Customer Reviews

Delicate Edible Birds: And Other Stories [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Fiction)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lauren Groff's "Delicate Edible Birds" is a collection of nine short stories that deal with the intimate details of women's lives in the face of adversity. Unlike many story collections, each of Groff's stories is unique--they are all told by women of different ages, perspectives, and stations in life--so you don't feel like you are reading the same short story retold multiple times in a single volume. Groff gives each of her women a strong narrative voice, rich with the emotions attached to their situations.

My favorite stories in this volume included Lucky Chow Fun, in which a small town ripped apart by a sex scandal is chronicled by a high school girl; Majorette, which traces the life of an under-appreciated young woman as she uses baton twirling to aid her growth into a capable woman who raises a confident daughter; and Watershed, the story of a reckless love affair that ends in tragedy. All of the stories in this volume are as different and rich as these three, and they each leave you wishing for just a little bit longer glimpse into these women's lives.

I would recommend this volume of short stories to anyone who enjoys reading stories about strong women in the face of adversity. These stories are rich and memorable. I can't wait to see what is next from the obviously talented Groff.

THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON, in which Lauren Groff adroitly reimagined her hometown of Cooperstown, New York, and the novels of James Fenimore Cooper, was one of the most widely acclaimed debut novels of 2008. Now Groff follows up its success with DELICATE EDIBLE BIRDS. Almost all of the short stories in this collection somehow manage to cover as broad and bold a canvas as any novel, often exploring the shape of a whole life in just a few dozen pages.

Not surprisingly, given Groff's obvious affinity for history demonstrated in THE MONSTERS OF TEMPLETON, the stories collected here range widely over time and place, which helps contribute to the expansive feel of her short fiction. The opening story, "Lucky Chow Fun," takes place in Groff's fictional Templeton and is set in the present or the very recent past; others, however, explore the ravages of the 1918 influenza epidemic, the mixed blessings of the 1970s women's movement, the dread enfolding Paris's denizens during the Nazi invasion in World War II, and even the vicissitudes of fortune among the privileged classes in an unnamed dictatorship.

Unlike much short fiction, which often conveys a turning point through a single encounter, utterance or even image, Groff's stories frequently find their meaning in the shape of a whole life, reading more like imagined biographies than typical modern short stories. Groff's gift is in imparting meaning and beauty to what could be mere chronicles.

"Majorette," for example, traces the fortunes of three generations of women in the same family, vividly illustrating how their socially acceptable options --- ranging from having a large number of children at a young age to starring as a baton twirler to excelling on the volleyball court --- influence their future directions and their possibilities for happiness." In "Sir Fleeting," a woman's history of failed relationships is contrasted with (and perhaps perpetuated by) her periodic encounters with a mysterious, almost unbelievably romantic figure. In "Blythe," a lonely, bored housewife fails to live up to her own potential when she becomes entangled with Blythe, a beautiful, creative but hopelessly imbalanced young mother when both take a poetry course. The ravages of Blythe's emotional demands on her friends and family are traced over the course of years.

As in "Blythe," a current of sadness and tragedy runs through many of the stories, often relating to the elusiveness of love. In "L. DeBard and Aliette," a champion swimmer and poet, and his pupil --- a fragile, crippled heiress --- secretly fall in love, only to be thwarted by obstacles both natural and human-made. Likewise, "Watershed" is a heartbreaking story about a woman who, after several failed relationships in the big city, returns to her small town and marries a childhood friend, only to perpetuate discord that results in tragedy.

The protagonist in "Watershed" is a storyteller whose pastime is "selecting a few strands from many and weaving them into cloth," but whose penchant for story still can't make sense of the tragedy that befalls her young family. Many of Groff's female heroines share this desire to comprehend the world through story. The young narrator of "Lucky Chow Fun" views her experience through the lens of horrifically dark fairy tales. In the title story, probably the strongest one of the collection, a group of stranded journalists try to find meaning in the unimaginable horrors of war.

These characters often turn to story to find richness, solace and meaning in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances --- much like Groff herself.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

I hate writing reviews. But I had to do this one. I read Groff's "Monsters of Templeton" and loved it. I was a little disappointed to hear her next book was going to be short stories. I don't normally read short stories, but I picked this up on the strength of some of the reviews it was getting.

Groff is a marvelous writer. She doesn't just write, she crafts each sentence beautifully and with care. Her writing itself is like a delicate, edible bird. Perfect and lovely and a joy to devour. The stories each have strong characters with haunting stories to tell. Each little gem gives you something to ponder. Groff's stories won't leave you quickly.

I hate writing reviews because it's hard for me to sum up why I like or don't like a book. Groff is definitely worth your time. The stories draw you in with their lovely, vivid imagery and intriguing characters. I didn't put this book down for two days. If you like Alice Hoffman, I recommend it especially.

I really like this book. First, there's the title. Then, there are the stories. The title is somehow tender and savage at the same time. The stories got me. One after the other.

