretation. But while that's mostly true, there's also some writing that doesn't hit straight away - things that had me coming back in a couple of hours with a different feeling, or saw a familiar situation in a new light, the kind of reappraisal that took very little in the way of words. It's a trick the really good writers pull off, and I'd put Gwen E. Kirby solidly into that category.
That first story is both the start of the collection and the introduction to it, and the stories that follow are mostly the kind without a true beginning or end - moments of lives that don't conform to narratives. It's less annoying than it sounds, I swear - there were a couple of stories that felt too fragmentary, but for the most part it worked.
I won't get into each of the stories - I still think part of the fun of collections is the discovery - but there's a couple of standouts I want to highlight:
A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot - one of the most speculative stories of the collection, pieces of story within a piece of story itself. Really enjoyed this one.
Friday Night - one of the ones that improved the more I thought about it. I'm still thinking about it - there's something about the moment that the author captured that feels honest.
First Woman Hanged for Witchcraft In Wales, 1594 - more of a structured story than the rest, I loved the protagonist and therefore the story.
Overall a really enjoyable collection, and an author I'll be looking for more from.
Cassandra is done, full the fuck up, soul weary.
From the first and title story (to give its full name, Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell The Trojans Because At That Point Fuck Them Anyway - isn't it glorious?), Gwen E. Kirby is writing stories that appear straightforward - feminist, uncompromising, making their point in clear language that leaves no room for misinterpretation. But while that's mostly true, there's also some writing that doesn't hit straight away - things that had me coming back in a couple of hours with a different feeling, or saw a familiar situation in a new light, the kind of reappraisal that took very little in the way of words. It's a trick the really good writers pull off, and I'd put Gwen E. Kirby solidly into that category.
That first story is both the start of the collection and the introduction to it, and the stories that follow are mostly the kind without a true beginning or end - moments of lives that don't conform to narratives. It's less annoying than it sounds, I swear - there were a couple of stories that felt too fragmentary, but for the most part it worked.
I won't get into each of the stories - I still think part of the fun of collections is the discovery - but there's a couple of standouts I want to highlight:
A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot - one of the most speculative stories of the collection, pieces of story within a piece of story itself. Really enjoyed this one.
Friday Night - one of the ones that improved the more I thought about it. I'm still thinking about it - there's something about the moment that the author captured that feels honest.
First Woman Hanged for Witchcraft In Wales, 1594 - more of a structured story than the rest, I loved the protagonist and therefore the story.
Overall a really enjoyable collection, and an author I'll be looking for more from.
May 31, 2023
"Cassandra is tired of running at wooden horses with nothing but the flame of the smallest match.
She is tired of speaking to listening ears. The listening ears of the men who think her mad drive her to madness."
👀🔮💃🏽
A riotous, Kafkaesque feminist short story collection that celebrates the triumphs and devastations of womanhood.
These stories thrill at every turn with their absurdist themes, unorthodox structures, and fun, lyrical language.
Despite the gravity of their subjects, these tales are vibrant, playful, creative, and imaginative. One of Kirby's numerous talents is her ability to switch effortlessly—often within the same scene—between wittily hilarious, heartbreaking, and visceral moments of profound empathy.
Through the eyes of the legendary Cassandra and a cast of other diverse women, we realize the power of sharing and owning our stories. Kirby's women claim and command their stories as they discover their power, liberate themselves, and learn to live unapologetically free.
They are fierce, complicated, restless, and imperfect, and they empower their audience by sharing strength through vulnerability.
She is tired of speaking to listening ears. The listening ears of the men who think her mad drive her to madness."
👀🔮💃🏽
A riotous, Kafkaesque feminist short story collection that celebrates the triumphs and devastations of womanhood.
These stories thrill at every turn with their absurdist themes, unorthodox structures, and fun, lyrical language.
Despite the gravity of their subjects, these tales are vibrant, playful, creative, and imaginative. One of Kirby's numerous talents is her ability to switch effortlessly—often within the same scene—between wittily hilarious, heartbreaking, and visceral moments of profound empathy.
Through the eyes of the legendary Cassandra and a cast of other diverse women, we realize the power of sharing and owning our stories. Kirby's women claim and command their stories as they discover their power, liberate themselves, and learn to live unapologetically free.
They are fierce, complicated, restless, and imperfect, and they empower their audience by sharing strength through vulnerability.
October 10, 2022
I am forever saying that I don't care for short stories, and here I go again, reading and loving a book of stories. Well, they aren't all exactly short stories. Let's go with short pieces. One is in the form of a Yelp review, one is a set of Wiki-How instructions, some are set in the present day and others in the past, some are very short, and some are the length of proper short stories.
