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3.5 rounded up to 4. I hadn’t read anything by Ann Beattie in a long time, and then last year one of her excellent stories popped up in the
Best American Short Stories 2014 anthology, and I recalled that I owned a couple of her books that I’d begun and never finished. This was one of them. I’m glad I finally read it. Not every story is a gem, but a few are outstanding. In addition, the book has a “wintry” feel that's oddly appropriate for the season. (Which reminds me: perhaps I should read her de I hadn’t read anything by Ann Beattie in a long time, and then last year one of her excellent stories popped up in the Best American Short Stories 2014 anthology, and I recalled that I owned a couple of her books that I’d begun and never finished. This was one of them. I’m glad I finally read it. Not every story is a gem, but
a few are outstanding. In addition, the book has a “wintry” feel that's oddly appropriate for the season. (Which reminds me: perhaps I should read her debut novel, Chilly Scenes Of Winter, this winter.) As suggested by the title, Beattie’s characters are often lost and adrift, separated by any number of things: infidelity, a family member’s death, a falsehood. Or they long to go somewhere else, to escape and fly away (the title comes from the song “Over The Rainbow”). In
the brief opening story, “In The White Night,” a middle-aged couple returns home from a party, driving through a winter storm. They discuss the party before arriving and then collapse on their living room sofa, not talking about the thing they’re both thinking about: their dead daughter. In one of Beattie’s startling and effective conclusions, they imagine: In “Skeletons,” a trio of housemates loses touch with each other, but years later one of them suddenly has a vision of the other two – he “finds” them – on Halloween. In the amusing story “Cards,” two women meet for lunch and are hit on by a group of men at a neighbouring table. The final lines of dialogue – and a stunt one of the men pulls with his credit card – will make you rethink the women’s conversation, particularly an anecdote about an ex lover. The title story, set during a Christmas party, is filled with stories upon stories about affairs, second chances, and fateful encounters. Watching Beattie juggle all the different characters and their tales is thrilling. The book’s standout story, however, is “Janus,” included in John Updike’s Best American Short Stories Of The Century. Told entirely in exposition, it’s about Andrea, a real estate agent who becomes obsessed with a bowl she displays in houses she’s showing. The story is, if you’ll pardon the pun, wonderfully polished; Beattie’s prose is immaculate, with every detail ringing true. Yet beneath the surface sheen there’s the suggestion that Andrea, like the figure in the title, is two-faced, not just using the bowl as a trick to get people to buy a house, but also cheating on her husband. There’s not much range to the book’s characters. Beattie’s protagonists tend to be white, educated and upper-middle-class, living in a big city or having moved from one and now ensconced in the country. One of the few characters from outside this class, incidentally, isn’t very believable, and her name – a cruel joke? – is Mrs. Camp. Ouch. Bizarrely, my edition of the book includes three stories that feature characters named Kate; two of them feature characters named Kate and Frank. And yet I don’t think these are meant to be the same characters. This is obviously an editorial oversight. (I noticed the problem was fixed when Beattie’s The New Yorker Stories was published.) But these are quibbles. For half a collection’s stories to be strong and worth rereading is a decent average. Beattie’s prose is very quotable. And revisiting the stories I knew, I was surprised with how many details I still recalled: the mark of a great writer. ...more
I read the short story "Janus" which had been first published in The New Yorker in 1986. The Roman god Janus is two-faced with one face looking forward and the other looking backward. Andrea is two-faced in her relationship with her husband, and uses little tricks to present houses in the best possible manner as a real estate agent. Minimalist author Ann Beattie uses a beautiful bowl as a vehicle to show Andrea looking forward in her job, and backward in her personal life to someone she cannot f I read the short story "Janus" which had been first published in The New Yorker in 1986. The Roman god Janus is two-faced with one face looking forward and the other looking backward. Andrea is two-faced in her relationship with her husband, and uses little tricks to present houses in the best possible manner as a real estate agent. Minimalist author Ann Beattie uses a beautiful bowl as a vehicle to show Andrea looking forward in her job, and backward in her personal life to someone she cannot forget. ...more
Who else other than Ann Beattie could write a five-page story about a bowl? Beattie describes this bowl in-depth as well as our main character's obsession with it. A great story for those who enjoy aesthetic writing - because this bowl gets a lot of it - and some minor psychological themes. Andrea, our protagonist, transfers herself and her hopeless love life onto this bowl, making for a dynamic relationship that stays static all the same. Not my favorite short story, but one I could see a creat Who else other than Ann Beattie could write a five-page story about a bowl? Beattie describes this bowl in-depth as well as our main character's obsession with it. A great story for those who enjoy aesthetic writing - because this bowl gets a lot of it - and some minor psychological themes. Andrea, our protagonist, transfers herself and her hopeless love life onto this bowl, making for a dynamic relationship that stays static all the same. Not my favorite short story, but one I could see a creative writing class discussing in brief. ...more
