I thought Emma Cline's book, THE GIRLS, was interesting, so when I saw that another one of her books was available, I jumped at requesting it. This book of short stories is wonderful. All based on the idea of Daddy; the stories are compelling, some odd, some weird, some questioning, all of them page turners. Ms. Cline is a true literary talent and I am anxious to read her next book. The way Ms. Cline uses words is profound. Every single one of these stories could be a full length novel, in fact, I wish each one were. brings her characters to full fruition and life, they could be your neighbors. This is a perfect summer read. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the epub.

Emma Cline is at her best complicating, humanizing, and particularizing power dynamics that might otherwise be, at this moment in history, dulled by familiarity. Her sentences are fire; the moods and turns are subtle and accomplished. I would follow Cline anywhere.

I feel very “three stars” about this book. On one hand, Cline’s writing is superb. She is very good at the art of short story prose, packing a deep gut punch in just a few pages. The subject matter is bleak, but there were a few gemlike sentences that stopped me in my tracks, they were so perfect.

On the other hand, these stories all end way too abruptly — you discover something important, some ugliness starts to just peek its nose in, and then the story is over. It feels almost like a cop-out, setting us up for something truly devastating or deep, and then cutting us off without saying what it is she’s trying to say. Most of these stories dance around something meaningful or poignant, but finish before ever achieving that.

The situations that Cline crafts are normal and strange, capturing the awful, uncomfortable feeling of unremarkably common situations. A dad reflects on his awful life when his spoiled adult children come home for Christmas. A dad tries to impress a famous and talented old friend despite being wholly embarrassed about his life and his son’s tacky artistic pursuits. A dad bails his ungrateful son out of a bad situation at the private high school, trusting that his money will get his son another spot somewhere better, teaching his son nothing.

Only after I just reflected on that did I realize that the stories I liked best in this collection were, really, the “Daddy” stories. Not very many of the stories were really about dads — in fact, only the three mentioned above are really focused on fathers. The rest are similarly bleak, almost deep stories, but about pregnant girlfriends and a sexually curious young teen and an unconventionally disturbed woman in celebrity rehab. The title “Daddy” is somewhat of a random theme chosen for a collection of thematically unconnected stories.

Overall, these were intriguing stories to pick up - not all of them will work for you, but I guarantee at least one of them will stick with you. Thank you to Random House for the ARC!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Emma Cline's The Girls so I was excited to get a chance to read this collection of short stories.

The writing, as expected of Cline, is brilliant and flows flawlessly. The characters all have a hidden undertone of violence within them. These are not positive, make you feel good reads, but rather gritty, real, slice of life pieces. They give you just enough to draw you in and then leave you alone with your thoughts to ponder them out.

http://www.courtneymlandis.com/blog/book-review-daddy

Random House was kind enough to send me an e-galley of Emma Cline’s forthcoming collection of short stories, titled Daddy*. I read Cline’s debut novel, The Girls, back in 2016, and while I liked it enough that her name jumped out at me from RH’s catalog, my memory of the book and of her writing was a little fuzzy. The Girls is set in late 60’s Haight, alluding to the Manson community & murders, and the atmosphere of the book was definitely thick, hot & sticky like a humid summer, with somewhat overworked prose to match. In Daddy, we have ten short stories, many dealing with a father or father figure, for better or for worse. The short format is a really good match for Cline’s style, and I really enjoyed every piece in the collection.

The title, I admit, is cringey; I feel for the PR that will need to repeatedly say the name aloud. However, I think it really nicely captures the specific sort of male characters that occupy these pages: not the beloved, affectionate parents that grow into “Dad,” but either immature, aloof men who maybe feel entitled to their children’s affection by virtue of existing, or older, pathetically sexual men in various relationships (real, imagined, over, paternalistic) with younger women. It’s very cool that this “theme” doesn’t feel heavy-handed or overworked into the stories, like those seasonal paperbacks with a bunch of Christmas-themed romances, for example. Rather, when you look back at those stories with that lens, you can see Cline’s larger point about masculinity and gender roles, about what the word “Daddy” implies culturally.

