Customer Reviews

Read This and Tell Me What It Says (Signed)

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OK, I have now read pretty much everything written by A. Manette Ansay! I am hooked on her books! I have loved every single one of them, and this one is no exception. She has such a wonderful way of describing regular, down-to-earth people! I liked all the stories in this book. Sure, they may be sad or depressing, but they're written in such a wonderful way!

I have read all of Ansay, and like her work alot. I never just read her work, I feel it. This collection shows that short stories are her strength. My favorites were the title story, Lies, and Spot Weaknesses. No one who's been a girl or had a daughter should miss Spot Weaknesses. It captures perfectly the pain of adolescence and the mother/daughter dance. Evolution is wonderful, too. Ansay has a way of crystalizing details and exposing emotional truths that we all intuit but rarely articulate. She manages to consistently get things "right", including the snapshots of animals which inhabit virtually all of her stories. I got this book from the library, but plan to buy it to reread and share.

This book was discussed on either Public Radio or Oprah had the author on to discuss this book--I can't remember. I read this book all in one day. It is a collection of stories that aren't very long but the characters have depth which allows the reader to feel like you have read a short book after each story. I shared this book with my Mom and my really good friend and they agree; it is a very good book.

I enjoyed reading this book of short stories so much that I bought a copy for my mom. She enjoyed it too. It's definitely not an uplifting collection, but the pieces feel honest and real.

This is a collection of Ansay's finest work as a writer. Sadly, Ansay has abandoned the short form, but these stories represent some of the finest fiction of the late twentieth century. In the course of five years, I believe Ansay published over thirty amazing short stories.

Fans of her novels will be stunned by this collection. "Sybil" is the most disturbing short story of the 1990's.

Among Ansay's many talents is the ability to perfectly encapsulate the experience of small town life into literate and utterly readably stories. The characters in her story collection are as deep and complex as any that populate her novels, despite the limited amount of space in which to have their tales unfold. If there is anything that draws me to Ansay's work, it's this obvious love for the characters and worlds she creates. Yes, the stories have interesting plots, surprises and twists, and a firmly rooted sense of place, but it's the people that count. Each one is a fully realized portrait of someone who lives in a small town and struggles to make a meaningful life in a world that is increasingly antagonistic to the rural way of life. These characters are survivors all, and their resilience makes each new challenge that much more fraught with emotion, each new setback that much more heart-breaking.

As someone who grew up in a very similar setting (rural North Dakota rather than Wisconsin, but that's splitting hairs), these stories resonated with me, giving me new insights into my own experiences and my feelings about rural living. Regardless of your background, however, these stories will give you much to think about (or talk about - this collection would be excellent for a book club) and the quality of the prose will renew your faith in the power of short fiction.

I have read all of Ansay, and like her work alot. I never just read her work, I feel it. This collection shows that short stories are her strength. My favorites were the title story, Lies, and Spot Weaknesses. No one who's been a girl or had a daughter should miss Spot Weaknesses. It captures perfectly the pain of adolescence and the mother/daughter dance. Evolution is wonderful, too. Ansay has a way of crystalizing details and exposing emotional truths that we all intuit but rarely articulate. She manages to consistently get things "right", including the snapshots of animals which inhabit virtually all of her stories. I got this book from the library, but plan to buy it to reread and share.