How to Breathe Underwater (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The stories in How to Breathe Underwater, Julie Orringer's debut collection, swim with tragedies both commonplace and horrific. A fall from a treehouse, an ailing mother, a near-drowning, a premature baby, a gun--each is the source of a young woman's coming-of-age, which we witness through Orringer's lovely, driving prose. The author possesses an uncanny ability to capture scenes and complex emotions in quick strokes. In "Pilgrims," young Ella is taken to a hippie household for Thanksgiving, where her mother joins several other cancer patients in search of natural remedies: "Some of them wore knitted hats like her mother, their skin dull-gray, their eyes purple-shaded underneath. To Ella it seemed they could be relatives of her mother's, shameful cousins recently discovered." Shame is as omnipresent as water in this collection, sadly appropriate for stories about girls becoming women. Orringer possesses an acute understanding of the many rules of girlhood, in particular the uniquely childish importance of "not telling" (for fear of becoming a traitor, and consequently, an outcast). But though her subjects may take us to the murky depths--submerging us in the cruelties girls and siblings commit against each other--Orringer's nimble writing and subtle humor allow us to breathe. --Brangien Davis --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Trapped in awkward, painful situations, the young protagonists of Orringer's debut collection discover surprising reserves of wisdom in themselves. Their trials are familiar if harsh-the illness and death of parents and friends, social ostracism-but Orringer's swift, intricate evocation of individual worlds gives depth and integrity to her nine stories, set everywhere from Florence to New Orleans to Disney World. The collection's title comes from "The Isabel Fish," in which 14-year-old Maddy is learning how to scuba dive after surviving a car accident in which her older brother's girlfriend drowned. Maddy is sure her brother hates her, and when he kills the fish she is raising for a science fair project, she can hardly blame him. It is only when they go diving together that she realizes he feels as guilty as she does. In "Note to Sixth-Grade Self"-written in a telegraphic second person-the narrator details her torments at the hands of a popular girls who speaks with a stutter. The cruelty of children is also dissected in "Stations of the Cross," in which Jewish Lila Solomon attends her friend's first Communion in the Deep South, and finds herself reluctantly playing a part in an enactment of the Crucifixion. In "When She Is Old and I Am Famous," fat Mira must cope with the arrival of her supermodel cousin: "Aida. That is her terrible name. Ai-ee-duh: two cries of pain and one of stupidity." By the end of the story, Aida has won over Mira, who finally empathizes with her bids for attention. No matter how wronged they have been, Orringer's characters are open to reconciliation and even willing to save their tormentors. It is this promise of grace-and Orringer's smooth, assured storytelling-that distinguishes the collection.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Vintage (April 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400034361
• ISBN-13: 978-1400034369
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,983 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best short story collections I've read, April 22, 2005

By	James (Davis, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank Goodness for Orchid, June 24, 2005

By	John Benjamin - See all my reviews

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.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A phenomenal collection of stories, September 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Breathe Underwater: Stories (Hardcover)

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.