An important part of this dynamic is that even when narrated by or supposedly following that male main character— usually the thematic “Daddy” figure— our real focus or interest is on the female character opposite them: an adult daughter, a girlfriend, even a son’s girlfriend. Honestly, I was a little skeptical: I think I’ve read enough male midlife crises short stories to last a lifetime at this point; what more can possibly be said? And yet, by subtly drawing our attention to the adult daughter who chooses to see a movie alone on Christmas Eve rather than invite her dad, or to the young actress who just wants to party while her older boyfriend plans how he’s going to clean her apartment for her in the morning, we get a story that’s so much richer. The stories where the younger woman is the main character are equally effective: the American Apparel employee who starts selling used underwear for extra cash, or the former nanny who becomes tabloid fodder after an Afflex-esque affair. In these short stories, we get just a peek at some kind of larger story, told through really richly drawn characters.

This is a really great collection, an admirable follow-up that I enjoyed even more than Cline’s well-received debut novel. Pre-order Daddy online here.

*E-book provided by Random House Books; not a sponsored post. All thoughts my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: September 1, 2020
Emma Cline, author of “The Girls”, returns with “Daddy”, a collection of ten short stories on the frailty of human relationships, and the consequences of choices we make.
First of let me say, I am not a fan of short stories. I feel they don’t give me enough, and just as I start getting into the plots and developing relationships with the characters, they switch to another story. “Daddy” was this way for me. Although the stories themselves were well-told, I felt disappointed with each and every one. I wanted more from them, and although they have minor connecting themes, the stories were not related enough to each other to allow for the flow and engagement that I desire from my novels.
Emma Cline is a great storyteller. Her characters are poignant, and her themes are thought provoking. The characters in these stories are flawed and exceptionally human, and Cline highlights their flaws in bold and upfront ways. I would’ve loved any of these stories to have been expanded on, I wanted to know more of these characters. I felt gypped, and ripped off, to be brought to the edge and left there.
Again, I am not the person you should come to when short stories need to be evaluated. But I can say, Cline is entertaining and passionate, and definitely has the creative chops you expect from a rising author. This is definitely a collection that would be enjoyable for those who can tolerate short stories. I just wish I was one of them.

Cline’s latest is a superbly written set of short stories. The tie between these stories, for me, was the dark moments hidden just beneath the surface, the moments Cline did not need to say outright for the reader to feel. I see a future short story master in Cline and I can’t wait to see what she puts out next.

YES, DADDY

No, I’m not here today to review an erotica. “Daddy” is the clickbait, attention-seeking title for Emma Cline’s new 10 short stories collection. Surprisingly, I LOVE this title and I think it does work here since a couple of these stories do allude to a father or authoritative figure.

There’s no doubt that Emma Cline is a gifted young writer and her prose speaks for itself. If you read “The Girls”, you’ll know what I’m referring to. Her language is lyrical, literary, and quite frankly, exhilarating.

Each of the stories selected were edgy and perceptive, making it clear that Cline is a pro when it comes to observing human interactions and uncovering the darkest parts of human nature that some of us are too afraid to explore. Emma Cline does that for us- she really goes there. There’s also quite a bit of social commentary and criticism to celebrity culture, Hollywood, and men in general.

While I didn’t love half of these stories (and that’s to be expected already with short stories), there were three that really stuck with me that I simply adored: Arcadia, Marion, and Los Angeles. They were so good that I feel like they could be full novels, especially Arcadia, with its eerie and disturbing setting and characters. I also did enjoy The Nanny and A/S/L.

All in all, I would recommend this to fans of Emma Cline, literary short stories readers or anyone that is looking for something thought provoking and unique! Thank you SO much to @randomhouse for this arc. PUB DAY is SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

RATING: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I really loved Cline's The Girls, and was super exited for an ARC of this book. I gave up 80% in. I guess I'm not a short story kind of gal. While each was well written, I kept losing interest. And if I got even a little hooked, the story ended. And a new one began. This just wasn't the book for me. A huge disappointment.

