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Paula Bomer

Baby & Other Stories Paperback – December 15, 2010

by Paula Bomer (Author)

17 ratings

3.9 on Goodreads

188 ratings

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Paula Bomer is a dangerous writer. The short stories in her debut collection are subversive portraits of the modern American family. From a husband who traces his internal crisis to witnessing his wife giving birth, to a mother who forces her young son on a rainy walk through a cemetery as she contemplates the detritus of her marriage, Bomer s characters are hauntingly familiar. Their fear and rage, their failures and desires are our own.

Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Word Riot Press
Publication date

December 15, 2010
Dimensions

5.34 x 0.45 x 8.18 inches
ISBN-10

0977934373
ISBN-13

978-0977934379
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In 10 raw and angry stories, Bomer flays the idea of happy little families, giving readers an assortment of emasculated and discarded husbands; brooding, unfulfilled wives; and the poor children--destined for therapy--unlucky enough to bind them. Bomer's characters, Brooklynites for the most part, having been coddled by adoring mothers, raised in upper-middle-class homes, and propelled from Ivy League colleges, now shrink from "the cold reality of the indifference of the universe." For Lara in the title story, having a baby turned into bitter disappointment once she realizes that winning the "ultimate contest" really entails a life of drudgery. Bomer's characters spew many ungracious thoughts, but these are forthright, hilarious, and honest, as with Edie, the snarly mother of two grown sons, who so evidently favors her golden Thomas over the needy Michael, "who was uncoordinated, who needed glasses, who clung to her as a boy too big to be clinging to his mother," that she exults in his unhappiness as a newly married man and father. This lacerating take on marriage and motherhood is not one to share with the Mommy and Me group. (Dec.) (c)
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From Booklist

Eight of these 10 stories were published in literary magazines or on online fiction sites. Bomer writes about men and women disillusioned by the comparison between their fantasies and the real-life choices that they make. Set in cities, vacation destinations, and college towns, these are stories of betrayal and ennui, of despair engendered by the traumas of daily life. Many of her hard-to-like characters are surrounded by equally unlikeable people. The deftness of character portrayal will ensure that readers continue to work through the stories despite the heaviness of their subjects. Stories such as “A Galloping Infection,” in which a man refuses to interrupt his vacation to take his sick wife to the doctor, and “The Second Son,” which vividly depicts details of the ends of two pregnancies, promise one ending while surprising with another. Other stories have open-ended conclusions, leaving threads unfinished and readers guessing. Buy this for fans of character-driven fiction, for lovers of Roth and Updike, and for flourishing short story collections. --Ellen Loughran

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Word Riot Press (December 15, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0977934373
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0977934379
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.34 x 0.45 x 8.18 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,529,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #59,977 in Short Stories (Books)
- #176,320 in American Literature (Books)

Customer Reviews:
17 ratings

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Paula Bomer

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Paula Bomer is the author of the novels Tante Eva and Nine Months, the story collections Inside Madeleine and Baby and other Stories, and the essay collection, Mystery and Mortality. She grew up in South Bend, Indiana and has lived for over 30 years in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in The Cut, Bomb Magazine, The Mississippi Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, TalkSpace,and many other places.

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5 star		39%
4 star		25%
3 star		11%
2 star		10%
1 star		15%

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Alienation, Anger, Despair and Dysfunction

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 14, 2012

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I first heard about Ms. Bomer's book of short stories in an online magazine article. I was intrigued enough that I purchased the book. I was not disappointed. I found the book to be filled with short stories that were angry, despairing, bitter, raw and dissolute.

Many stories deal with the angst and existential loneliness of people, even (and maybe especially) those in relationships. Those with families feel alienated and frightened. Nothing comes out like expected and the ideal does not exist except as a fleeting idea.

The characters are mostly affluent and educated people, disenchanted with their lives and their families. They are graduates of Smith, Middlebury, and Connecticut College. Unlike the wonderful writers Donald Ray Pollack and Raymond Carver who write about the poor and disenfranchised, and the cultural calamities that they face, Bomer examines the dysfunction and poverty of life of the more affluent and educated.

