A terrific collection of longish short stories, all challenging common stereotypes on gender, status. Romantic, erotic, professional encounters are all refreshed by unexpected twists, unexpected revelations that reveal that we, the reader, are guilty of making unwarranted assumptions. Each of these stories left me wanting to know at least one of the characters better. ( )

One of these stories struck me as hopeful, even vaguely happy. The rest seemed more interested in ignoring joy and anything that might life more meaningful. ( )

Well, I'm apparently in the minority here in thinking that these short stories are boring. Each story is a small slice of life of the characters, which seem to have no real impact or meaning and which end abruptly. At the end of virtually every one, I thought, "Huh? What was the point of that?" At least, it was a quick read. ( )

A smart, witty collection of short stories that encapsulate the modern era to a T.

While I don't think everyone is as reprehensible as the characters in these stories (or at least I hope they're not), I do believe that their actions are completely appropriate to the given situation they find themselves in. Nothing in this collection felt far fetched yet each story was so entertaining and engaging. This was the first book I read by Sittenfeld and I'm looking forward to reading her back list! ( )

Posting my thoughts for each story as I finish them so stay tuned...

Gender Studies
-From the first sentence - beliefs are presented to us that it is assumed we agree with, it is understood that we will agree with these beliefs, taking away the autonomy of the reader to come to their own conclusions.
-Trump supporting character is a complete caricature, not an authentic representation of the majority of conservative voters. Based on stereotypes and the loudest minorities instead of truths.
-Nell is exactly the kind of liberal that conservatives love to hate. Holier than thou, without any real conviction or reason, irritating and emotionally stunted.
-Relateable: facebook stalking an ex
-Lazy vegetarianism - Nell doesn’t form beliefs because she actually believes them. Rather she feels like that is what she is supposed to believe or do so she does it without conviction.
-Saying you are going to vote for someone and not someone else isn’t political commentary.
-Driver is actually the less repugnant character - his political affiliations (which are apathetic at best) don’t dissuade him from being kind to a person who disagrees. Whereas our MC immediately goes on an inner tangent that judges the driver based on his one comment about Trump.
-Personally I don’t think about oral sex every time someone is near my lady business, but maybe that’s just me
-“Does he know what subtle means?” even after sitting and talking she still assumes he’s stupid, based on the first thing he said to her.
-You absolutely DO have power not to be an elitist asshole. Just don’t be one. Done.
-At the end of the story Nell is using the initial encounter of her trump supporting driver to validate her feelings of superiority. Am I supposed to agree with her? Sympathize? All it does is make me dislike her more than I already did.

The World Has Many Butterflies

- I kind of like Julie at first glance, she is exactly the kind of judgemental person we all are and pretend not to be. Though she turns out to be another character “going through the motions” she has no real conviction or connection to her life or beliefs. She does what she does because that’s what she thinks she’s supposed to do.
- How does having casual, judgemental conversation with someone get equated to love? Seems like a big jump.
Suddenly Julie is obsessed with the idea of an affair as if it’s Graham’s fault for initiating. But she was already bored and unhappy in her marriage so it seems she’s just looking for an excuse to act on it and Graham is the perfect candidate.
Crying in a bathroom after being kindly let down is a little melodramatic for a middle aged, married mother, no?
She immediately thinks Gayle suspects her of something...but of what? Literally nothing happened…
This had zero point. A privileged woman has an fictional, only in her head emotional affair with a married man who ends up getting a divorce and moving in with a younger woman. And I’m supposed to what? Feel bad for her?

Vox Clamantis in Deserto
-Dartmouth - so we've got another privileged, white, liberal narrator...yay!
-Bonus points for her self worth being based on her relationship to men! And feeling shame for being a virgin at 19! What's feminism again?
-Again we have a narrator with no real conviction. Her beliefs and actions are solely based on what she find enviable or cool in others. Completely inauthentic.
-God she's boring! She doesn't even have social anxiety, she's just lazy and lacks initiative.
-So tired of this self-doubt narrative to every female character. Seems like the author doesn't actually like women.
-Of course the cool girl smokes pot and watches Edward Scissorhands - which is essentially the Nightmare Before Christmas before the Nightmare Before Christmas.
-Isaac is so far the only redeeming character.
- So Sally only exists to plant a seed of doubt for the narrat0r. Because she is incapable of forming her own opinions or conclusions and can only take cues from others.
- What an odd and completely unrealistic sexual encounter. The character we were presented has no motivation for this action, nor do I think it's something anyone in that situation would actually do.
- The only authentic moment is Isaac tracking Dana down years later. However, even that becomes some sort of vitriolic Happily Ever After that is stereotypical, cliche and not very well done. I'm wondering if this author is writing any characters that have even a tiny bit of authenticity or realism and aren't just caricatures of their stereotypes...