This book of short stories includes some in NYC and others about NYC people. I love NYC. The age of the characters does not matter because I always start out thinking of them in their 50s with
comfortable clothes and tosseled hair, maybe like Archie and Edith Bunker. Then if it turns out they have a two year old child, I know I was wrong but am not always successful at altering my imagination. I am comfortable being around Ann Beattie’s people. This is my introduction to Ann Beattie. I was lookin This is my introduction to Ann Beattie. I was looking at some used books for short stories and this turned up. These are my kind of short stories: three maybe four pages with big margins.
Every word counts and there is no excess information except what the author wants there to be. The writing is sharp and the stories are often quirky. Lots of stories full of routine life: summer vacations, going out to dinner, having a beer, winter nights, summer days, walking the dog, going to the Goodwill, watching TV, going out to run. Even though one story – Summer People – had some suspense and it ended without a resolution, I didn’t mind the question marks. There was tension in some of the
relationships but nothing out of the ordinary: trip to the in-laws at Christmas, child custody situations, marital and family relationships. Almost all of the action was in the heads of the people. But I found the words often to be mesmerizing and beautiful. It is not fair to say nothing dramatic happens in these stories. Most of the drama happens quietly between people. You are reminded that small but important events are folded into our lives. Or maybe to say that there is some
poignancy and profundity in everyday life. I think that is what the skill of Beattie’s writing does for me. I notice and remember things that I might have ignored the first time they went by. I think to appreciate the people I care about even if they spend the vast majority of their time being regular folks. Here are some key sentences for each story. You can use them at your next party. Read the sentence and then have someone construct a story around it. In the White Night – In
time, both of them had learned to stop passing judgment on how they coped with the inevitable sadness that set in, always unexpectedly but so real it was met with the instant acceptance one gave to a snowfall. Snow – “Any life will seem dramatic if you omit mention of most of it.” The Big Outside World – She wasn’t
going to carry them home, so she invented a scenario in which the man was right: an employee inside would see the bags, open the door, and take them in. Coney Island – If they can have a child and if it’s a girl, Holly wants to name it for a flower: Rose or Lily or Margy – is that what she thought up? Short for Marigold. When Can I See You Again? – “Gooseberries are probably the most popular. I don’t know why. I think because people love something exotic. Gooseberries mean ‘I want
to see you again.’” Lofty – Wadding newspaper to stuff into the urn for another summer, she had been shocked at how tightly she crushed it – as if by directing her energy into her hands she could fight back tears. High School – My myopia is getting worse; until we come close, I mistake a bunch of broccoli for a bonsai tree. Janus – the wonderful thing about the bowl, Andrea thought, was that it was both subtle and noticeable – a paradox of a bowl. Spiritus – There was a
rose of Sharon down the road that had been grafted so that it blossomed both pink and lavender. Times – If either one became interested in someone else, they would handle the situation in whatever way they felt best, but there would be no flaunting of the other person, and they wouldn’t talk about it. Summer People – He was flattered but also slightly worried that she wanted to make love every night. Cards – “They’re wondering what perfume you have on, and whether you now hate
your husband so much because he voted for Reagan that you’d do anything behind his back in the afternoon.” Heaven On a Summer Night – On the job, construction workers sat up straight and drove tractors over piles of dirt and banged through potholes big enough to sink a bicycle, but at home, where the women she knew most often saw their men, they spent their time stretched out in big chairs, or standing by barbecue grills, languidly turning a hamburger as the meat charred. Where
You’ll Find Me – “. . . at the end of the summer, after I had mailed the picture, I’d be walking along or doing whatever I was doing and this feeling would come over me that he was thinking about me.” Writing this was fun, even if no one else really wants to know something about every story in the book. Looking for that one sentence keeps my attention. That might seem like a strange thing to say about a book of short stories, but I really sometimes have a very short attention span. Usually