1 star--I didn't like it. This rating has nothing to do with the quality of the book, which is stellar. The writing was excellent (the reason I requested this book from NetGalley is that I enjoy Cline's writing). In fact, Cline's ability to capture characters and situations is precise and detailed.

But that's the problem. Every story in this collection was a picture of despair. The characters were stuck in horrible situations--but not big outward horrors like car crashes, cancer, or global pandemics (heh). Rather they were stuck by their bad decisions or paralysis or just the minor helplessness of our late-capitalist society. Every single story was about a terrible person in a depressing situation. No options, no joy, no hope.

2020 is not the year for a book like this. Sorry, Emma Cline. It's not your fault--it's just really bad timing. I'm currently watching sitcoms and reality tv as a distraction from what's going on in the world. This collection of stories was the opposite of what I want to read right now.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Although I haven't read The Girls by Emma Cline yet, I was excited to read this because of the great things I heard about Emma Cline's writing. I definitely agree--her writing is excellent! Although this is a collection of short stories, I never felt that the flow from one story to the next was choppy. However, in terms of the plot of each story, I wanted more. Personally for me, I like having a reason/resolution to a story when I read fiction, so this wasn't my cup of tea. If you like slice of life stories that don't necessarily have an "end goal" in mind, I would recommend this book.

I normally do not read short stories, but, having read The Girls, decided to read Daddy. It is a series of ten short stories. All were well written and all, in my opinion, suffered the short story syndrome, they were just not long enough or complex enough. Is Emma Cline a good writer? Absolutely. She did a terrific job with these stories. They just reached a reader who did not appreciate them as they should be appreciated. Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for an ARC for an honest review.

Emma Cline has described her collection as growing out of her interest in in "... power dynamics and gender performance"... She is not afraid to go to the dark side, really go "there." All of these stories, several of which have been anthologized and won prizes, are strong and not easy going. In some cases, such as Northeast Regional and The Nanny, the crime is offstage, alluded to, it is the aftermath that is addressed here. And often there is no resolution or retribution. The stories just end. But oddly, they end at just the right moment leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions. These are definitely not stories for readers who like finales, but readers who want to be tested.

In Daddy, Emma Cline re-enters the literary world with a striking collection of ten short stories exploring various facets of modern relationships.

My favorites were Marion, A/S/L, and Los Angelos.

This woman could write about roadkill and I wouldn't hesitate to call it art.

Emma Cline is so yourng, but so talented! I loved "The Girls" and her short story collection is just as good.

I really enjoyed this thoughtful and highly readable collection of short stories from the author of The Girls. Emma Cline has the makings of a young West Coast, female Jay McInerney I think she will be around for many years to come..

"Los Angeles" was one of my favorite short stories in this collection. "Menlo Park" was funny and a bit too familiar (I used to work at a well-known dot com with people like this). I also loved "The Nanny.," which was beautiful and sad. These stories have a little bit of a feminist Bret Easton Ellis vibe (is that even possible, you ask? Yes! Read them!) - a similar satirical vibe with a great sense of place and a wry understanding of Californians,. I also enjoyed the writerly jokes in "Menlo Park.".

But the real standout of the book is Marion, for which Cline received the Plimpton Prize. This is a pretty perfect, beautifully written short story. I am sad I missed it when it was first published but glad I got to read it now.

I give this book a solid 4.5 starts rounded up and I look forward to reading more of Emma Cline.

Genre:  Literary Fiction Short Story Collection
Publisher:  Random House
Pub. Date:  Sept. 1, 2020

I wish this short story collection had a different title. “Daddy’” makes it sound like you’re about to read erotica. Thankfully, these stories are not. Maybe Cline wanted the reader to be surprised. I certainly was. What captured my interest when agreeing to read and review this book was its description as "literary short stories." It’s the word “literary” that sold me. Plus, I appreciate short stories.

What you get in these ten stories are edgy slice-of-life tales that explore human nature. Cline portrays moments in her characters' lives that reveal the dark parts of themselves that they would prefer to keep hidden. She does this well. Dare I say, there are traces of Joyce Carol Oates in this young author. Connecting all the stories is a father or father-like figure, though they are often not the main character.

