The Secret Names of Women (CMU Series in Short Fiction) [Paperback]

Lynne Barrett (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A debut collection of eight stories from Gulf Stream magazine editor Barrett. Despite the somewhat ponderous title, the pieces here are fairly broad-ranging and can be considered ``women's fiction'' only consequentiallythrough the gender of the protagonists rather than through any apparent intent of the author. The narrator of ``To Go,'' for example, is a traveling saleslady in Florida whose boss and (married) lover has the bad fortune to drop dead in the car while shes in a roadside restaurant, leaving her to deal with the formalities of his disposal. Show business gets a certain amount of attention: ``Hush Money'' describes a Hollywood gardener's encounter with the woman who sold Marilyn Monroe her voice (literally), while ``Meet the Impersonators!'' portrays the chaotic personal lives of the members of a rock band, told from the somewhat exasperated perspective of the groups accountant. ``Macy Is the Other Woman'' is narrated by Macy herself, who is indeed the other woman: shes been carrying on a an affair with Jay for some time while still maintaining friendly relations with Jay's wife Emily. Understated but not cynical (``He said we'd be passionate, then we'd get tired of that, and then we'd be friends. No love. He promised me we wouldn't have that pain''), its the most moving piece in the collection. The final story, ``Beauty,'' concerns a divorced woman who becomes accidentally pregnant, then moves home to stay with her parents and sort things out; in the end, she takes advantage of the situation to go off on her own and start a new life. Barrett could profit from tighter construction and a sharper focus, but, still, she succeeds in creating an emotionally intriguing world filled with credible and vivid people. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

Each story is a little masterpiece of wit, realism and invention, peopled with characters who seem drawn from contemporary life--life as it is lived in strip malls, along interstates, in nightclubs, roadside attractions....

If one of these stories stands above the rest, it would have to be "The Former Star Carlson," about a young woman who marries a foreign student in her apartment house so he can obtain a green card. With almost incredible economy, Barrett sketches in a large cast of characters--friends, immigration lawyers, INS inspectors--along with significant emotional reversals to tell a story that is as sweet and uplifting as it is utterly realistic and believable. The pleasure offered by these stories is genuine and immense; by the end, the primary criticism most readers will have is that The Secret Names of Women contains only eight stories instead of 16 or 24. -- Sun-Sentinel, Chauncey Mabe, July 11, 1999

If you're a fan of Jayne Anne Phillips, Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, and all those other great gal writers who write kick-ass short stories, you will definitely enjoy the second collection from Lynne Barrett. These eight tales are united by mostly female protagonists who are picking and choosing between love and lust. -- San Francisco Bay Guardian, Jennifer Joseph, May 26, 1999

Only one of the eight stories in this terrific collection, the Edgar-winning "Elvis Lives"...qualifies as crime fiction, but Barrett shows her attachment to the genre by no less than three Erle Stanley Gardner/Perry Mason references. Of the non-criminous tales, "Hush Money" is a great speculation about the source of one of Marilyn Monroe's key attributes, while "Meet the Impersonators" is a darkly funny and affecting story about a small-time 1986 rock band. -- Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, John L. Breen, September/October 1999

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Carnegie Mellon Univ Pr; 1 edition (January 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887482872
• ISBN-13: 978-0887482878
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,474,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book by a gifted writer, March 18, 1999

By 

Voice of Chunk (NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Secret Names of Women (CMU Series in Short Fiction) (Paperback)

"The Secret Names of Women" is a pure joy -- really. I've already recommended it to all four of my English classes. It's the best collection of stories I've read since Robert Olen Butler's "Tabloid Dreams." That's a hefty compliment from me. Don't let the title fool you. "Secret Names..." could and would appeal to anybody -- male or female -- who appreciates good, honest, solid, funny, smart stories. If you like to curl up with Alice Munro, Andre Dubus, and William Trevor, do yourself a favor and buy this book TODAY. You'll be glad you did.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of impressive range and voice, May 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Secret Names of Women (CMU Series in Short Fiction) (Paperback)

Without a doubt, one of the best collections of short stories I've ever read. Barrett proves herself to be a virtuoso talent. Whether she's uncovering the true source of Marilyn Monroe's voice, following a team of Elvis impersonators on the road, or chronicling the personal lives of tweenage girl-band members, every word has the glint of truth -- it's as if the author has actually done all these things.

I think anyone who aspires to write short stories should read this book to learn how to construct a story in such a way its seams will be invisible. The stories are polished and perfect. Barrett is skilled at her craft, and this book leaves me wanting more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong Characters With Poignant Stories, August 22, 2001

By 

Daniel Llinas (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret Names of Women (CMU Series in Short Fiction) (Paperback)

I was really impressed by the range and depth of Ms. Barrett's stories. From a purely technical view, each story could be used as a model for writing certain kinds of stories. Aside from that, though, are the strong, interesting characters that lead the reader through the pieces.

Stories that stood out for me were Elvis Lives and Hush Money. In Elvis Lives, we follow three Elvis impersonators that signed a contract they can't get out of. I won't say anymore so as not to ruin the story, but I will say that this story won the Edgar Award for best mystery short story. Hush Money involves Marilyn Monroe and how she "found" her voice, the one that "sounds like she just finished having sex."

There are stories in this collection for all tastes, and all told with such clear mastery of the craft that we all should admire.