I have to go back and read the story again. My selection of nibs might be my version of a Rorschach test with words. It is hard when I have more than one candidate and have to make a selection. Of course, you couldn’t do this with a book, but it works nicely for me with short stories. Where You’ll Find Me was published in 1986 so has a few years on her. But most of the stories hardly seemed at all dated. I didn’t miss the computers and cell phones. Well, yes, there was smoking
allowed in this fancy restaurant and the reference to Reagan and the 1977 Volvo. Well, it was just a book of short stories. Excuse me if I was a little fresh (or maybe flip) in this review. It was just the feeling of the book. I add this book of short stories up to four stars. Maybe if I read it in 1986, it would get five.
Jun 29, 2007 Lori marked it as to-read SNOW "This is a story, told the way you say stories should be told:
Somebody grew up, fell in love, and spent the winter with her lover in the country. This, of course, is the barest outline, and futile to discuss. It's as pointless as throwing birdseed on the ground while snow still falls fast. Who expects small things to survive when even the largest getlost? People forget years and remember moments. Seconds and symols are left to sum things up: the black shroud over the pool. Love, in its shor "This is
a story, told the way you say stories should be told: Somebody grew up, fell in love, and spent the winter with her lover in the country. This, of course, is the barest outline, and futile to discuss. It's as pointless as throwing birdseed on the ground while snow still falls fast. Who expects small things to survive when even the largest getlost? People forget years and remember moments. Seconds and symols are left to sum things up: the black shroud over the pool. Love, in its shortest form,
becomes a word. What I remember about that time is one winter. The snow. Even now, saying 'snow,' my lips move so that they kiss the air."
Aug 20, 2008 Ashley rated it it was amazing One of the most beautifully written collections of short fiction that I have ever read. Ann Beattie has a way of scooping out a hollow space in my soul and filling it with some indescribable weight. She has so much meaning in the simplest stories. After each one, I ended up holding the book close to my chest and just feeling it. Powerful. I love this book.
Nov 24, 2008 Steve rated it liked it Recommends it for: Those who prefer their food (stories) well cooked. Recommended to Steve by: no one There's something pale and cold about this book, but that's not an insult. The prose is well crafted. The stories in which not much happens are well told and make you care about the details. That said, even the heavy stories (such as the one about the effect a child's death has on a married couple) seem to understand life from a distance. The experience seems more intellectual than emotional. Perhaps that is the writer's art. There's something pale and cold about this book, but that's not an insult. The prose is well crafted. The stories in which not much happens are well told and make you care about the details. That said, even the heavy stories (such as the one about the effect a child's death has on a married couple) seem to understand life from a distance. The experience seems more intellectual than emotional. Perhaps that is the writer's art. ...more
The writing's excellent. Clear and concise, just how I like it. It was hard for me to personally relate to some of the characters, but that's not for lack of Beattie's trying. I can relate to folks who "summer" and have second apartments in the City about as well as I can relate the hard-drinking, hard-living folks in Raymond Carver's stories, which is to say not really all that much. Doesn't really stop
either writers' stories from punching me in the gut, though. Some might call some of the refe Some might call some of the references in Beattie's stories a bit dated. I find them nostalgic. She references Pac Man & Space Invaders (the arcade machines), Bowie playing on the radio, LBJ, and est. It's risky when a writer does that, but maybe I'm just (barely) old enough for those references to resonate with me.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Its a somewhat complex story about a woman who has a strange "relationship" with a bowl that her lover bought her at a cafts fair. She thinks it brings her luck, that it has some power over her life. She takes it everywhere with her. Its not a funny story by any means. It was sad for the most part. She begins to dream of the bowl, fear that the bowl may be broken, wont let other things (pitchers, flowers, china sets) sit near it. She even wakes up at the middle of the night to see if its ok. Her Its a somewhat complex story about a woman who has a strange "relationship" with a bowl that her lover bought her at a cafts fair. She thinks it brings her luck, that it has some power over her life. She takes it everywhere with her. Its not a funny story by any means. It was sad for the most part. She begins to dream of the bowl, fear that the bowl may be broken, wont let other things (pitchers, flowers, china sets) sit near it. She even wakes up at the middle of the night to see if its ok. Her husband, she feels she cant talk about the bowl with (in part because it was a man she was having an affair with who bought it for her). ...more
Listened to the title story on "Selected Shorts" podcast. An adult brother
and sister share intimate secrets while preparing for a Christmas party. Selected Shorts - Between Meals: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Select... Selected
Shorts - Between Meals: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Select...