There is the wife who can't get her husband to leave home until she holds a knife to her neck and threatens to kill herself, the man who believes that his life's trauma results from having to watch his wife give birth. There is a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, governed by her own anger and alcoholism. She can only feel anger, rage, resentment and disappointment. These are typical feelings shared by many of the characters that people Bomer's stories.

Many of the stories deal with the dynamics of marriage once children are present. There is the family where one child 'belongs' to the father and the other to the mother. In another story, the father is the odd man out. In yet another, a mother tries to appease the child she loves by paying more attention to the child she loves less.

Almost all these stories deal with imploding families, with dynamics so mercurial and devastating that the reader wants to hold on to their chair for dear life. This is a book to savor. It definitely will stay with you whether you want it to or not. It is powerful, bold and strong. Don't miss this book. Thank you Paula Bomer!

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Helpful

Excellent writing of deep, psychological forays into people’s shadow side.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 11, 2021

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No, the stories are not pretty. However, they are literary. The writing is incredibly astute and well-crafted.
If you’re looking for something light, a beach read, or an uplifting story, don’t read this book.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something gritty and authentic, that accurately portrays so many people’s dark thoughts and behaviors, read this.
I’ll really didn’t like the first story, but I’m glad I stuck with the book because so many in this collection are worthwhile.
Ignoring the less savory thoughts, feelings and actions we humans engage in doesn’t make them disappear. I applaud Paula Bomer for her courage in presenting us with the less appealing aspects of being human, all those conflicted, angry, confused, compromising, and resentful parts that make up our shadow as Jung called it,
Ms. Bomer has compassion for her characters. There is love and beauty in that.

Helpful

Derek Wilkinson

A Strong, Insightful Read and an Inspiration for Birth Control.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 28, 2013

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I found Bomer's stories filled with the kind of brutal honesty that people think, but don't say out loud, when it comes to having and raising a family. I also like that she's taken all of her stories into different perspectives with each new character introduced: from a doting mother and a dissonant father to their polar opposites--all the while maintaining that gut-wrenching sense of self-truth that few authors explore, while exploring that same theme throughout.

My only criticism, which is minor, lies in the hype of the book's marketing; I myself write horror stories. The only thing that should shock people about this kind of writing is that, when they read the title "Baby," their expectations wind up a bit different from what they arrive at after they've put the book down--whether they've finished it or not. The idealistic hermits that can't handle Baby don't deserve the kind of insight that Bomer provides in her stories. However, in my case, when you've written tales involving gory murders, mass genocide, and introspective, suicidal self-loathing, reading Baby is a stroll in the park: albeit, a very, very insightful walk. I'd recommend this book to anyone that isn't pregnant.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 22, 2013

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The theme of these stories is how children can change a marriage. Being a parent I agree that having children is a big adjustment for any marriage but generally a happy one. All the characters in these stories are angry, depressed and unhappy with their lives and marriages. She is a talented writer but the stories are so dreary and depressing that I did not enjoy the book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 11, 2011

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After reading the first story, was not sure I wanted to continue .. Glad I did ...Paula Bomer gives the reader a raw world of emotions, and feelings seldom seen.... She hits the nail on the head with relationships, motherhood, addiction, and rage against the trapped and wasted lives... Recommend.

One person found this helpful

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Alex Mercedes

Let's Get Real

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 27, 2013

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I am transported by Ms Bomer's writing. To a place so real...where hard things and funny things and true things intertwine and nudge each other and being alive makes as much sense as is possible, given the amazing unpredictable nature of the journey through our lives. She observes what I observe but she grants these little details a weight and significance that I don't. And I, as the reader, benefit from that diligence and depth. Strong, unforgettable stories. Loved it!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 27, 2013

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A bit dark. Cringeworthy. Abrupt endings. Meanings not evident. Something I look forward to deleting off my ipad. Do not recommend

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 25, 2013

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After I finished reading this book I actually felt rattled. It's such a brutal, unflinching, dark yet honest look at family life. I struggled between wanting to put it down and reading the same paragraph over and over in awe of her fantastic writing.

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Baby & Other Stories Paperback – December 15, 2010

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Editorial Reviews

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About the author

Paula Bomer

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Top reviews from the United States

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