Customer Reviews

How to Breathe Underwater

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I discovered this marvelous collection of stories because of Amy Sumerton's interview with Julie Orringer in the fiction magazine, "Orchid: A Literary Review." Reading Orringer's collection reminded me of why I love short fiction. The first story, "Pilgrims" is one of the best stories I've ever read about dealing with illness and the title story is an outstanding depiction of a sibling relationship and much, much more. The two stories mentioned are my favorites but all of the stories are stellar. I thank Amy Sumerton of Orchid for introducing me to this fine author.

This is the best book I've read all year. In sharp, gorgeous language, Julie Orringer has written nine knockout stories that moved me deeply. I read one of the stories, "When She is Old and I am Famous," in the Paris Review two years ago, and I loved it so much that I kept Julie's name on a post-it note by my desk. I came across a few of the other stories in various places afterward, and loved them just as much as the first. The collection does not disappoint. Every story is beatifully crafted and compelling. Some are funny, some are sad, but they are all filled with great characters and dialogue, and they all work beautifully. I have recommended the book to all of my friends, and I anxiously await whatever else Ms. Orringer writes in the future.

Simply incredible writing, full of wisdom and rare insights into the complexities of what it means to be human. Beautifully organized - a collection you will want to read from beginning to end, without jumping around, so you don't spill a single precious drop of the experience. If you have friends who only read novels, buy this book to convert them. Julie Orringer raises the bar for fiction, prodding at the limits of what can be achieved in words.

I really liked "Pilgrims." There is true grit and substance in that story. But "Notes to Sixth Grade Self" is far too derivative of Lorrie Moore, and too shallow for my taste. (Junot Diaz' riff off Lorrie Moore in "How to Date a Blackgirl" is far more original, and takes up far more dangerous questions of race, class, etc.) I can't remember the other stories distinctly enough, and this underscores the biggest problem with the book: its repetitiveness. Not enough range, not enough originality, not enough distinction, either in subject or style. Everything is polished, smart, tasteful . . . but safe.

I am afraid I do not even have the words to describe this work, only that I am sure it will become one of those books that women sneak around in their bags as some sort of guilty pleasure, to read over and over again, at every moment possible. After reading it a third time, I still have trouble picking out my favorite piece. I love the fact that the author writes about womanhood from a darker, less trite perspective than most fiction. It is nothing you would ever expect, and more than you could ever dream of. In "Note to Sixth Grade Self," Orringer is able to perfectly capture and reproduce a complex inner monologue of a small, self-concious little girl. Orringer also carefully manipulates the language in "Care" to give it a dizzying affect, thus forcing the reader to fall deeper into the shoes of the narrator. If you appreciate well-developed, original characterization and meticulously painted settings, you cannot afford to pass this one up.

Orringer's writing is the most original, beautiful prose I've come across in a long time. The majority of her stories have a dark undertone, but the form is so light and beautiful, which makes them stay with you. I'd like to see one of the stories turned into a screenplay. The characters are rich, the dialogue halting. Just really fine literature.

One of the most hauntingly beautiful, poignant, moving books I have ever read. Short stories often leave me wanting more, but each story in this collection was incredibly fulfilling in its own right. Sad, mesmerizing and amazingly, touchingly human, these stories tug at the heart and stay with the soul. I so want her next book...

If your book group is looking to delve into more than the same old same old, Jullie Orringer's "How to Breathe Underwater" is a must. The opening "Pilgrims" describes an unusual Thanksgiving dinner from the point of view of the children; the ending is shocking. The second story, "When She Is Old and I Am Famous" has a lighter touch, a first person account of the jealousy the protagonist feels toward her beautiful cousin. Nine exquisitely written, thought provoking stories that explore loss, love, relationships, rivalry, disappointments, triumphs with eloquence, depth, sadness, humor.

This is a great collection of short stories. Each one was like a little gem I could hold in my hand. Orringer's characters are well thought out and each story reads like it could be turned into a novel. Some I thought ended at the perfect point, while others left me begging for more. Highly recommended for fans of short stories, but also recommended to someone who hasn't liked story collections in the past. I think this book could change your mind.

It is getting difficult to find modern fiction that deals with life from a woman's or girl's point of view without resorting to cliche. The newest onslaught of Prada-obsessed shopping women who are clumsy and care only about getting a man to match their lattes are so annoying in the bestsellers list. Do publishing companies honestly think that chick lit=vapid, dumb privilaged women? When I heard that this was supposed to be a stunning collection of stories from a female's perspective, I was nervous but have turned out to be a big fan of Julie Orringer's work. I would say next to ZZ Packer's Drinking Coffe Elsewhere and Kelly Link's Stranger Things Happen, this is one of the best short story collections that deserves the critical acclaim it has received.

The quality of writing goes smoothly like a vanilla milkshake, but with the complexity of a vintage wine. The girls in these stories know more than their parents and peers would have you believe they do. To other reviewers who were grossed out by some of the events, I can assure that most girl's lives are not dancing to pop idols and aspiring to be Barbie; these girls lead lives that make them deal with their mother's dying of cancer, with persistant stoned teenage males, with religious adults who constrict young girl's lives and independence, and unfortunately the competition with other girls. Far from romanticising the very real "catfights" or complex drama girls interact with one another, often competing with one another for boys and attention or with the fact they are a not model and they do have to wear glasses. Orringer gives her female protoganists an urgent agency that most fiction (and media) has taken away from them, showing that girls are indeed human beings and not sexualized wanna-be women a la Lolita.

Take a chance from the books that have covers of "cute" blondes wearing designer clothes thinking about some bland businessman while getting drunk on martinis and reclaim female literature as intelligent, warm, entertaining, and above all, real.