Oct 24, 2012 Courage rated it liked it The most memorable moments in life, distilled to a fine point. Beattie makes a relatable argument for theory of mind and how we each have different perspectives on identical instances.
The first sentence of this collection's last story is the micronarrative that is at the center of Where You'll Find Me. If you're looking for a succinct summary, you can skip to that. Atmosphere and tone builds these stories. The smoke and snow is the point. The specificity of Pepperidge Farm rolls, Heineken bottles, and Kool cigarettes, and arm placement, are the only tangible things we can cling to and remember. Characters are stuck in
the grayness of life's transitions points. Everyone is appr Atmosphere and tone builds these stories. The smoke and snow is the point. The specificity of Pepperidge Farm rolls, Heineken bottles, and Kool cigarettes, and arm placement, are the only tangible things
we can cling to and remember. Characters are stuck in the grayness of life's transitions points. Everyone is approaching the end of childhood, leaving for college, meeting friends are divorces, anxious the night before the bar exam, movements caused by inertia, and not desire. There are some cyclical moments where characters appear in other stories (there is a shared universe), but in different contexts, and from different perspectives. I haven't identified them all and it would be
interesting to map them. The writing and voices resemble oft-hand eulogies. They are the kind of speeches you hear at funerals when someone who hasn't prepared one decides to speak. It's the wondering of "where did it all go," and feeling dumbstruck at not being able to articulate the question, but resigned to it.
Dec 09, 2021 Ab rated it liked it My favorite story in this collection is the last one. It's also the title story. It's about a woman who's had her arm broken and takes a trip far away to her brother's place for Christmas and tells him a story of a man she met at a restaurant. Then later he tells her of an affair he had with a student. The backdrop is a snowy day. It was a very warm story for me on this cold morning. Like tea. Other
stories are less successful, a lot of them are just snapshots of Americans doing American things. Other stories are less successful, a lot of them are just snapshots of Americans doing American things. The three page 'Snow' is an exception. It's about nothing. But it's very pleasant to read. There were some here that I especially disliked - Janus, Spiritus, Times, Cards, Heaven on a Summer Night. But that's only five stories. There's 15 stories here. I got this book for less than a dollar. It was definitely worth it.
