these stories are well-written and are very representative of "gen y" literature. after about six of them, i, unfortunately, got tired of the style in which july writes. that doesn't mean it's bad, it just means that for me, personally, it was a distraction. ironically, i get the feeling that this distraction would disappear if i were reading something more lengthy by july. for example, a novel of hers would be great to read. i think she has some great ideas. also, though i enjoyed most of the stories, there wasn't a single story, nor a single moment within any of the stories, that actually touched me. not that i care, but, hey, for what it's worth.. ( )

Difficult to get through but for depressing content reasons only. I finally picked it back up 6 months after starting and read the rest. It left me feeling like I was 15 again, lost, confused, and demoralized by my own shortcomings. The common thread for me was that her characters are terribly naive and striving for something out of reach, that will forever remain out of reach. They are simply not capable of attaining that which they desire and are desperate,lonely, and delusional because of it. If you've never know what that feels like first hand, this collection may offer a glimpse.

Beautiful prose, unique perspective, but depressing! ( )

Like reading a train-wreck. Generally disliked the predictable disappointing characters, which made it hard to enjoy this book so full of emotion. ( )

stories: The Shared Patio / The Swim Team / Majesty / The Man on the Stairs / The Sister / This Person / It Was Romance / Something That Needs Nothing / I Kiss a Door / The Boy from Lam Kien / Making Love in 2003 / Ten True Things / The Moves / Mon Plaisir / Birthmark / How to Tell Stories to Children

I feel like I say this a lot about contemporary short stories, but it still applies: these are vignettes more than stories. They're compelling, and there are turns of phrase and passages I really loved and will return to...but they just end. This can be really frustrating. I'm starting to think anthologies of this ilk should come with a warning label. All this aside, there's some good writing here. My personal favorite from this collection has to be "Majesty." ( )

I like Miranda July's style a lot. And I finally read the story that Ashley has been telling me about for years "Making Love in 2003" which is good. Something about the detached-ness of the characters though makes me feel detached and kind of hate them. Which might be what is wrong with my first book. Like, if the character is angry and alone, you kind of are like, "Well, bully for you, why don't you try a little harder." That's kind of how I feel about Miranda July. Except that I think she is smart and is trying to do something complex with those detached, lonely characters. It's just really hard to do. ( )