The Shell Collector: Stories

An intriguing set of short stories where characters — mostly with some kind of limitation — experience a transformation in their lives though contact with nature, and in some cases the interaction of that with the supernatural. The title story is perhaps the most striking — a blind conchologist on an East African beach suddenly becomes a cult figure, against his will, when a visitor experiences a ‘miracle cure’ through a bite from a cone snail. But I also enjoyed ‘The caretaker’ where a victim of the Liberian civil war finds a kind of healing through gardening, and ‘Mkondo’ where a palaeontologist‘s Tanzanian bride fails to cope with the separation from the natural world so familiar to her at home when she follows show more her husband to Ohio.

Nicely done, and without that ‘creative writing class’ feeling so many short stories have nowadays. show less

Doerr never ceases to amaze me with how well he manages to intricately weave his words together and draw me into these fictional worlds so quickly. His fascination with nature and the way the world functions is evident in every book, and this was no exception. This is a different style than I’m used to, rather than being a novel it was a collection of 8 short stories, and they all managed to take my breath away (some more than others). The Shell Collector, the first story, is undoubtedly my favorite and I can see why the collection was named after it. It sent chills down my spine and was so reminiscent of my all time favorite book, also written by Doerr, All The Light We Cannot See. It made me wish I could read it for the first time show more all over again. There were some stories that didn’t resonate with me as much, and seemed to end rather abruptly. But there were others that have stayed with me for days afterwards, such as the final story, Mkondo, and I am still processing the brilliance. It’s one of those books you finally put down and you just can’t believe it’s over and need to take a second to stare at the ceiling and process all your emotions. Awestruck. show less

I fell in love with Mr. Doerr's prose in this book. I am not an avid reader of short stories, I tend to get frustrated by them because I always wish they were longer, but Mr. Doerr's craft is impeccable. He clearly deserves all the awards he's been presented with recently. The Shell Collector will stay with me for a long, long time.

Many, arguably all, of Mr. Doerr’s protagonists would qualify as misfits of one sort or another. Eccentric, non-conformist, odd ducks. Their unconventional behaviors, though, invite the reader deeply into expertly crafted short stories or novellas with stunning environments that are vivid and instrumental to the stories playing out within them. There is loss-of-mind aplenty, but something inside you that knows the story couldn’t have taken any other direction.
Mr. Doerr is a remarkable nature writer; in face, the natural world is as much a character in his stories as are his protagonists. Don’t read him in a hurry. But do read him.

A collection of short stories by Anthony Doerr, whose [b:All the Light We Cannot See|18143977|All the Light We Cannot See|Anthony Doerr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1451445646s/18143977.jpg|25491300] left a lasting impression on me. I must preface my next comment by saying that I am not always a fan of the short story. I often feel it is just getting interesting and it is gone. This might be why I was less than moved by this collection. The stories were good, the ideas were strong, but the connection just never materialized.

Of the eight stories, I most enjoyed For a Time This Was Griselda’s Story. The relationship between the two sisters, though strange, was something I could relate to and also the question that rose to my mind show more of whether it is best to be the one who goes or the one who is left behind. What, if anything, did Griselda owe to her mother and her sister? Isn’t the making of happiness within and not outside us?

The Hunter’s Wife was interesting and different. I’m not sure I would want to be able to touch a dead or dying body and feel where it is going and what it sees. And, A Tangle By the Rapid River might just be a lesson in getting what you deserve (although I doubt that is the lesson Doerr thought to teach with it).

Overall, perfectly satisfactory reading and easily fit in between my longer reads. One or two a night before bed, not a problem. show less

This collection starts strong, then it starts to seem like this guy's instrument doesn't have too many strings and then he tries to write about Africans.The first three stories are memorable and rewarding, pleasantly removed from day-to-day circumstances and romantically committed to unlikely pairings and second shots--"So Many Chances" I might read again just for pleasure. But, Doerr is hung up on female characters who aren't human (or female)--one dimensional fantasy objects for boy poets who haven't come to terms with loving anyone that doesn't act, move and think like a man. They are too captivating and convenient, magical and false.

And he can't write about Africans for shit. In fact, his attempts were almost offensive. If this was show more 1700 and Africa was still the unknown, he could people it with barbarians and alienated semi-adapted, cerebral metaphors; but it isn't and his African stories ("The Caretaker" and "Mkondo"), while perhaps well structured and rewarding to interpret, use foreignness as a blocking device to protect characters who act in unlikely but memorable ways. When he lightens up, ("July Fourth"--oily feel to it, and "For a Long Time This Was Griselda's Story") he can sound a bit like a more self-conscious Lewis Nordan, which is weird but good. Doerr has potential; but he needs to branch out and stop projecting his fantasies on real things.

Lastly, you must like fishing and people isolated in the back country in an Annie Dillard sort of way to get enjoyment from this at all. There are no cities or social settings that involve more than two people in conversation at once (pretty much). show less

One of my favorite short story collections to date, and an introduction to a wonderful author. I gave this book 5-stars because every one of the eight stories is strong, thoughtful, interesting and a cut above many, many of the short stories out there today. This guy can write! Wow, how beautiful that is. He also seems to have wisdom of an artist well beyond his years. It also felt like they were each meticulously researched ... little worlds devoted to fly fishing, photography, the study of shells, fossils, winter in Montana; and the myriad of life forms that surround us all. So maybe that is the one caveat, one must love the thought of nature, and the site of our living, as a powerful influence over our emotions and lives. Doerr is show more right up there with some of my favorite nature writers, yet he does it in such a way to also introduce us to amazing, yet every day, characters who live amidst his vision of nature. I also think this book had a lot to say about love, and the differences and similarities that draw two people together and also, are they things that can drive them apart. And how sometimes, letting go of someone you love, is the biggest gift one can give, but also how we all sacrifice for the people we love. I loved all the stories, so I am not sure I had a favorite, but if I had to, I would choose "Mkondo" (about an unassuming academic of fossils who literally runs into a woman he loves in Tanzania while searching for a "dead bird" - an absolutely beautiful, intelligent and surprising love story). Highly recommended. show less