This book was just sooooo good! I can not wrap my head around it still, days later. It was just such a fantastic story. I have shared it with everyone. It was wonderful. It'd be a great book club read.

Curtis Sittenfeld returns with Show Don’t Tell: Stories, a compelling collection of short stories that delves deep into the complexities of relationships, artistic pursuits, and the relentless quest for personal meaning. Through sharp wit, unflinching honesty, and a dose of humor, Sittenfeld explores marriage, long-term friendships, fame, and ambition in ways that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Each story introduces characters at crucial junctures in their lives—whether they’re facing the tension of a strained marriage, reflecting on past choices, or struggling to define themselves amid societal expectations. Sittenfeld’s signature insight shines through, capturing the inner conflicts of her characters, who often find themselves torn between societal norms and their personal desires.

In some of the stories, the characters aren’t always easy to love. But their flaws only make them more real, as they grapple with the emotional weight of ambition, privilege, and identity. There’s a rawness to these interactions, whether it’s the discomfort of a reunion with old friends or the complications of an ill-advised creative experiment. And as the stories unfold, readers are invited to examine their own lives and beliefs, even when the characters’ journeys are messier than anticipated.

One standout tale revisits Lee Fiora from Prep, offering fans a glimpse into how time has shaped her in unexpected ways. This sense of revisiting the past, whether through familiar characters or reflective moments, is a recurring theme, adding depth to the collection’s exploration of adulthood.

Sittenfeld has always excelled at humanizing her characters, and here, even the more unsympathetic ones are written with empathy, revealing the vulnerabilities beneath their hardened exteriors. The dialogue feels sharp and authentic, drawing us into the characters’ lives with the ease and precision of a seasoned storyteller.

Overall: Show Don’t Tell is a masterful collection that captures the messiness of life in a way only Sittenfeld can. These stories are both funny and poignant, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of characters who, like many of us, are still figuring it all out. Fans of her novels will appreciate the nuanced storytelling and emotional depth that makes this collection so captivating.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group to provide me this engaging story book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange of my honest thoughts.

Love the premise of these short stories. Interesting reads for women especially. Definitely something to keep on your radar when released next year!

It is always a treat to read a new book by Curtis Sittenfeld. Her writing never disappoints.

Her newest is short story collection, in which we meet various characters at pivotal points in their lives. There is a similar trajectory that runs throughout these vastly varied plots: the dilemma of leading a quiet life, married or not, kids, career or reaching for ones dreams and doing anything to get there.

I didn't find the characters in these stories to be particular empathetic towards either others or themselves. In fact, many were unlikeable and there is plenty of cliqueishness, infighting, frenemies, and the like. But the story carried the characters on the someone surprising conclusions, and in the end the reader realizes that the unlikeable woman or man is simply trying to make sense of their own lives, although perhaps doing some damage along the way they may or may not apologize for.

It's a book of stories that makes the reader think: about priorities, satisfaction vs gratification, and with a lot of flashbacks to earlier years in these stories, how to proceed with ones' adult lives.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.