Minimalist and yet lyrical stories. Ann Beattie can transform a seemingly banal scene (a couple awkwardly lying on their sofa, a wife climbing a tree, a woman talking about a bowl, and a man confiding to his sister about a dog he and his mistress found while they were having a tryst) into an emotionally heavy, but not heavy-handedly emotional, moment. Faves: "In the White Night," "Snow," "Skeletons," "Lofty," "Janus," and "Where You'll Find Me." Start with "Snow" to get a feel of Beattie's prose Minimalist and yet lyrical stories. Ann Beattie can transform a seemingly banal scene (a couple awkwardly lying on their sofa, a wife climbing a tree, a woman talking about a bowl, and a man confiding to his sister about a dog he and his mistress found while they were having a tryst) into an emotionally heavy, but not heavy-handedly emotional, moment. Faves: "In the White Night," "Snow," "Skeletons," "Lofty," "Janus," and "Where You'll Find Me." Start with "Snow" to get a feel of Beattie's prose. ...more
"I couldn't believe how well the picture came out. And that night, on the white part on the bottom I wrote, 'I'm somebody whose name you still don't know. Are you going to find me?' and I put it in an envelope and mailed it to him in San Francisco. I don't know why I did it. I mean, it doesn't seem like something I'd ever do, you know?" "But how will he find you?" ... "I haven't thought
about it in months." "How is that possible?" "How is it possible that somebody can go into a restaurant and be hit "But how will he find you?" ... "I haven't thought about it in months." "How is that possible?" "How is it possible that somebody can go into a restaurant and be hit by lightning and the other person is, too? It's like a bad movie or something."
Mar 27, 2022 Wporter rated it really liked it Loving it. Bought it because I read "Snow" in another book of
short stories. It's like literally looking into someone's life for a moment. In the midst of other things (movements, conversations, what have you) a story happens. I'm sure there's a better way to say that. But, I love her writing. Some stories have left me hanging, like there could be more; the ending was too soon. Or, are we supposed to understand, like in life, all problems don't necessarily get fixed; they just get recognized as Some stories have left me hanging, like there could be more; the ending was too soon. Or, are we supposed to understand, like in life, all problems don't necessarily get fixed; they just get recognized as a
problem.
Pretty forgettable. Just read Lorrie Moore's short fiction instead. Don't waste your time with this. Pretty forgettable. Just read Lorrie Moore's short fiction instead. Don't waste your time with this. ...more
Short, obsessively detailed, schizophrenic snapshots. A Raymond Carver for Generation X. Janus was a standout. Unfortunately though, I left the stories feeling more confused than enlightened.
The ending makes the rest of the story actually make sense.
16 short glimpses into moments of life.
Aug 21, 2020 Vincent Scarpa rated it really liked it Highlights include "In the White Night," "Snow," "Janus," and the perfect title story. Highlights include "In the White Night," "Snow," "Janus," and the perfect title story. ...more
Nothing tied the stories together. They all were interesting but felt incomplete.
Nov 27, 2013 Heather rated it liked it I found many of these stories to be beautiful in moments but predictable in
their overarching ideas. Almost every story had some form of infidelity or at least an uneasy awareness of a crumbling relationship. However, what kept me reading was Beattie's ability to create snapshots in time. She is so good at capturing nuances of a moment that are believable simply in their commonplace simplicity. And this collection has the first story I ever read by her in college, "Snow." It remains to this day I found many of these stories
to be beautiful in moments but predictable in their overarching ideas. Almost every story had some form of infidelity or at least an uneasy awareness of a crumbling relationship. However, what kept me reading was Beattie's ability to create snapshots in time. She is so good at capturing nuances of a moment that are believable simply in their commonplace simplicity. And this collection has the first story I ever read by her in college, "Snow." It remains to this day my most favorite short story
of any author. moments to remember: "He smiled. 'Don't tell me you're jealous about something I did when I was a teenager.' "Drew is thinking about what he can say to Charlotte. They were together for two years. There was a world between them. How do people make small talk when they've
shared a world?" (Coney Island) "Who could really believe that there was some way to find protection in this world - or someone who could offer it? What happened happened at random, and one horrible thing hardly precluded the possibility of others happening next." (In the White Night) "'Honest to God. I was getting depressed this afternoon. When the light starts to sink so early, I never can figure out what I'm responding to. I gray over, like the afternoon, you know?'" (Where You'll
Find Me)