What they share is a fiery energy, a sense of defiant woman-ness, even the pieces that are a bit soft or melancholy. I found something to connect with in every one of them.
The role of the women in these pieces, regardless of their age or their location in time and place, is to describe the condition of women. Not just pay equity or sharing household chores. It’s the unfairness of a world in which women are expected to put up with cat calls when they walk down the street, or aren't heard around a table full of men, or are alienated from a group when they chose not to conform to the norm.
So this isn’t news, right? What IS new is the attitude of the women in these pieces. They have had it. Enough already. They want their freedom, although what this means is unique to each of them. They just want to be themselves, not someone/something invented by others.
When I was floundering with what to do with my life in my mid-20s, I used to dream about hitting a ball with a bat so hard that it flew for miles. I’m not sure why this image chose to settle in my unconscious considering that I’m not remotely athletic, but I think it was that feeling of explosiveness.
Many of these stories recalled that feeling to me. Thankfully most often through wildly imaginative humor, but sometimes through a quiet poignancy.
This will definitely be one of my favorite reads for the year.
What they share is a fiery energy, a sense of defiant woman-ness, even the pieces that are a bit soft or melancholy. I found something to connect with in every one of them.
The role of the women in these pieces, regardless of their age or their location in time and place, is to describe the condition of women. Not just pay equity or sharing household chores. It’s the unfairness of a world in which women are expected to put up with cat calls when they walk down the street, or aren't heard around a table full of men, or are alienated from a group when they chose not to conform to the norm.
So this isn’t news, right? What IS new is the attitude of the women in these pieces. They have had it. Enough already. They want their freedom, although what this means is unique to each of them. They just want to be themselves, not someone/something invented by others.
When I was floundering with what to do with my life in my mid-20s, I used to dream about hitting a ball with a bat so hard that it flew for miles. I’m not sure why this image chose to settle in my unconscious considering that I’m not remotely athletic, but I think it was that feeling of explosiveness.
Many of these stories recalled that feeling to me. Thankfully most often through wildly imaginative humor, but sometimes through a quiet poignancy.
This will definitely be one of my favorite reads for the year.
March 28, 2023
a wonderful interspersal of historical fiction vignettes with longer modern day tales.
these are delicious slices of lives, everyday thoughts and grievances and sharp biting pains, and the ways we manage them and live through them. it's about the relationships closest to us, all different flavors of girlhood and complicated sisterhood, and it's all told in a relatable, observant voice.
overall, in tone and in vibe, this book feels like a friend.
some of my favorites:
‣ "a few normal things that happen a lot," consisting of short passages in which women, consistently objectified and victimized, transform into werewolves, fanged creatures, cockroach ladies. they have the means to defend themselves now, and they do.
‣ "here preached his last," about an unfaithful wife and mom who is haunted by the puritanical ghost of someone who died nearby in 1770, george whitefield, a prudish old preacher who calls her a whore, a glutton, everything else. emotional abuse from the ghost of an old white man. she plays in mud puddles with her daughter and ignores texts from her cheating partner, trying to survive the crushing loneliness of the everyday.
‣ "inishmore," about two sisters on a trip to ireland, hiking and staying in hostels, linked together while pushing endlessly against one another. there's a strong feeling of liminality here, of the constance of their relationship shifting in this new space.
while looking back over the titles of the stories, many more were also my favorites. "for a good time, call," and "how to retile your bathroom in 6 easy steps" and "we handle it" and many more.
although most of the historical pieces did not grab me as tightly as the ones i mentioned, i enjoyed them all, and many made me curious to learn more about the women whose lives kirby has creatively reimagined.
it's sometimes fantastical, but never in a way that feels like fantasy. i will look forward to reading more from kirby in the future!
these are delicious slices of lives, everyday thoughts and grievances and sharp biting pains, and the ways we manage them and live through them. it's about the relationships closest to us, all different flavors of girlhood and complicated sisterhood, and it's all told in a relatable, observant voice.
overall, in tone and in vibe, this book feels like a friend.
some of my favorites:
‣ "a few normal things that happen a lot," consisting of short passages in which women, consistently objectified and victimized, transform into werewolves, fanged creatures, cockroach ladies. they have the means to defend themselves now, and they do.
They feel good and safe, but not as good and safe as they'd imagined they would. They are distracted from the stars and cool night air by the places on their bodies that burn and pull and pinch, the itching that never stops. They are proud of what they've done. But still, sometimes, they wish they could be smooth and whole, some softer version of themselves.
