The Shell Collector: Stories

"The Caretaker" is the richest and most heartbreaking story I have read. The act of burying a whale's heart is strange and sad and perfect. The story reminds me that the events in our lives that will change us forever usually pass as though they mean nothing. We move through them almost asleep.

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

A collection of unsettling stories, all of them unusual and with characters who are drawn deeply and sympathetically. These stories took me to new places. The Tanzanian woman who moved to Ohio and became a photographer is the story I remember the best.

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

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.

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

It is no secret, that I am a fan of All the Light We Cannot See, so I was interested in exploring some of his earlier work, including his first story collection, from 2003. Not a surprise- the guy can write. He grabs you right away with the title story, featuring a blind malacologist, who finds joy in collecting shells. Doerr shifts effortlessly, from the Kenyan coast, to an Ohio suburb, to the wilds of Montana, in these various tales. He also has a deep understanding and passion, for nature and the outdoors. Some stories are stronger than others but this is a satisfying, well-written collection.