As far as irony goes, Lydia Davis really stretches the boundaries and makes us question what is a short story and what is...not. I really enjoyed the insights into human nature that she writes about in all her stories, even the shortest ones, but I'm particularly astounded at the way she bends genre conventions. Does a one-line short story really count as a short story ("Collaboration with Fly")? What about a story that's full of nonsense words, that doesn't have a story except in the footnotes ("Southward Bound, Reads Worstward Ho")?

"Southward Bound, Reads Worstward Ho" is particularly baffling to me because both the object in the contents of both stories in that story--the short story itself and the book the character reads--are utter nonsense, and it's actually the sub-story told within the footnotes that's actually a story. Similarly, "We Miss You: A Study of Get-Well Letters from a Class of Fourth Graders" is absolutely hilarious because of the coldly clinical and academic approach it takes to kids. They're just a bunch of kids! It's moments like these in Davis' stories--when she brings to light a common human absurdity--that make me enjoy her stories. Davis is actively aware of the components of a short story and seems to approach stories with the awareness that she's writing a story in mind, instead of trying to blend character with narration so that its verisimilitude shines through. ( )

Stupendously and irremediably detached from immediate emotion. Some are nearly empty, but if you read her other work, they have a slight tinny resonance that is tremendously memorable. ( )

http://12frogs.com/reading/reviews/20... ( )

I feel like such a drag saying this because everybody loves her and she's supposed to be so deeply cool, but this book--the first entire collection of hers I've read--just seemed pretentious to me. Now there are pieces that are funny and formally inventive and consistently challenging, but too, too many read like Deep Thoughts. But aren't funny. ( )

I can't add much to the positive stuff that's already been said. The book (along with her collection [book:Samuel Johnson Is Indignant]) is a master class in flash writing. Even the (relatively few) pieces I didn't enjoy had taught me a few things. ( )