Nancy Christie (2)
Author of Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories
For other authors named Nancy Christie, see the disambiguation page.
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In a Nutshell: A delightful short story collection focussing on all aspects of love. Yes, “love”, not “romance”! Interesting plots, multiple emotions, steady paced, beautiful endings ranging from sweet to bittersweet. Not corny and mushy as you might assume. Much recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. (Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of show more the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories.) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "[b:The Five Love Languages of Children|952|The Five Love Languages of Children|Gary Chapman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440895321l/952._SY75_.jpg|5166]" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language" in this collection's title could also be a reference to the love languages instead of typical romantic mush. Turns out, my guess was right! This collection turned out to be everything I could wish for in a story collection, and then some more.
The twenty stories are divided across five sections: Friendships, Parent and Child, New Lovers Old Lovers, Couples, and Letting Go. As the section headings indicate, each set covers a range of emotions dealing with varied aspects of what love entails. ‘Friendships’ has only one story, and the rest have four/five each. There is no author’s note, but the title and the sections offer enough clues about the content.
While every plot is connected to love, every tale isn't a soppy Hallmark-y one. I loved how the stories explored different facets of love, including the tough task of saying goodbye. I wish ‘Letting Go’ hadn’t been the last section, though I can understand why this decision was taken from a creative angle. It would have been better to end the book on a happier note, but the stories in this set were more sad and bittersweet than joyful for obvious reasons.
The "love" in the stories covers a diverse range of relationships, ranging from spousal (new lovers as well as exes) to parental, and even varied age groups, with the cast list covering children as well as senior citizens. While the range of relations was more than satisfactory, I wish a few of the tales had explored non-hetero stories as well. Inclusivity is the only key element missing from this book, with all the marital connections in the book being straight. Not a major issue, but definitely something that could have made the stories even truer to life and embracing of pride relationships.
Most authors prefer to write emotion-driven stories from female perspectives, all the more if the author is also female. Surprisingly to me, this collection includes both male as well as female narrators, and does a great job of it as well. Whether written in first person or third person, every protagonist depicts a good range of feelings that ring true to the situation instead of appearing melodramatic.
The narrative is character-oriented and focusses on traditional storytelling, with emotions and plots getting priority over needless literary flourishes. This keeps the pacing steady and the plot development smooth.
The endings are spot on. Even when they aren't exactly happy, every story comes to a proper close. I especially appreciate this because the stories are all character-driven, and it's tougher to ensure plot integrity and closure when we see events only from one character's perspective.
While I like the simplicity of the cover design, I wish the typeface of the title and the author’s name had been bigger, and maybe a bit more fancy. The current type is too ordinary for such a lovely collection.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty stories, a whopping eleven stories reached/crossed the 4-star mark. A further seven stories earned 3-3.5 stars. A high-performing set, indeed! As I don’t want to list out too many stories and lengthen this review even further, here are my top favourites with 4.5 stars:
show less
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. (Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of show more the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories.) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "[b:The Five Love Languages of Children|952|The Five Love Languages of Children|Gary Chapman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440895321l/952._SY75_.jpg|5166]" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language" in this collection's title could also be a reference to the love languages instead of typical romantic mush. Turns out, my guess was right! This collection turned out to be everything I could wish for in a story collection, and then some more.
The twenty stories are divided across five sections: Friendships, Parent and Child, New Lovers Old Lovers, Couples, and Letting Go. As the section headings indicate, each set covers a range of emotions dealing with varied aspects of what love entails. ‘Friendships’ has only one story, and the rest have four/five each. There is no author’s note, but the title and the sections offer enough clues about the content.
While every plot is connected to love, every tale isn't a soppy Hallmark-y one. I loved how the stories explored different facets of love, including the tough task of saying goodbye. I wish ‘Letting Go’ hadn’t been the last section, though I can understand why this decision was taken from a creative angle. It would have been better to end the book on a happier note, but the stories in this set were more sad and bittersweet than joyful for obvious reasons.