‣ "here preached his last," about an unfaithful wife and mom who is haunted by the puritanical ghost of someone who died nearby in 1770, george whitefield, a prudish old preacher who calls her a whore, a glutton, everything else. emotional abuse from the ghost of an old white man. she plays in mud puddles with her daughter and ignores texts from her cheating partner, trying to survive the crushing loneliness of the everyday.
I can still hear him whisper joyfully whore whore whore. And I say yes yes yes. Yes, I'm here, a body, just a body, and it's not promised to anyone, it's mine, only mine, and I miss that, God, oh God, oh George, I miss it.
‣ "inishmore," about two sisters on a trip to ireland, hiking and staying in hostels, linked together while pushing endlessly against one another. there's a strong feeling of liminality here, of the constance of their relationship shifting in this new space.
while looking back over the titles of the stories, many more were also my favorites. "for a good time, call," and "how to retile your bathroom in 6 easy steps" and "we handle it" and many more.
although most of the historical pieces did not grab me as tightly as the ones i mentioned, i enjoyed them all, and many made me curious to learn more about the women whose lives kirby has creatively reimagined.
it's sometimes fantastical, but never in a way that feels like fantasy. i will look forward to reading more from kirby in the future!
December 30, 2023
Y por que no puedo ponerle 10 estrellas. Se merece todas. Relatos divertidos, inteligentísimos, originales, descabellados, y absolutamente geniales. Tantos temas transversales a desgranar. Necesario en cada mesilla de noche
Leedlo, y disfrutadlo tantísimo como yo. Y si lo lees con amigas, el disfrute se multiplica ad infinitum por que da pie a conversaciones chulísimas.
Leedlo, y disfrutadlo tantísimo como yo. Y si lo lees con amigas, el disfrute se multiplica ad infinitum por que da pie a conversaciones chulísimas.
December 29, 2021
An incisive exploration of the impositions of patriarchy that still manages to be totally delightful!!! Not sure how she pulled it off, but I'm so glad she did.
July 17, 2022
Despite some humorous observations and adroit descriptions, “Shit Cassandra Saw”, is largely a middle of the road work. The author, Gwen Kirby, focuses on some of the absurdities of being a woman throughout time. While, much of the commentary is entertaining and some of it is even cutting, for the most part it is not memorable. Out of the dozen or so stories, I can only remember details of only a few. Granted it is not optimal to review a book, months after you have read it but I needed to flip through the pages just to get a feel again. There are a few tremendous stories though.
My favorite of the bunch is titled, “Casper”. In this story, the lesser of two unclaimed baggage depot stores, located in Greenleaf, Alabama, contains a humanoid object which the workers call Casper. I thought that perhaps, an unclaimed baggage depot where unclaimed airline suitcases go was a joke but a couple of weeks hence, it was a Jeopardy answer that due to this story I answered correctly. Moving on, the girls in this depot who have some sort of odd hierarchy, decide to showcase this unique find by prominently displaying him. He is soon defaced and then stolen. Using their skills, they track down their beloved find. This story beautifully encapsulated the ludicrousness of this book.
Another silly story is, “Jerry’s Crab Shack: One Star”. In this protracted review of a disappointing restaurant a man is soon complaining about the décor, service and cleanliness. He often gets sidetracked into remarking on his wife’s appearance, his sexual hang-ups and countless other disparate topics. Even though he is trying to write a take-down piece on the restaurant, he is composing his own insecurities. He is worried that he is too effete and too high-brow . He goes out of his way to write about his sex life and how he is a typical Joe Blow. It is quite comedic and reminded me of a South Park episode, with the delightful song, “Boogers and Cum.”
The wild story, “Here Preached His Last”, also tickled my funny bone. In it the protagonist, a woman who teaches and coaches at a school is having an affair. She is being haunted by a 18th century ghost, George Whitfield who was a preacher. While, earlier on she is annoyed being called a “whore” and told she is going to Hell, after a while it becomes like a kink for her. She does not outright befriend the ghost but she takes solace in his judgmental ways.
Overall, there are some fascinating stories and plenty of absurdities but in cataloging some of the abuses of womankind throughout the years, a good deal fell flat. I like a good takedown of reality television and even jabs against the patriarchy but a lot of the stories were just meh.
My favorite of the bunch is titled, “Casper”. In this story, the lesser of two unclaimed baggage depot stores, located in Greenleaf, Alabama, contains a humanoid object which the workers call Casper. I thought that perhaps, an unclaimed baggage depot where unclaimed airline suitcases go was a joke but a couple of weeks hence, it was a Jeopardy answer that due to this story I answered correctly. Moving on, the girls in this depot who have some sort of odd hierarchy, decide to showcase this unique find by prominently displaying him. He is soon defaced and then stolen. Using their skills, they track down their beloved find. This story beautifully encapsulated the ludicrousness of this book.
