This is an impressive collection of novellas from JCO, one of my favourite writers. I’ve already read Miao Dao as part of the Dark Corners collection from Amazon Original Stories. This is a dark and unnerving tale and I would have preferred some new material. The other three novellas, Cardiff, by the Sea, Phantomwise: 1972 and The Surviving Child are excellent. They all have JCO’s trademarks; fantastic characters and unflinching ability to take some pretty grim subject matter at just the right level and tone. The title novella is my favourite, a young woman who was adopted discovers she’s inherited property in her late paternal grandmother’s will and discovers dark skeletons in her closet. Phantomwise: 1972 is also excellent; the end of this sad and dark tale is heart-breaking. The same can be said for The Surviving Child. This would have been a 5-star book if not for the inclusion of Miao Dao, old material.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.  This was my first time reading Carol Oates and I loved it.  I will have to explore her backlist a little more.  Each novella had previously been printed somewhere i.e. magazine and then put together in this book format.  I loved each separate novella and the separate lessons each character learned and what they had to go through.

I love Joyce Carol Oates writing, it's also so lyrical and amazing storytelling and Cardriff, by the Sea is no exception. In this book, Oates brings us four novellas that showcase her dazzling storytelling capability. You'll laugh, your heart will break, and you'll thank her for it all when you're done!

I was intrigued from beginning to end, and enjoyed the reading experience.  I was interested in the characters, and looked forward to learning where their stories would lead.

Try to contain your surprise: I’m giving yet another Joyce Carol Oates book 5 stars? Yeah, I’m convinced she’s our greatest living writer and would happily debate anyone on that. Oates is unafraid to break convention and explore any/all boundaries of the story form. I was ecstatic when I found out <i>Cardiff, by the Sea</i> (due out from Ecco in October) is a collection of novellas, as I feel some of JCO’s very best works are in the short form. 

Does this new release live up to this writer’s 60-year legacy? Yes, simply yes. 

What Oates managed to do was trick me, pull the rug out from under my feet in every story. She purposefully directs the reader one way, only to push the reader somewhere else. This collection is Oates nearly in Gillian Flynn territory, exploring exceedingly dark subject matter with razor-sharp prose and smart, well-written unlikable (yet wholly sympathetic) people. Oates has been doing this for decades, yeah, but it’s very much on display in all four of these stories. 

As for my favorites: I loved all four of the tales collected here, but I think I’ll have to give the edge to “Miao Dao”, a winning combination of feral cats (I just love when Oates writes about kitties!), menacing stepparents, and the confusion of puberty. I also quite loved “The Surviving Child”, a tastefully gothic-esque chiller that explores a fractured psyche—and a beautiful ending up for much interpretation. 

My favorite author still has it, and I can’t recommend this book enough. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me an advance review copy.

Joyce Carol Oates' short stories are always amazing.  These 4 novellas all have that creepy, underlying dread, in spite of the character's most mundane lives..... Her portrayal of human emotions, fears, and ambiguous feelings is masterful.

This was my first book I have ever read by Joyce Carol Oates. I thought this pretty good and I may check out an actual novel by her next! Thank you netgalley and to the publisher!

Joyce Carol Oates is, without question, a national treasure. In these four novellas she brings her unflinching eye for character to a constellation of individuals and situations which will haunt the reader. A mandatory addition for any Oates bookshelf.

I requested 'Cardiff, by the Sea' by Joyce Carol Oates having read and loved one of her previous novels - 'We were the Mulvaneys'. 

'Cardiff, by the Sea contains four novellas. The first is of a woman,who through being left a bequest, goes in search of answers about her early childhood, family and adoption. What she finds makes her wish she had never answered the phone. 

Oates comes alive when writing about the eccentric cast of characters, and depicts the dialogue between them all brilliantly. However, the portions where the reader is inside the protagonists head felt slow and laboured and the tone of the first story made it feel as if it was written sometime ago.

As a result, whilst I enjoyed the first novella and it made think, I found myself putting the book to one side for other things, and I have not read the remaining three.

One of our greatest living authors, Joyce Carol Oates truly captivated me with these four novellas. It’s rare that I read a short story collection where there is no “filler” or weak link - but each of these stories is better than the next. They are, like all her work, beautifully and lyrically written; and also like much of her other work, deeply unsettling. This collection especially appealed to me as a mystery and suspense fan, and was more accessible and easily digested than some of her other work. It would be a good introduction to Oates for a suspense fan who has never read her work. I also really enjoyed the feminist, but very dark and disturbing, bent to all of the stories.  Perhaps the most shocking story that stays with me the most is “Miao Dao,” which is (and isn’t) about feral cats.  This story is incredibly disturbing in the best way, a way that stays with you that you can’t shake.  Will probably read it again in the next few days. That story flows seamlessly into the somewhat related Phantomwise: 1972, which is equally haunting. Cardiff By the Sea is the perfect story to start with - and to think it gets even darker from there!

