Life and Other Shortcomings

Stories

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Pub Date 04 Aug 2020 | Archive Date 03 Aug 2020

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Description

Life and Other Shortcomings is a collection of linked short stories that takes the reader from New Orleans to New York City to Madrid, and from 1970 to the present day. The women in these twelve stories make a number of different choices: some work, others don’t; some stay married, some get divorced; others never marry at all. Through each character’s intimate journey, specific truths are revealed about what it means to be a woman—in relationship with another person, in a particular culture and era—and how these conditions ultimately affect her relationship with herself. The stories as a whole depict patriarchy, showing what still might be, but certainly what was, for some women in this country before the #MeToo movement. Both a cautionary tale and a captivating window into women’s lives, Life and Other Shortcomings is required reading for anyone interested in an honest, incisive, and compelling portrayal of the female experience.
Life and Other Shortcomings is a collection of linked short stories that takes the reader from New Orleans to New York City to Madrid, and from 1970 to the present day. The women in these twelve...

Advance Praise

“Corie Adjmi has a flare for dramatizing scenes. She homes in on the killer moment, and her dialogue is so honest that I was cringing at times . . . It is just so vivid. ” ―Susan Breen, author of The Fiction Class

“Corie Adjmi’s stories are sharply written, unsparing, and spot-on. With wisdom and humanity, Life and Other Shortcomings plumbs the mysteries of adult life: the menacing underside of love, the protean nature of grief, and the baffling difficulty of staying true to ourselves and the things we value most. Assured in her storytelling, Adjmi writes with force and perception. Her stories are a must-read.” ―Elyssa Friedland, author of The Floating Feldmans and The Intermission and Love and Miss Communication

“Pitch perfect and very haunting, Life and Other Shortcomings is a true delight. Adjmi’s interlocking stories are as funny as they are tragic. Her characters are so real and relatable, you’ll find yourself rooting for them, even as they get into trouble. Adjmi is a great new talent.” ―Alison Espach, author of The Adults

“All that glitters is not gold in Corie Adjmi’s wonderful short story collection Life and Other Shortcomings. Adjmi exposes the fear, envy, and yearning that simmer just beneath the surface of her characters’ beautiful lives. Her writing is both elegant and powerful. I was hooked from the first page to the last.” ―Ellen Sussman, New York Times best-selling author of four novels, A Wedding in Provence, The Paradise Guest House, French Lessons and On a Night Like This

“Corie Adjmi has a flare for dramatizing scenes. She homes in on the killer moment, and her dialogue is so honest that I was cringing at times . . . It is just so vivid. ” ―Susan Breen, author of The...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781631527135
PRICE $17.95 (USD)
PAGES 256

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Average rating from 34 members


Featured Reviews

Reading these interwoven stories felt like peeking into the private lives of these women. Corie Adjmi wrote what is in so many women’s hearts and minds that it felt more like reading a friend’s inner thoughts and less like short stories. These are the kinds of stories that, even a week after finishing, stay in your brain and keep churning out connections.

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A book of short stories different women different countries.Each story so well written characters and locations come alive.A group of short stories each one involving drew me in .#netgalley#shewritespress.

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Interconnected short stories involving an entertaining cast of characters. The main protagonist is engaging, and I did enjoy this collection. Insightful as well as engaging writing. Recommended.

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This was a book of short stories of different women. I liked that each story makes you feel a certain type of way and that they took place in different parts of the world.

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This was a really interesting read. I’m incredibly fascinated by what it means to be a woman and looking into the experiences women have had throughout history, both in real life and literature. This collection of short stories, spanning from 1970 to present day, was hauntingly beautiful, wise, and human. It really showed the ins and out; the good, the bad, the ugly of being a woman and did so in a wonderfully simple, yet complex writing style. I think that although each story was different, they did not feel disjointed; they all complimented each other amazingly. However, I think the exception to this is the character of Callie, a woman featured in the first story. It seems that the author intended for her to stand as a common thread throughout, yet I felt that she kind of got lost in the other stories at times; I wanted to hear more about her and her husband, Dylan! Regardless, if you’re looking for something honest and insightful that sheds a blazing light on the female experience, I recommend reading this when it is released in August. Thanks NetGalley!

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This is a wonderful collection of short stories that take you into the lives of women - as wives, mothers, daughters. Adjmi writes so incredibly vividly and it really brought a visceral reaction out of me. I was tense, I was sad and I was delighted. I genuinely felt part of these women's lives and that I could understand their actions and thoughts - even the more questionable ones.

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