Sep 28, 2016 Jack rated it really liked it Whenever I read Ann Beattie, I wonder why it's been so long, and why she isn't in my pantheon of favorite writers. These stories are perfect little gems. A husband and wife are driving home from a dinner
party, on a snowy night; upon their safe return, the husband is too tired, or a wee bit drunk, and cannot make it upstairs. Her response touches not only for what it means in the moment, but what it says about their marriage in toto, and the struggle that they have been through in the wake of a Whenever I read Ann Beattie, I wonder why it's been so long, and why she isn't in my pantheon of favorite writers. These stories are perfect little gems. A
husband and wife are driving home from a dinner party, on a snowy night; upon their safe return, the husband is too tired, or a wee bit drunk, and cannot make it upstairs. Her response touches not only for what it means in the moment, but what it says about their marriage in toto, and the struggle that they have been through in the wake of a tragic loss. A successful realtor has a surprising talisman, which may or may not account for her remarkable career. All of these folks are fairly
well-to-do, usually middle-aged, generally married - or used to be. They are classic contemporary American archetypes. Yet Beattie finds telling, even harrowing details in their lives which make them worthy of literature. The bowl is a gift from a past lover, and she has kept her husband ignorant of its origins. Many of these stories involve infidelity - but that's rarely the dramatic event, either. These are genuine slice-of-life moments, which seems to wander into and out of the
character's lives at small, precise incidents. It takes a writer of Beattie's command to render such tiny fractals as a full story. Many are quite short, a few pages. But I was in tears at the end of one of the briefest, when the couple made it safely home but not upstairs. Beautiful work from a brilliant writer.
Aug 18, 2012 R. rated it really liked it What was the most memorable scene in the book? Why? The most memorable scene in the book was on page 176 - as the main characters discuss the lives of the guests scheduled to arrive at a Christmas party, a passing reference to the Internet is made: "he's got a computer
terminal in his house that's hooked up to some mysterious office in New York. Tells funny jokes. They come at him all day over the computer." This stands out only because the story was written (and published in Vanity Fair) in 1986 The most memorable scene in the book was on page 176 - as the main characters discuss the lives of the guests scheduled to arrive at a Christmas party, a
passing reference to the Internet is made: "he's got a computer terminal in his house that's hooked up to some mysterious office in New York. Tells funny jokes. They come at him all day over the computer." This stands out only because the story was written (and published in Vanity Fair) in 1986. Rate the cover of the book (from 1 to 5) and explain your decision. I rate the cover a two. I'll grant you it has originality - a spectral woman composed of raw white nerve-endings floats through the dark blue night sky, suggesting the short stories are of a spooky or an alien nature. No way - Beattie's writing is by-the-book 1980's minimalism in the Raymond Carver mold, with more than a few swipes from the Ellen Gilchrist school on How to Write Eccentric/Sad Families. ...more
Like most short story collections, this one was uneven. The best, including the title story, were terrific. My favorite was a little three-page gem called “Snow,” which was so exquisite and lyrical that I read it three times, each more slowly than the last. Other stories, though, were just okay, seeming to go on too long or to end before they really got going (and, in one odd case, both). And a few I found simply baffling--little slice-of-life pieces that left me wondering why the author chose t Like most short story collections, this one was uneven. The best, including the title story, were terrific. My favorite was a little three-page gem called “Snow,” which was so exquisite and lyrical that I read it three times, each more slowly than the last. Other stories, though, were just okay, seeming to go on too long or to end before they really got going (and, in one odd case, both). And a few I found simply baffling--little slice-of-life pieces that left me wondering why the author chose to share this particular, not very significant, slice. Worth reading for the good ones, but in the end I was sort of underwhelmed. Or maybe just whelmed. ...more
Aug 21, 2015 Diane rated it it was amazing This book moved me. I enjoy reading but I am not one that is a "bookie". The short story touched my life when I was in college as a pick in an assignment. My roommate told me it was out there, she didn't get it, yet knew I would get it. High expectations...I was doubtful..how could one story out of dozens to choose have so much meaning. After my first read 17 years ago... I still feel this very short story is packed full of meaning. The snow, the chipmunk, wallpaper, Allen...etc. So much hidden This book moved me. I enjoy reading but I am not one that is a "bookie". The short story touched my life when I was in college as a pick in an assignment. My roommate told me it was out there, she didn't get it, yet knew I would get it. High expectations...I was doubtful..how could one story out of dozens to choose have so much meaning. After my first read 17 years ago... I still feel this very short story is packed full of meaning. The snow, the chipmunk, wallpaper, Allen...etc. So much hidden meaning in a world that is ever changing. Best story I've ever read...short,concise..and can morph depending on your perception... ...more