I had not read Oates in awhile and this book made me rediscover her all over again, like the time in college when I first read Foxfire. I would love to see another collection like this from Mysterious Press in the future - I for one never knew Oates had published in Ellery Queen mystery magazine, so I am hoping there are even more undiscovered haunting mystery gems of hers out there for me to discover.

Thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Joyce Carol Oates for the chance to read this extraordinary book early in exchange for my honest review. The book deserves ten stars, but since I don’t have that capacity, here are the five biggest stars I can give. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I typically love Joyce Carol Oates, and this book was no exception.  Her writing is always so unique and memorable, and these four novellas will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Cardiff, by the Sea by Joyce Carol Oates.

This is only my second JCO novel, and I was totally blown away by Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars.  It may have been an unfair bias, because I was a bit disappointed with these short stories.  But I've come to realize that short stories are not for everyone.  I imagine it's difficult to concentrate so much character, feeling, and story into a small package.  

Overall the stories fell weak for me.  The first started out with a lot of promise, it was weirdly too much, and not enough at the same time.  I am still looking forward to trying out more works from Oates.  She's clearly a gifted writer who has been around for a long time.

This was a haunting series of stories by Joyce Carol Oates.  I love that she can take a story and turn it on it's head to something resonant and utterly beguiling at the same time.  These four stories really exemplify the utter craft of this author.  Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

Cardiff, by the Sea is a collection of four novellas from Joyce Carol Oates. Oates is one of those rare writers who can move readers through novels, novellas, and short stories and these examples do not disappoint.

I'm not going to get on a self-righteous soapbox simply because Oates made a recent Twitter mistake, and I certainly am not going to spew hyperbolic nonsense to display my displeasure, I'm guessing anyone reading this is interested in the book and not some personal take on why women are portrayed in these stories as the ones needing to beware of the men in these stories, I am going to assume you know the statistics about abuse, assault, and stalking to know that this is, indeed, the world we live in. And I'm certainly no man-hater, which is really nothing more than a phrase used to change topic from actual problems to personal (faux) indignation. Okay, maybe a small soapbox, but anyway...

The stories here can be disturbing but not gratuitously. The suspense at times is palpable and you'll find yourself pulling for the protagonists. The middle length of a novella allows for a bit more character development than most short stories and Oates uses that to her advantage. Even those we pull for are human with flaws of their own.

If you're familiar with Oates you will not be disappointed. If you're new to her writing, this will be a nice introduction. If you are new to her, whatever your opinion of this collection is, I would recommend exploring a few more of her works, you will likely find a lot to like.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

Four novellas each with a young vulnerable woman and a shocking crime at it's core. Each told with Oates deceptively simple style which draws you in until the story is impossible to put down. In Cardiff by the Sea, a young art historian is bequeathed a house by a long lost relative. Delving into her ancestry, she uncovers a family secret which turns her world upside down Told with gothic imagery cobwebs are literally and figuratively all over this gripping tale unravelling one family's hidden past. 

Miao Dao is the pet cat of a lonely teenage girl who is also dealing with a difficult family setting. The bond she forms with the feral cat is touching and rewarded in a very surprising way. 

Phantomwise 1972 a young student of philosophy and poetry finds herself in a difficult situation with a shocking outcome. Oates used this story to include some poetry and says that 'in poetry you chisel the most beautiful words out of language, in life you stutter in words'. There is nothing stuttering about the language Oates uses to craft this gripping tale.

In The Surviving Child,  another tragedy haunts a vulnerable young woman as she deals with the consequences of a suicide. The death of a poet affords Oates the opportunity to include some more poetry  and some beautiful poetry too.

Each story is told well as we have come to expect from Oates, unravelled slowly and carefully with empathy for the central character garnered through subtle detail. One caveat is that reading the novellas in quick succession is ill-advised. It almost creates a negative expectancy and encourages comparison of characters and circumstance.

However, as individual novellas, these are masterpieces of the genre told with just the right pace and detail to keep the reader gripped. Oates is a master of her craft.

The creep factor is real here. I enjoy reading Joyce Carol Oates, and this was a selection of four mini stories.

Cardiff, by the Sea - struck me as vague, like reading through fog. Good story, not my favorite style. 