One story in the collection, “Marion,” was the winner of the 2014 Plimpton Prize. From its first sentence, the writing is vivid. “Cars the color of melons and tangerines sizzled in cul-de-sac driveways.” Here, Cline takes the reader inside the mind of an eleven-year-old girl who does not understand the sexual desires of her 13-year-old best friend. There is a ”Mean Girls" vibe to it, but the reader will find themselves forgiving the older girl since she appears to be at the mercy of her own unstable parents and the questionable boundaries between herself and her father. The short is good but I found “Arcadia” more chilling.

“Arcadia” is the type of story that sticks with you and you really wish it didn’t. An older brother acts as a parent to his 18-year-old sister. The sister is pregnant. Her boyfriend, the protagonist, moves in with her and her brother. The three live in the house the siblings grew up in. The sister and her boyfriend sleep in her childhood bedroom, still decorated as when she was a child. This is the author's first hint that something might be off with this brother/sister relationship. What is so creepy about this short is that the boyfriend slowly begins to realize that there are inappropriate sexual intimacies between the siblings. He tells his girlfriend ”this is no place to raise a baby.” The power in this short is how the boyfriend chooses to look the other way because he gets sucked into the unhealthy family’s dynamics.

”Son of Friedman” is a sad tale of a father who is, rightly or not, disappointed in his son. George Friedman, a washed-up movie producer, has dinner with an old friend, who still has a thriving acting career. The actor is also the godfather of Friedman's adult son. The reason for this get-together is that Friedman's son is having a screening of a short movie he created, a pure vanity project. During dinner, the actor asks Friedman about his godson. Friedman thinks, ”It never even crossed my mind to invite him to their dinner.” With that line, we know what we are about to read. A father who is utterly embarrassed by his son's project. I thought the author's talent shines brightest with how she goes deep into the relationship between father and son without ever spelling it out. The father thinks, ”he was always a nervous child." He often recalls all expensive drug addiction centers his kid has been in. He never admits his own drinking problem to himself.

In 2017 Cline was named one of Granta’s Best Young American Novelists. Her perceptions are close to brilliant. With a few more years under her belt, I believe she will get there. Part of what makes this collection so good is that in each story there is some sort of perversity right underneath the surface. You can sniff it but you cannot see it. And what will really scare you is when you recognize some of her characters’ traits in yourself. Well done, Emma Cline.

Though The Girls is her last novel, Daddy still carries hints of Emma Cline's former. Like The Girls, each story within Cline's latest collection carries a murky weight that goes unresolved before we moved on to the next "daddy issue." Cline shines in the short story genre, crafting full-bodied characters within two pages while knitting tension throughout.

I would argue, though, these constricted and conceptual stories would benefit from elongating the story to poke deeper at what Cline exposes. Daddy: Stories is deeply digestible, convincing, with drinkable detailed prose.

<i>I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I absolutely loved [author:Emma Cline|2926065]'s debut novel <i>[book:The Girls|26893819]</i>. It still is probably one of my all time favorite reads. I was very excited and super thankful to be asked to read a copy of her newest work,<i> Daddy: Stories</i>! Although I don't think I loved it as much as <i>The Girls</i>, I still enjoyed it. Her writing style is very smooth and the prose just sweeps you along with each turn of the page. Quite a few of the stories I was left feeling like I wanted more from them but that could be a good thing I suppose --always leave them wanting more! I never felt like any particular one dragged on but there were a few I like less than others. If you are in need of a quick read, this is one you can consider picking up! That's one of my favorite things with short stories, you can finish one in a sitting if that's all you have time for.

Short stories seem to be enjoying a surge in popularity. I would not normally choose a book of them, but had read and enjoyed Emma Cline’s debut, The Girls, and that was enough for me to want to pick this up. Cline is hugely talented and her way with language is admirable - everything down to the manner a ponytail is described (meaty! So perfect, yet who would have thought?) is clever. I devoured these. Truthfully, I would have preferred a novel to get my teeth into (meaty!) but if you want a quick read, these are great.