The "love" in the stories covers a diverse range of relationships, ranging from spousal (new lovers as well as exes) to parental, and even varied age groups, with the cast list covering children as well as senior citizens. While the range of relations was more than satisfactory, I wish a few of the tales had explored non-hetero stories as well. Inclusivity is the only key element missing from this book, with all the marital connections in the book being straight. Not a major issue, but definitely something that could have made the stories even truer to life and embracing of pride relationships.
Most authors prefer to write emotion-driven stories from female perspectives, all the more if the author is also female. Surprisingly to me, this collection includes both male as well as female narrators, and does a great job of it as well. Whether written in first person or third person, every protagonist depicts a good range of feelings that ring true to the situation instead of appearing melodramatic.
The narrative is character-oriented and focusses on traditional storytelling, with emotions and plots getting priority over needless literary flourishes. This keeps the pacing steady and the plot development smooth.
The endings are spot on. Even when they aren't exactly happy, every story comes to a proper close. I especially appreciate this because the stories are all character-driven, and it's tougher to ensure plot integrity and closure when we see events only from one character's perspective.
While I like the simplicity of the cover design, I wish the typeface of the title and the author’s name had been bigger, and maybe a bit more fancy. The current type is too ordinary for such a lovely collection.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty stories, a whopping eleven stories reached/crossed the 4-star mark. A further seven stories earned 3-3.5 stars. A high-performing set, indeed! As I don’t want to list out too many stories and lengthen this review even further, here are my top favourites with 4.5 stars:
show less
In a Nutshell: A delightful short story collection focussing on all aspects of love. Yes, “love”, not “romance”! Interesting plots, multiple emotions, steady paced, beautiful endings ranging from sweet to bittersweet. Not corny and mushy as you might assume. Much recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. (Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of show more the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories.) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language" in this collection's title could also be a reference to the love languages instead of typical romantic mush. Turns out, my guess was right! This collection turned out to be everything I could wish for in a story collection, and then some more.
The twenty stories are divided across five sections: Friendships, Parent and Child, New Lovers Old Lovers, Couples, and Letting Go. As the section headings indicate, each set covers a range of emotions dealing with varied aspects of what love entails. ‘Friendships’ has only one story, and the rest have four/five each. There is no author’s note, but the title and the sections offer enough clues about the content.
While every plot is connected to love, every tale isn't a soppy Hallmark-y one. I loved how the stories explored different facets of love, including the tough task of saying goodbye. I wish ‘Letting Go’ hadn’t been the last section, though I can understand why this decision was taken from a creative angle. It would have been better to end the book on a happier note, but the stories in this set were more sad and bittersweet than joyful for obvious reasons.
The "love" in the stories covers a diverse range of relationships, ranging from spousal (new lovers as well as exes) to parental, and even varied age groups, with the cast list covering children as well as senior citizens. While the range of relations was more than satisfactory, I wish a few of the tales had explored non-hetero stories as well. Inclusivity is the only key element missing from this book, with all the marital connections in the book being straight. Not a major issue, but definitely something that could have made the stories even truer to life and embracing of pride relationships.
Most authors prefer to write emotion-driven stories from female perspectives, all the more if the author is also female. Surprisingly to me, this collection includes both male as well as female narrators, and does a great job of it as well. Whether written in first person or third person, every protagonist depicts a good range of feelings that ring true to the situation instead of appearing melodramatic.
The narrative is character-oriented and focusses on traditional storytelling, with emotions and plots getting priority over needless literary flourishes. This keeps the pacing steady and the plot development smooth.
The endings are spot on. Even when they aren't exactly happy, every story comes to a proper close. I especially appreciate this because the stories are all character-driven, and it's tougher to ensure plot integrity and closure when we see events only from one character's perspective.
