Named a must-read by the Chicago Tribune, O Magazine, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and The L MagazineRebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers will be available in summer 2018.Rebecca Makkai’s first two novels, The Borrower and The Hundred-Year House, have established her as one of the freshest and most imaginative voices in fiction. Now, the award-winning writer, whose … Borrower and The Hundred-Year House, have established her as one of the freshest and most imaginative voices in fiction. Now, the award-winning writer, whose stories have appeared in four consecutive editions of The Best American Short Stories, returns with a highly anticipated collection bearing her signature mix of intelligence, wit, and heart.
A reality show producer manipulates two contestants into falling in love, even as her own relationship falls apart. Just after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a young boy has a revelation about his father’s past when a renowned Romanian violinist plays a concert in their home. When the prized elephant of a traveling circus keels over dead, the small-town minister tasked with burying its remains comes to question his own faith. In an unnamed country, a composer records the folk songs of two women from a village on the brink of destruction.
These transporting, deeply moving stories—some inspired by her own family history—amply demonstrate Makkai’s extraordinary range as a storyteller, and confirm her as a master of the short story form.
“Richly imagined.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Impressive.”
—O, The Oprah Magazine
“Engrossing.”
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Inventive.”
—W Magazine
more
I read this collection on a long flight. Sometimes I find it challenging to read a collection of stories in one sitting. With some collections there is a sameness that makes it sort of wearying to read one story after another; (after a reading a bunch of Raymond Carver stories I either wanted a drink or to check into AA;); and some short stories while skillfully written require so much work to understand (I have my limitations) that it is just not fun to read more than one at a time.
But Makkai’s collection was really fun to read. I’ve met her and she’s a skilled writer and also really smart, which isn’t always helpful for a writer, but she pulls it off. These stories covered a wide range of topics from music to academia to mysticism to reality shows (my favorite). Many of the stories were on subjects I have a profound level of ignorance about (classical music) and while I am sure I missed some of the subtext, I was immediately engaged in every one of them.
No surprise, The New Yorker reviewer says it better than I can: “Ricocheting from the war-torn twentieth century to the reality-show-rich present, the stories in this impressive collection feature characters buffeted by fate – or is it mere happenstance?…Our sense of history is probed, too, not without humor.”
It’s a great collection. Highly recommended
Late to the party on this brilliant collection and new to this acclaimed author’s writing. Now I see what all the buzz is about. I read her stories in awe, knowing I will never be able to match her ability to conceive such layered, rich stories. Of the 17 stories in this book, I only skimmed one of them. I was entranced by the rest. Makkai’s prose is eloquent and assured, but never too dense. Her dialog is spot on, as are her observations of human nature (how does one so young have this gift for knowing people so well?). She moves effortlessly between historical stories to contemporary ones, and this flash editor was thrilled to find some linked vignettes.
Just one of the many gorgeous passages: “Some people live their whole lives according to the laws of probability. If there’s a one in six thousand chance of getting hit by lightning, they won’t. They won’t win the lottery, either. Because someone like Chapman will. Someone whose stars made strange and intricate patterns at the moment of his birth.”
The theme of war connects many of the stories, especially WW II in Bulgaria. Some of the details in her stories are autobiographical. As Makkai seeks to understand her complex history, the reader is witness to her intelligence and gift with words and story. I will for sure read more of her work. Highly recommend to short story lovers.
After reading each of these stories, I put the book down so I could think about the characters and their fates. In every case, I was moved by the voice of the author who, like a person who has been through something traumatic, can relate the incident to you calmly. Still, the intensity of the experience comes through the narration, and you are left deeply moved. Beautifully written. I highly recommend this book and this author.
I could not get through this book. I read the first few stories but lost interest in reading the rest. I did not read any clever turns of phrase that other reviewers have praised. Stories were pointless and it seemed like the author got tired of writing the stories and just ended them.