Mia Dao - story about a girl and a feral cat - this was my favorite.

Phantomwise: 1972 - pedophile undertones that I didn’t like at all.

The Surviving Child - good creepy story.

Not my favorite by JCO but I did enjoy the read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publishers For an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This collection of 4 novellas is a haunting exploration of control, power, male/female dynamics, vulnerability, and violence.  They were difficult to read because they were such an honest portrayal of harrowing topics like abortion, violence, abuse, abandonment, etc.  The writing is impeccable - crisp, precise, and descriptive when it needed to be - making me want to read more by this author. 

Cardiff, by the Sea:
I was drawn into this story about a woman seeking out answers about her past. When she travels to her newly discovered birth family’s hometown, she uncovers layers of trauma.  The story was haunting, but, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure that I understood the ending of it. 

Miao Dao:
Another powerful story about power and control. Mia, the teenage protagonist, is suddenly caught up in a world where the male gaze terrifies her, forcing her to change the way she interacts with the world and to revise how she sees herself. However, her relationship with a feral cat, who comes to symbolize her ability to fight back, helps her survive.  This was a difficult story to read in that Mia feels so helpless, often accusing herself of being at fault for the harassment she suffers. However, the story rings true.

Phantomwise: 1972
The third novella in this collection plays off the recurring theme of control.  A young female university student somehow finds herself in dangerous relationships with male professors.  Eerie ending.

The Surviving Child:
Like the other stories, this one focuses on the vulnerable.  A young woman marries a widower whose feminist wife killed herself and her daughter, but the new husband and the surviving son are not all that they seem to be.

Joyce Carol Oates is one of the great writers of our time.  It is as if instead of taking a breath she has to write a sentence.  She is prolific yet the quality of her writing remains solid, challenging, relevant and intense.  She certainly can't be pigeonholed into a particular genre and has more than one string to her writing bow so to speak.

Cardiff, by the sea is a collection of 4 novellas with a strong sense of feminism running through all 4.  The truly outstanding one of the collection is the Cardiff, by the sea.  A young woman is contacted by a solicitor to inform her she has inherited some property.  She knows little of her past as she was adopted as a young child, she returns to her birth family only to find a dark family history.  There are mulitiple layers to the story tellling and it is an absolute joy to read.  We then have Mia Dao which deals with a young girl trying to protect herself from the male predatory gaze, it has a quality of supernatural to the writing, as does the next novella Phan-tomwise 1972.  Finally we have The Surviving Child which has at it's centred a young woman who has become the stepmother to a boy whose mother was a famous poet, he survived her attempt to kill herself and her children.

These are dark, psychological novels, relevant to the lives of women past and present.  A must read for anyone who thrives on great writing and great fiction.

I received this book from Netflix in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of four novellas from Joyce Carol Oates. They novellas consist of the following:
Cardiff, by the sea: Clare, a 30 year old researcher who was adopted as a young child, finds herself drawn back to her biological family after receiving an inheritance, but the family may not be all that they seem to be. This story felt quite gothic, as Clare starts finding out about her family of origin, things don’t seem to be quite as they appear on the surface and she starts questioning her own thoughts and feelings as she looks into her family history.

Miao Dao: A young girl, on the brink of puberty experiences massive upheaval in her life as everything starts to change, with the only constant comfort in her life being a once feral cat that she has adopted

Phantom wise:1972: A young woman, studying at university, struggles when a romantic dalliance goes too far, possibly against her will. She tries to solve her issues, haunted by the refrain of a poem.

The surviving child: a new stepmother tries to make a success of her new blended family, while connecting with her new stepson, who is the surviving child of the title, after he has survived the tragic loss of his mother. But is everything as it seems on the surface, or is she going slowly mad? 


I’ve read several books by Joyce Carol Oates, and I love her writing, but I find it to be quite an intense experience. Her writing pulls you into the story and is very absorbing, while often feeling uncomfortable, which I think is a great skill - there aren’t many authors who can have that effect on their readers, in my experience. This book is no different, being a collection of compelling novellas, dealing with themes of troubled romance, death, life and the undercurrents in life - how people relate to each other, even when they change from who they once were. Dark tales, uncomfortable at times, but the writing is spectacular and memorable. I kept going back to reread parts as the writing was just beautiful. Amazing book.

I always enjoy books by this author.  This book was no different. I enjoyed the characters and the mini stories. I don't always agree with what I personally find are some stereotypes of gender and gender relations but I enjoyed the stories. I cannot say that this was my favorite most entertaining book of the summer but overall I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.