While I like the simplicity of the cover design, I wish the typeface of the title and the author’s name had been bigger, and maybe a bit more fancy. The current type is too ordinary for such a lovely collection.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty stories, a whopping eleven stories reached/crossed the 4-star mark. A further seven stories earned 3-3.5 stars. A high-performing set, indeed! As I don’t want to list out too many stories and lengthen this review even further, here are my top favourites with 4.5+ stars:
show less
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had misjudged this short story collection on initial glance, dismissing it as being cheesy romance tales. (Very hasty and judgemental of me, I admit. No offence intended to readers of show more the genre. It is just that I no longer enjoy such stories.) As the cover gave me romance vibes, I almost decided that this is not for me. But then, the title made me pause, bringing to my mind the fabulous "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell – probably the only self-help/inspirational book I've read that I found authentic and practical. I wondered if the "language" in this collection's title could also be a reference to the love languages instead of typical romantic mush. Turns out, my guess was right! This collection turned out to be everything I could wish for in a story collection, and then some more.
The twenty stories are divided across five sections: Friendships, Parent and Child, New Lovers Old Lovers, Couples, and Letting Go. As the section headings indicate, each set covers a range of emotions dealing with varied aspects of what love entails. ‘Friendships’ has only one story, and the rest have four/five each. There is no author’s note, but the title and the sections offer enough clues about the content.
While every plot is connected to love, every tale isn't a soppy Hallmark-y one. I loved how the stories explored different facets of love, including the tough task of saying goodbye. I wish ‘Letting Go’ hadn’t been the last section, though I can understand why this decision was taken from a creative angle. It would have been better to end the book on a happier note, but the stories in this set were more sad and bittersweet than joyful for obvious reasons.
The "love" in the stories covers a diverse range of relationships, ranging from spousal (new lovers as well as exes) to parental, and even varied age groups, with the cast list covering children as well as senior citizens. While the range of relations was more than satisfactory, I wish a few of the tales had explored non-hetero stories as well. Inclusivity is the only key element missing from this book, with all the marital connections in the book being straight. Not a major issue, but definitely something that could have made the stories even truer to life and embracing of pride relationships.
Most authors prefer to write emotion-driven stories from female perspectives, all the more if the author is also female. Surprisingly to me, this collection includes both male as well as female narrators, and does a great job of it as well. Whether written in first person or third person, every protagonist depicts a good range of feelings that ring true to the situation instead of appearing melodramatic.
The narrative is character-oriented and focusses on traditional storytelling, with emotions and plots getting priority over needless literary flourishes. This keeps the pacing steady and the plot development smooth.
The endings are spot on. Even when they aren't exactly happy, every story comes to a proper close. I especially appreciate this because the stories are all character-driven, and it's tougher to ensure plot integrity and closure when we see events only from one character's perspective.
While I like the simplicity of the cover design, I wish the typeface of the title and the author’s name had been bigger, and maybe a bit more fancy. The current type is too ordinary for such a lovely collection.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twenty stories, a whopping eleven stories reached/crossed the 4-star mark. A further seven stories earned 3-3.5 stars. A high-performing set, indeed! As I don’t want to list out too many stories and lengthen this review even further, here are my top favourites with 4.5+ stars:
show less
In a Nutshell: A short story collection filled with characters who face life’s challenges in an atypical way. Excellent plots, characters, emotions and endings in most of the stories. Very impressive, especially for a debut collection. Recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book contains eighteen stories, each of which has a character in a tough situation. When such cases usually occur in fiction, you will see the character’s resilience, bravery, and hopefulness. Not in this book, show more though. To some extent, the response given by the lead characters in most of the stories to such life-altering issues is more the kind we see in real life. The reactions you find in this book cover everything except anything inspiring. You have characters fuming at their fate, or escaping their burdens, or repeating previous mistakes. The result is a strange medley of disturbing and entertaining.