Bad Latch
- Well, Gretchen is just the sort of insufferable person we all love to hate.
- Niko the lactation consultant is even more insufferable. And a caricature of the hippy dippy long term bfing mom.
- The twist is that Rachel is the judgemental asshole and Gretchen ends up being the more open minded one who can adapt to change in her life. So that's interesting.
- I actually *almost* likes this story. Except it kind of feels like nothing happens. Again I'm not sure what the characters motivation or intention is. It's not clear what the *point* is.

Plausible Deniability
- This is boring. Un-compelling. Nothing really happens. Another fantasized emotional affair on one end, and a person who is just having a conversation on the other. This author doesn't understand what affairs are or how they work. Or she is just completely apathetic to romance.

A Regular Couple
-Can this author create ANY compelling characters? So far the answer is no.
-Maggie acts like having had to tie Ashley's shoe for her had some huge impact of bullying on her. First of all. What? Second of all, one small act like that - whether a power play or not would not have such a long lasting effect on a person (which she denies anyway).
-At the end I'm just not sure what the point was. Revenge fiction? I guess. Very anti-climatic.

Off the Record
-Babies cry on planes. This is not groundbreaking.
- Nursing in a bathroom stall - why does the author keep shaming women as if she is anti-feminist?
- Every narrator is so judgemental it makes me wonder if that's the point... we all sell ourseves short of good experiences because we can't get past our biases?
- Puppy! Only good thing about this story, TBH.
- Kelsey needs a therapist. And there is absolutely no way a star of that caliber would be at an interview without a publicist there. No way.
- Just because she shared something with you that you feel is super personal, doesn't mean you are obligated to share it as a journalist.
-... ??? Please tell me what the point is. Can anyone fill me in? Like I'm supposed to feel bad for Nina because motherhood got in her way and Kelsey did exactly what any celebrity would be advised to do to "get ahead" of bad press? I'm just exhausted trying to figure out the motivation behind these stories.

The Prairie Wife
- I, too, hate the term "lifestyle brand".
- So...does Sittenfield hate liberal media attention whores? Or is the the women who hate them that she's criticizing? I literally can't tell.
- Kristen apparently believes that the person you were in high school is the person you are forever and that people are not capable of change or growth after graduation. You are not allowed to go from popular, foul mouthed, confused sexuality to evangelical, crunchy, Christian.
- There's so much judgement of people doing normal things for their circumstance. The narrators are constantly trying to assume the motivations of other characters (usually incorrectly) as a way to make themselves feel more superior.
- Why are all these woman so sexually confused? Some kind of weird lesbian rage orgasm going on here.
- Being straight doesn't make you homophobic...although Kirsten does seem to have some issues with sexuality, not gonna lie.
-Ah, it makes sense now. Kirsten's rage comes from feeling like Lucy pushed her unwillingly into her lesbianism and her life is all Lucy's fault. Her unhappiness is blamed on Lucy instead of herself. Okay. I see what you did there.
-OH LOOK ANOTHER CLICHE ENDING. HOW ORIGINAL.

Volunteers are Shining Stars
- Let me give all these children really stereotypical "African American" names, just so you know that I'm being diverse. That's some lazy writing.
- Oh Alaina. So naive.
- I really don't understand this characters rage. Like there's no reason for it? Yes Alaina is annoying...but it's got nothing to do with Frances.

Do-Over
- I don't really have anything concrete to say. The same characters regurgitated in a different city. A different age. A different social situation. Totally without motivation or conviction. Rinse and repeat.

Was this set of short stories meant to point out the irony of our culture of judgement? If so I don't think it accomplishes the job in the way intended. Nearly all the characters fall flat and lack any real authenticity, they all seem like caricatures (poorly drawn ones at that) of their stereotypes. None of the stories have any real conflict or resolution. Just...boring.
( )