Another silly story is, “Jerry’s Crab Shack: One Star”. In this protracted review of a disappointing restaurant a man is soon complaining about the décor, service and cleanliness. He often gets sidetracked into remarking on his wife’s appearance, his sexual hang-ups and countless other disparate topics. Even though he is trying to write a take-down piece on the restaurant, he is composing his own insecurities. He is worried that he is too effete and too high-brow . He goes out of his way to write about his sex life and how he is a typical Joe Blow. It is quite comedic and reminded me of a South Park episode, with the delightful song, “Boogers and Cum.”
The wild story, “Here Preached His Last”, also tickled my funny bone. In it the protagonist, a woman who teaches and coaches at a school is having an affair. She is being haunted by a 18th century ghost, George Whitfield who was a preacher. While, earlier on she is annoyed being called a “whore” and told she is going to Hell, after a while it becomes like a kink for her. She does not outright befriend the ghost but she takes solace in his judgmental ways.
Overall, there are some fascinating stories and plenty of absurdities but in cataloging some of the abuses of womankind throughout the years, a good deal fell flat. I like a good takedown of reality television and even jabs against the patriarchy but a lot of the stories were just meh.
March 8, 2022
Super smart, funny, feminist, real, borderline absurd in the best sort of way.
What a fantastic hold on characters and the human emotion. Im honestly in awe. Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.
More of a 4.5 star. But rounding up here on Goodreads because it deserves it.
(also, while i found this funny, i understand and KNOW that many will not as much. So just go in knowing that)
What a fantastic hold on characters and the human emotion. Im honestly in awe. Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.
More of a 4.5 star. But rounding up here on Goodreads because it deserves it.
(also, while i found this funny, i understand and KNOW that many will not as much. So just go in knowing that)
December 19, 2022
An innovative collection of short stories with a feminist perspective. Some of the stories are set in the past, some have a supernatural angle, and a few play with format (a how-to article here, a yelp review there), but they are indicative of a major new talent. I sure hope there's more to come from Kirby.
September 21, 2022
There were a few good stories but most of them were forgettable and lacking any kind of significance or constructive imagination.
June 11, 2022
4 / 5 stars
My mother rarely reads. She knows media representation is important and in order to be as inclusive as possible, she must consume media from raging activists on minority sides.
So, she found this as her strongest social justice related passion is feminism. Not always raging, radical feminism as I myself do, but nevertheless, she found this, read it, and gave it to me before she even finished.
It does have raging feminism, absurdist humor, an almost obscene variety of genre and style, and a whole lot of fun for me. It's truly amazing how much I can love such short stories (which I suppose is the point) while still appreciating the symbolism of it all.
They were also much too short for my taste. I'm not a short story person, so I sought more development of that kindred feminist anger.
I also missed an exploration of intersectional feminism as they are the only forms of feminism that can lead to progress. Intersectional feminists experience feminism in different ways than nonintersectional (cishet nondisabled upper class women). These perspectives, therefore, must be uplifted as they offer more insight to any movement they are in than could ever be found without them.
Not necessarily the stories' fault. Just my ever aching heart.
My mother rarely reads. She knows media representation is important and in order to be as inclusive as possible, she must consume media from raging activists on minority sides.
So, she found this as her strongest social justice related passion is feminism. Not always raging, radical feminism as I myself do, but nevertheless, she found this, read it, and gave it to me before she even finished.
It does have raging feminism, absurdist humor, an almost obscene variety of genre and style, and a whole lot of fun for me. It's truly amazing how much I can love such short stories (which I suppose is the point) while still appreciating the symbolism of it all.
They were also much too short for my taste. I'm not a short story person, so I sought more development of that kindred feminist anger.
I also missed an exploration of intersectional feminism as they are the only forms of feminism that can lead to progress. Intersectional feminists experience feminism in different ways than nonintersectional (cishet nondisabled upper class women). These perspectives, therefore, must be uplifted as they offer more insight to any movement they are in than could ever be found without them.
Not necessarily the stories' fault. Just my ever aching heart.
April 5, 2022
These stories are so satisfying! My favorite was "A Few Normal Things That Happen A Lot," a Kafkaesque feminist telling of how men might experience societal role reversal. The title story is also wonderful. The stories in the first half of the book are excellent, and the ones in the latter half are very good.