Let me tell you a funny book-related anecdote first. In India, we drive on the left side of the road, just as in the UK and several ex-British colonies. So in my head, the title indicated someone who stuck to the rules and didn’t take risks. Which is exactly the opposite of what it intended! show less
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book contains eighteen stories, each of which has a character in a tough situation. When such cases usually occur in fiction, you will see the character’s resilience, bravery, and hopefulness. Not in this book, show more though. To some extent, the response given by the lead characters in most of the stories to such life-altering issues is more the kind we see in real life. The reactions you find in this book cover everything except anything inspiring. You have characters fuming at their fate, or escaping their burdens, or repeating previous mistakes. The result is a strange medley of disturbing and entertaining.
Let me tell you a funny book-related anecdote first. In India, we drive on the left side of the road, just as in the UK and several ex-British colonies. So in my head, the title indicated someone who stuck to the rules and didn’t take risks. Which is exactly the opposite of what it intended! show less
A noteworthy look at human angst...
Sadly, it’s taken me several months to write my review for Nancy Christie’s: Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories – not because this book wasn't riveting, but rather because I had sprained the UCL in my main writing hand’s thumb. Believe me, I tried to write; but unfortunately good intentions disappear completely when the mere site of a pen (or keyboard) causes excruciating pain. Now that my errant digit is mostly better though, let's discuss show more Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories.
So, first off, I didn't accept this review request because I'm a fan of short story compilations. I'm not. I did however agree to read it because: I liked the person who was asking, I always try to help others, and – I have difficulty saying no. However, I must admit that I sincerely enjoyed this conglomeration. Each one was well-written, interesting and, more often than not, quite believable.
I also appreciated that each story Christie provided had substantial length. Because of this, I wasn't left feeling cheated by a short story ending too soon. Each tale found within Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories certainly lived up to the book's rather unusual title – and while some were on the very edge of ‘disturbing,’ Christie never crossed the boundary of providing the reader with too much information. If anything, she masterfully wrote these stories in such a manner that the reader's own imagination will fill in any blanks. Oftentimes this writing style winds up being even more impactful (or terrifying) when reading stories of this nature.
Each character, within each tale, will almost certainly tug at your heartstrings while you, the reader, discover multiple variations of human angst. Read if you dare, but be prepared to come out on the other side with a different outlook on life – maybe even with a new resolve to be a better person.
All in all, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories was an insightful, yet chilling read. Christie is a master with the pen and I'm looking forward to more from her in the future. show less
Sadly, it’s taken me several months to write my review for Nancy Christie’s: Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories – not because this book wasn't riveting, but rather because I had sprained the UCL in my main writing hand’s thumb. Believe me, I tried to write; but unfortunately good intentions disappear completely when the mere site of a pen (or keyboard) causes excruciating pain. Now that my errant digit is mostly better though, let's discuss show more Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories.
So, first off, I didn't accept this review request because I'm a fan of short story compilations. I'm not. I did however agree to read it because: I liked the person who was asking, I always try to help others, and – I have difficulty saying no. However, I must admit that I sincerely enjoyed this conglomeration. Each one was well-written, interesting and, more often than not, quite believable.
I also appreciated that each story Christie provided had substantial length. Because of this, I wasn't left feeling cheated by a short story ending too soon. Each tale found within Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories certainly lived up to the book's rather unusual title – and while some were on the very edge of ‘disturbing,’ Christie never crossed the boundary of providing the reader with too much information. If anything, she masterfully wrote these stories in such a manner that the reader's own imagination will fill in any blanks. Oftentimes this writing style winds up being even more impactful (or terrifying) when reading stories of this nature.
Each character, within each tale, will almost certainly tug at your heartstrings while you, the reader, discover multiple variations of human angst. Read if you dare, but be prepared to come out on the other side with a different outlook on life – maybe even with a new resolve to be a better person.
All in all, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories was an insightful, yet chilling read. Christie is a master with the pen and I'm looking forward to more from her in the future. show less
Awards
Statistics
- Works
- 12
- Members
- 74
- Popularity
- #238,153
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 25
- ISBNs
- 38