Nov 27, 2008 Briannesha rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys a heart-breaking story Recommended to Briannesha by: No one Each short story had something to offer in its own way. There were a few that I felt needed better endings. Ann Beattie can form pretty passages out of simple things, she is undeniably a master at short fiction. Each of the stories read like a mystery. Out the the sixteen stories there were four that I would consider to be the best (Snow, Lofty, Janus,and Cards). and five that disappointed me (Taking Hold, Skeletons, The Big Outside World, High School, and Spiritus). The remaining stories and bo Each short story had something to offer in its own way. There were a few that I felt needed better endings. Ann Beattie can form pretty passages out of simple things, she is undeniably a master at short fiction. Each of the stories read like a mystery. Out the the sixteen stories there were four that I would consider to be the best (Snow, Lofty, Janus,and Cards). and five that disappointed me (Taking Hold, Skeletons, The Big Outside World, High School, and Spiritus). The remaining stories and both their ups and downs. All and all I would say that the book is well worth the read. ...more
If and when I get married I hope that love is huge and pure and faithful, so at the very least I'll never be tempted to write a single
goddamn short story about my lover and/or mid-life crisis. I GET IT ANN BEATTIE, IT'S HARD TO BE IN YOUR 40s. (Which is not to say that this book is bad; in fact, the title story is quite marvelous. But it is basically the same two or three stories repeated with variation. I think I just read this at a bad time, and just not in the mood for white middle class clic I GET IT ANN BEATTIE, IT'S HARD TO BE IN YOUR 40s. (Which is not to say that this book is bad; in fact, the title story is quite marvelous. But it is basically the same two or three stories repeated with variation. I think I just read this at a bad time, and just not in the mood for white middle class clichéd shenanigans.) Ann Beattie (born September 8, 1947) is an American short story writer and novelist. She has received an award for excellence from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and a PEN/Bernard Malamud Award for excellence in the short story form. Her work has been compared to that of Alice Adams, J.D. Salinger, John Cheever, and John Updike. She holds an undergraduate degree from Americ Ann Beattie (born September 8, 1947) is an American short story writer and novelist. She has received an award for excellence from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and a PEN/Bernard Malamud Award for excellence in the short story form. Her work has been compared to that of Alice Adams, J.D. Salinger, John Cheever, and John Updike. She holds an undergraduate degree from American University and a masters degree from the University of Connecticut. ...more News & InterviewsSome people love books. Some people fall in love. And some people love books about falling in love. Every month our team sorts through... “This is a story, told the way you say stories should be told: Somebody grew up, fell in love, and spent a winter with her lover in the country. This, of course, is the barest outline, and futile to discuss. It’s as pointless as throwing birdseed on the ground while snow still falls fast. Who expects small things to survive when even the largest get lost? People forget years and remember moments. Seconds and symbols are left to sum things up: the black shroud over the pool. Love, in its shortest form becomes a word.” — 5 likes “This is a story, told the way you say stories should be told: Somebody grew up, fell in love, and spent a winter with her lover in the country. This, of course, is the barest outline, and futile to discuss. It’s as pointless as throwing birdseed on the ground while snow still falls fast. Who expects small things to survive when even the largest get lost? People forget years and remember moments. Seconds and symbols are left to sum things up: the black shroud over the pool. Love, in its shortest form, becomes a word. What I remember about all that time is one winter. The snow. Even now, saying “snow,” my lips move so that they kiss air. No mention has been made of the snowplow that seemed always to be there, scraping snow off our narrow road — an artery cleared, though neither of us could have said where the heart was.” — 1 likes More quotes…Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. |
Ann beattie where youll find me
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