Customer Reviews

The Winter Without Milk: Stories

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found this collection of 15 short stories, all dealing with the central theme of desire, to be alright. Perhaps one of my favorite things the author did was take characters from literature and incorporate them in stories. Hester Prynne, Lady Macbeth, Oedipus, and Scheherazade all make appearances. One thing I disliked was that it seemed that the author wanted to make each story so different from the others that you almost felt you were reading a book full of stories from different authors and it feel like it interrupted the rhythm the author had just set up in the previous story.

Avrich is one of the few story scribes out there who's doing anything interesting with language. Standouts include "Miss Carmichael's Funeral" and "Lady Macbeth, Prickly Pear Queen." The fable-like voice allows her to take the reader to places as varied as Paris and Zanzibar.

I adored this collection of playful and original short stories. Characters as diverse as Oedipus and Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter make appearances, but you don't have to reread your high school English books to know what's going on. The author has an amazing command of language and a rich, impressive imagination. I laughed out loud countless times, and was left with a lot to think about. Highly recommended.

The stories are very boring with weak plots, no action, and no climax. The characters are shallow and without personality. The book is over 200 pages, but you'll probably be done with it after reading a couple dozen, ever-painful pages.

I think I accidentally ordered this, because I can't see why I would ever buy it on purpose.

Borges meets Shirley Jackson meets Virginia Woolf meets Italo Calvino! These wacky and delightful stories sparkle. Exuberant prose combines with an offbeat, playful worldview to offer an uncommonly satisfying reading experience. Brava!

I forced myself to read these stories as slowly as possible, wanting the book to last forever. Avrich is as gifted a writer as they come.