What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

By just a few pages into the first story, I was reminded again of how much I love Oyeyemi's fabulous storytelling style. I'm generally not a fan of short stories and, though I've read a few collections, I often don't make it all the way through a book of short stories because I get too bored with them or the quality varies too much between stories. Not so with Oyeyemi's collection. Each story is meaty enough to feel completely satisfying; I love that she weaves a couple of common themes through all the stories, as well having some character overlap between the stories. Those little touches make it feel almost like something different than just a collection of short stories -- maybe it's a bridge between the world of short stories & the show more world of the novel, where Oyeyemi defies conventions & creates her own melding of the two. The stories have her usual trademarks of magical realism, surrealism, fairy tale variations, reality, exotic locations, mysterious events, & fantastic storytelling. Fun, a little bit sinister, creative, unusual, mind-bendy, & (often) optimistic. Another completely delightful work from Oyeyemi. Most definitely recommended. show less

“I read without stopping to the end, as if somebody were chasing me through the pages with a butcher's knife.”

“A library at night is full of sounds: The unread books can't stand it any longer and announce their contents, some boasting, some shy, some devious.”

I have wanted to read [[Helen Oyeyemi]] for a few years now and I am glad I started with this collection, which gave me the perfect snapshot of her writing chops. These stories are not always easy to absorb, so do not expect a smooth or quick read, but her sharp intelligence and depth, is apparent on every page, especially with the opener, “Books & Roses”, which was stunning. I just wish she would have revisited this story, later on, since many of the stories are show more linked, one way or another. Her brilliant craftsmanship, actually reminded me of David Foster Wallace, at times, which is of the highest praise.
I will be defintely be reading more Oyeyemi. show less

The stories are weird and wacky, ranging from puppets who have independent thought to a complicated act of revenge on a misbehaving pop star by a young fan. I think I liked the sweet love story set in a Cambridge college the best, as a member of a feminist society with a long history of opposition to a 'boys only' club considers what has changed, what does their embrace of the once perjorative 'homely wenches' means, and how does it embrace her 'gender fluid' friends. Other stories tap into riffs on Czech folk stories (Oyeyemi is now based in Prague), religious belief and dealing with grief. Characters from the stories have connections to each other, reappear in the periphery of narratives though each stands alone. Unlikely to be show more similar to anything else you read this year (and if like my other Oyeyemi reads, memorable so that I will still be thinking about them for some time). show less

Featuring the phrase “open me carefully” as an epigraph, Helen Oyeyemi's irresistible What is Not Yours is Not Yours will pique your curiosity from the very first page. Should you dare to proceed, you’ll find the Big Bad Wolf and sentient puppets coexisting with psychologists, filmmakers, and rival undergraduate student clubs in this loosely connected collection of short stories. Blending and recasting fairy tales, folklore, and aspects of contemporary culture, Oyeyemi's What is Not Yours is alternately mysterious, playful, and sly. Although What is Not Yours will delight fans of Oyeyemi's previous works, which include Mr. Fox and Boy, Snow, Bird, the book will also appeal to readers looking for a book with more than a touch of show more the fantastical or a wholly original read. show less

You might try, but you can't really describe Oyeyemi's style of writing. Maybe you shouldn't, it's a unique experience one must live and feel. Suffice to say that she is a storyteller. A true weaver of modern fairytales. What begins as a contemporary story ends up in the realm of mythology, rightfully living amongst the tales the brothers Grimm recorded. I got myself lost in it good this time. The high hasn't yet faded, so I'll just write down some random thoughts for each story.

books and roses
although it's one of my favorite fairytales it took me a while to get the "beauty and the beast" references. I think it was because I became instantly immersed into her universe
when I finished it I deeply craved to discuss it with someone, anyone, show more so I just reread it, as I did most of the stories in this volume
I still have questions, I still have things that need to be discovered, I still need to talk about it as if that would give me some closure

"sorry" doesn't sweeten her tea
this was probably the creepiest story of all
maybe because we're all creepy teenage girls in a patriarchy
witchy power to the witch
we're not yet done with Aisha and Chedorlaomer

is your blood as red as this?
this story pained me, reminding me of beautiful prague, the city that eludes me still
I make puppets, I live with their beady eyes looking at me when I sleep
I felt as if this was written just for me
all of it
it was for us

Tyche and Myrna and Radha and Gustav will come up again

drownings
drownings talks orphans and queens and kings and princesses
it talks needs and imprisonment
control and death
and fluid memories of people, like the dead, living out their days in silence

presence
a love story
a love story of nows, of could have beens, of was
a science fiction lucid dream of magical realism
of two lives
together

a brief history of the homely wench society
feminism, patriarchy and healing
through reading and kindness
lovely and heartwarming

dornička and the st. martin's day goose
dornicka is red ridding hood
or was in another timeline, or could have been, or is the grandmother
dornica is a protector

freddy barrandov checks ... in?
freddy is at a crossroad, a metaphorical one
a find-what-you-need-to-do-with-your-life one
it didn't seem odd that he chose as he did

if a book is locked there's probably a good reason for that don't you think
this one talks about others, prejudice, internalized misogyny, envy
it talks about assumptions and how we can only view other people through the lenses of our own experiences
so often we end up amongst strangers we thought we knew
just because you'd lock a book to protect your secrets doesn't mean that there's no other reason to do so


Would it top the pretentiousness charts if I said that reading this book is like making love? Do I care?
But it is, it really is. Sweet, warm, funny, draws you in, intoxicates you, enters your deepest thoughts, keeps you company, whispers in your ear, makes you want more, and at the end all you want to do is cuddle 'cause the experience was amazing but you have to rest sometime too. show less

These stories are strange, circuitous things, with odd digressions that seem to have nothing to do with the story you started out with, but that loop back to reconnect in a way that seems both unexpected and inevitable. There’s magical realism or fantasy in all of them, and the theme of keys is present in each.

Many of these stories are so strange and nebulous that I found my mind wandering as I listened to the audiobook. I love Oyeyemi’s strange style, but most of these failed to coalesce into anything meaningful for me.

Contents:
* Books and roses
* "Sorry" doesn't sweeten her tea
* Is your blood as red as this?
* Drownings
* Presence
* A brief history of the homely wench society
* Dornicka and the St. Martin's Day goose
* Freddy Barrandov show more checks...in?
* If a book is locked there is probably a good reason for that don't you think. show less

This author writes outside the box, which can be at once refreshing and befuddling. There's no doubt about her terrific imagination and great writing. Exquisite details draw in the reader only to spit him/her out on their bum at the end of the story, or maybe before that. The ride is fine. I reread often. Usually I do that when the writing is either beautiful, that special turn of phrase, or when it's necessary to reread for comprehension or memory, if I've stopped mid-story. These are longer stories.

My copy is an uncorrected proof from Goodreads Giveaways, without the errors often found in finished books these days. Maybe one or two typos is all. This is a really lovely book, unexpected. Don't look for anything usual about these show more stories. This is a writer to watch and have in your library. show less