Before my two or three readers gasp, "But she LIKES everything," let me tell you: It's Not True. I'm still trying to figure out the politics, if you will, of the book review. Don't say anything if you don't have anything nice to say? Never give a bad review? So what good is a review if it's no review at all?

I don't know the answer to these questions. I do know that I'm talking about this one because I liked it. I guess I'd say that the stories were about the plight of the modern and contemporary heterosexual woman who is often a wife and mother. How normal. How non-alternative. I suppose that not everyone relates to them--but my guess is that everyone could. The beauty of fiction is finding the universal--what is applicable to all humans regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, background, etc.--in the particular. Right? So, these stories were particularly about women but they weren't just for women. (I mentioned this elsewhere--in my review of Benjamin Percy's REFRESH, REFRESH, stories that sounded like they came from a man but stories for everyone.)

I would say the emotional impact of this book was immense because of this universality. In "Watershed," the way a woman who is well-versed in contemporary mores on love and life negotiates marriage in an unexciting town really hit me hard. In "Sir Fleeting," unrequited love that ignites in Buenos Aires under a shroud of butterflies (Groff uses the word "fritillated" in this one) is exposed as something less than magical. What happens when, over the course of one's life, one keeps running into that mysterious object of affection? What happens when, over that long life, the love is never realized sexually despite being pregnant with sexual passion? What happens when, after the life has been lived, there is a moment when romantic idealism is knocked hard against the truth? What does it mean for that life lived in the shadow of such idealism? In the title story, not-so-hardened war reporters during the Nazi invasion of France--a woman among them!--make choices that are deceptively simple but truly define their understanding of dignity. In others, housewives thrash about in performance pieces, little girls grow up under the auspices of feminine wiles, and there's even a castration (though you shouldn't think it's part of some feminist victory dance--it's not and Groff paints a compelling tragedy).

In addition to the emotional impact of the universality of these stories (how do you like that phrase?), I also found myself marking passages with lovely prose. The baby's "cockleshell ears" in "Majorette" stopped me in their loveliness. A quick descriptive comment in "Sir Fleeting" labeling cherry trees in the winter in Central Park as "those floozies" was only one example among many of Groff's dexterous uses of language. This was great reading.

Also, I should note that Groff plays around, successfully, with perspective--in such a way that it doesn't feel much like playing; it's not indecipherable, but it's natural.

A good book! Even if you're not a heterosexual woman subject to the trappings of our contemporary world, this one's for you.

I'm incredibly picky about what I'll read, but after her short story in The New Yorker I was hooked. It was like love at first sight with this author. Lauren Groff is easily one of the most talented writers of our time and I will read ANYTHING she writes. These stories were INCREDIBLE. I'm making all of my friends read this book immediately so that I'll have people to talk to about it.

I just opened the book so that I could list my favorite stories, but they're all wonderful! I love the way she writes female characters and I have to say, the second story, L. DeBard and Aliette is one of the loveliest romances I've ever read. I don't usually like reading about love affairs, but this one is unique (which is the way I could describe each and every one of these stories.)

One of the other stories, Watershed, may be one of the most perfect things I've ever read. Its ending is so universal and brilliant. And the very last story has stayed with me for days. In all honesty, as soon as I finished this book I wanted to reread it.

This author takes great care in her storytelling. A few times a line would pop up and I'd think, "I always heard a writer should NEVER do that..." But no matter WHAT she writes, it flows like music. Her voice is so strong and it's obvious she writes from the heart. This is an absolutely perfect book.

Love, love, love this book.
I hate when short stories leave you hanging with no ending. I feel like, well why did I read that? I learned nothing. Not with this book. All the stories are different and unique but they all have a point and really hit you. They are mostly sexual in nature. Not to say pornographic by any nature but they do revolve around sex or a relationship so if that is not your cup of tea then I would avoid, but if not then pick this one up, it is wonderful. If you grab it off the shelf to have a look, don't start with the first story, it is actually one of my least favorites. Maybye start with the second.
Enjoy!

If I could make this book my best friend, I would. Each story is beautiful and haunting, leaving the readers imagination to really enjoy such gorgeously structured pieces. You will devour this amazing collection. Even if you aren't a short story lover, this is a definite must-read.

I love the first two stories in this collection and to think that at one point she was possibly sitting in the very same seat that I am at UW-Madison is amazing. Definitely a good purchase for people who love literary fiction.

Lauren Groff is an amazing short story writer. The beauty of her writing, its intensity and layering, comes out best in shorter works. This collection is so gorgeous to read--you get enrobed in her stories. I loved it.

This is easily one of the best short story collections I've read in a long time. Groff's prose is both muscular and elegant - she has an absolutely captivating way with words. The stories are at times painfully true to life, yet also imbued with a bit of the fantastical. Groff is equally at home writing about days gone past as she is the present day. A breathtaking, wildly imaginative collection.