The author uses wit and dry humor, and always addresses a profound point in a surreptitious manner. This is a collection well worth your time.
The author uses wit and dry humor, and always addresses a profound point in a surreptitious manner. This is a collection well worth your time.
October 26, 2022
Perfection. I was recommended this book by someone who knew how much I hate short stories in the New Yorker because of how they're all about marital ennui or dudes and their existential problems. Shit Cassandra Saw is the perfect antidote. There's even a short story in here called, "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories" which addresses this problem.
January 17, 2022
This collection of short stories by Gwen E. Kirby places women at the front - in all their glory and agency. It strips the old -age telling of stories from the perspective of men and looks at women telling their own stories, with their voices getting centerstage.
Shit Cassandra Saw speaks of women that keep getting a raw deal. It rewrites womanhood – with a lens of bravery, a sense of flaws that exist, contradictory sometimes, and mostly with empathy and wit.
The Greek goddess Cassandra received the gift of prophesy from Apollo only to find no one believed her visions of the future, only because she refused to have sex with him. Helen of Troy was a temptress, a seducer, because of which the war happened. Women who were accused and hanged because of witchcraft in the 14th century. Women who cross-dressed so they could travel, and so much more.
The stories in this collection focus on women – those from history and those from today’s time and age – bringing out feminism and the weird, along with humour in right doses.
These 21 stories take the reader to different worlds in which women not only have agency, but also reveal the mundane and the predictability of living in a so-called man’s world. Gwen E. Kirby breaks all the stereotypes and categorizations, only perhaps to create some new ones through her stellar storytelling.
The writing is precise, sharp, morbid at times, but mostly wildly unique. Whether it is about protagonists who refuse to be secondary characters or about women who have learned how to tell their stories, Kirby whips up women at their breaking points – all ready to rebel and reclaim spaces. Shit Cassandra Saw is a fine debut collection of short stories that is constantly not only pushing boundaries but also successfully breaking them.
Shit Cassandra Saw speaks of women that keep getting a raw deal. It rewrites womanhood – with a lens of bravery, a sense of flaws that exist, contradictory sometimes, and mostly with empathy and wit.
The Greek goddess Cassandra received the gift of prophesy from Apollo only to find no one believed her visions of the future, only because she refused to have sex with him. Helen of Troy was a temptress, a seducer, because of which the war happened. Women who were accused and hanged because of witchcraft in the 14th century. Women who cross-dressed so they could travel, and so much more.
The stories in this collection focus on women – those from history and those from today’s time and age – bringing out feminism and the weird, along with humour in right doses.
These 21 stories take the reader to different worlds in which women not only have agency, but also reveal the mundane and the predictability of living in a so-called man’s world. Gwen E. Kirby breaks all the stereotypes and categorizations, only perhaps to create some new ones through her stellar storytelling.
The writing is precise, sharp, morbid at times, but mostly wildly unique. Whether it is about protagonists who refuse to be secondary characters or about women who have learned how to tell their stories, Kirby whips up women at their breaking points – all ready to rebel and reclaim spaces. Shit Cassandra Saw is a fine debut collection of short stories that is constantly not only pushing boundaries but also successfully breaking them.
October 2, 2023
This was a pretty solid if a little chaotic collection.
October 8, 2023
This was weird, but a good weird. It was also not really what I was expecting? Sometimes that’s not a great thing but in an anthology I think it works (because how much can you expect from an anthology anyway?).
The stories were not necessarily fantastical, many were were set in the every day world. I particularly enjoyed “Joe’s Crab Shack: 1 Star”, “For a Good Time, Call” and “The Disneyland of Mexico” (which I think captured the pain of adolescence oh so very well). Oh! And “Here Preached His Last” who has that delightful brand of morally gray female protagonist that I love.
A lot of the early stories were sports themed, which I enjoyed less. (I’m not a sports girl, I’m a reader… soo… yeah.) But the second half was less sports themed and there was lots of commentary on womanhood.
Worth checking out, I think. I would read more from Kirby.
The stories were not necessarily fantastical, many were were set in the every day world. I particularly enjoyed “Joe’s Crab Shack: 1 Star”, “For a Good Time, Call” and “The Disneyland of Mexico” (which I think captured the pain of adolescence oh so very well). Oh! And “Here Preached His Last” who has that delightful brand of morally gray female protagonist that I love.
A lot of the early stories were sports themed, which I enjoyed less. (I’m not a sports girl, I’m a reader… soo… yeah.) But the second half was less sports themed and there was lots of commentary on womanhood.
Worth checking out, I think. I would read more from Kirby.
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