LeeAnn’s review of Vampires in the Lemon Grove > Likes and Comments
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I agree. some stories were fun, others I struggled through, but throughout felt she was trying way too hard.
Wow, so surprised as I am reading currently and thinking these are the most brilliant stories I have ever read
I completely agree with this. I couldn't make it past the second story though.
I don't actually like it when an author wraps everything up so neatly there isn't room for a little imagination. I loved these stories and how they were set as mere snapshots of the moments when everything changed, leaving us to decide if that was for the better.
Stumbled upon your review, and just want to say I completely agree. I don't need or want everything tied up at the end of the story, but I do need to feel like there was some reason for it. She writes prettily, but pointlessly.
So glad I'm not the only one who felt this way. I love the "what if"s that her mind goes to, but I hate that the stories all just feel like vignettes in the mist.
I wanted to read this collection, so badly, but she really burned me with Swamplandia! This review makes me feel better about keeping away.
Totally agree-read the first two stories and gave up
i mostly agree. some if the stories' endings left too much to the imagination,which makes it pointless to read the story in the first place. if i have to imagine so much of the meaning and consequences, i've written my own story.
There were two stories I liked a lot, but that was it and I did read the whole book. But your point about endings is spot on. I kept saying that as well - she writes a decent story but doesn't know a damned thing about how to end it. I was often left with "Is that it??"
Couldn't agree more. The trailing off endings were irritating. Not unique or interesting.
I'm so glad I'm not alone in thinking this was a really irritating book! Honestly, it was so overwritten and pretentious.
I'm about five stories in so far, and couldn't agree more! The two I actually liked so far were the vampire one and the one about the silkfactory. The rest I'm finding boring, and hard to get through. She's trying too hard to sound smart and well-written, and really, a good author shouldn't need to try that hard. The lack of conclusive endings is also driving me nuts! She tries to make it seem like this poetic, beautiful ending, when really, it's just confusing and a lame cop-out.
Your expectations should have no bearing on the rating. If you don't like something, do so based on its lack of merit not its inability to meet your expectations (as if the book were written just for you!).
Lee Ann I felt the same way. I went back and read some of the stories several times thinking that I would understand the point of the stories better.
I'm glad someone else said this. I'm only on my third story in this book, reading it for book club, but my feeling so far has been "Wow what an interesting story..wait what happened there at the end?"
Lauren wrote: "I'm glad someone else said this. I'm only on my third story in this book, reading it for book club, but my feeling so far has been "Wow what an interesting story..wait what happened there at the end?""
My sentiments exactly!
Super disappointed in this. Liked the first two stories but ended up putting it down. The writing is good, but it’s all over the place.
Totally agree, such a disappointment and waste of time for all these (relatively) interesting premises.
I agree. Found the stories pointless could not get past the second one. Just a river of meandering thought and nothing tying it together.
Very much agreed. One or two of the stories were decent but the rest I had to trudge through.
i disagree that team krill in antarctica is a good premise but exactly. so many of these stories had such good premises and even pretty good development but then it just trails off at the end for no reason
I agree. Leaving a short story open, so the reader can 'decide' how it goes or imagine what happens next can be a good thing, but if it leaves the reader totally devoid of answers, with too much confusion, it does not have the desired effect.
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Julie
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May 29, 2013 03:21PM
I agree. some stories were fun, others I struggled through, but throughout felt she was trying way too hard.
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Wow, so surprised as I am reading currently and thinking these are the most brilliant stories I have ever read
I completely agree with this. I couldn't make it past the second story though.
I don't actually like it when an author wraps everything up so neatly there isn't room for a little imagination. I loved these stories and how they were set as mere snapshots of the moments when everything changed, leaving us to decide if that was for the better.
Stumbled upon your review, and just want to say I completely agree. I don't need or want everything tied up at the end of the story, but I do need to feel like there was some reason for it. She writes prettily, but pointlessly.
So glad I'm not the only one who felt this way. I love the "what if"s that her mind goes to, but I hate that the stories all just feel like vignettes in the mist.
I wanted to read this collection, so badly, but she really burned me with Swamplandia! This review makes me feel better about keeping away.
Totally agree-read the first two stories and gave up
i mostly agree. some if the stories' endings left too much to the imagination,which makes it pointless to read the story in the first place. if i have to imagine so much of the meaning and consequences, i've written my own story.
There were two stories I liked a lot, but that was it and I did read the whole book. But your point about endings is spot on. I kept saying that as well - she writes a decent story but doesn't know a damned thing about how to end it. I was often left with "Is that it??"
Couldn't agree more. The trailing off endings were irritating. Not unique or interesting.
I'm so glad I'm not alone in thinking this was a really irritating book! Honestly, it was so overwritten and pretentious.
I'm about five stories in so far, and couldn't agree more! The two I actually liked so far were the vampire one and the one about the silkfactory. The rest I'm finding boring, and hard to get through. She's trying too hard to sound smart and well-written, and really, a good author shouldn't need to try that hard. The lack of conclusive endings is also driving me nuts! She tries to make it seem like this poetic, beautiful ending, when really, it's just confusing and a lame cop-out.
Your expectations should have no bearing on the rating. If you don't like something, do so based on its lack of merit not its inability to meet your expectations (as if the book were written just for you!).
Lee Ann I felt the same way. I went back and read some of the stories several times thinking that I would understand the point of the stories better.
I'm glad someone else said this. I'm only on my third story in this book, reading it for book club, but my feeling so far has been "Wow what an interesting story..wait what happened there at the end?"
Lauren wrote: "I'm glad someone else said this. I'm only on my third story in this book, reading it for book club, but my feeling so far has been "Wow what an interesting story..wait what happened there at the end?""My sentiments exactly!
Super disappointed in this. Liked the first two stories but ended up putting it down. The writing is good, but it’s all over the place.
Totally agree, such a disappointment and waste of time for all these (relatively) interesting premises.
I agree. Found the stories pointless could not get past the second one. Just a river of meandering thought and nothing tying it together.
Very much agreed. One or two of the stories were decent but the rest I had to trudge through.
i disagree that team krill in antarctica is a good premise but exactly. so many of these stories had such good premises and even pretty good development but then it just trails off at the end for no reason
I agree. Leaving a short story open, so the reader can 'decide' how it goes or imagine what happens next can be a good thing, but if it leaves the reader totally devoid of answers, with too much confusion, it does not have the desired effect.
