Stylish modern magic realism

I hadn't read anything by Karen Russell before (the mixed reviews of Swamplandia suggested an overhyped young author), but thought I'd check out this collection of short stories.

The pieces all have the kind of whimsical-but-serious premises you'll recognize if you've ever opened a copy of McSweeney’s or listened to a song by The Decemberists. A vampire in a state of ennui is hung up on behaving in stereotypical vampire ways, even though his vampire girlfriend has assured him it's not necessary to drink blood or fear the sun. Seagulls bring objects that alter the life of a teenager in 1970s Australia, and reflect his mixed admiration and jealousy towards his older brother. Girls in a 19th century Japanese mill are biochemically transformed into human silkworms, but later stage an unprecedented work stoppage. A massage therapist finds that her fingers can alter the memories -- and past -- of a young Iraq War veteran, but not without cost. President Rutherford Hayes is reincarnated as a horse, in a barn housing other former US presidents (or at least popular caricatures of them) who are now horses, and frets that his former wife may be a nearby sheep.

Most pieces evoke a mood that’s an enjoyable mix of absurd, wry, poignant, unsettling, and haunting. Russell has a gift for artful physical description and crafting voices. The skillful cast of voice actors who performed the audiobook probably deserve part of the credit for that, too.

However, there’s somewhat of a sense of a natural stylist still finding her feet in other departments. The two duds (IMO) were the krill vs. whales piece that tried for laughs, but came off more like a Dave Barry column with f-bombs, and one that had a teenage bully of a protagonist who was a little too unconvincing for me. I wouldn’t have minded had she pushed her more "unfinished" endings a little further -- I think ambiguity is a delicious ingredient, but teaspoons, Ms. Russell, not tablespoons.

Still, if you're a fan of magic realism in the same vein as Kelly Link's fiction, you'll probably enjoy this book. Russell's talent might have yet to reach its full bloom, but it's well on the way.

3.5 stars

11 people found this helpful

Excellent narrators, quirky stories

A lot of reviewers say that this is an uneven book-- and I agree that some stories are stronger than others. I feel like either you get what Russell is going for and like it, or it's not your thing at all. What she excels at, in my opinion, is creating a rich and realized storyworld for each piece in this collection. I found her characters interesting and generally sympathetic. What she's not so great at is nailing the ending-- but I can forgive that because her use of language is so engaging and poetic. I want to add that I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook (over reading a hard copy) because the narration is fantastic. Each story has its own narrator and I thought all of them were truly wonderful. The narration alone made this one of the best audiobooks I've listened to.

10 people found this helpful

Amazingly Weird

This is, quite possibly, my favorite short story collection of all time. It is everything I love about both short stories and magical realism, and it has single-handedly turned me into a devoted Karen Russell fan for life. The stories are strange, creepy, beautiful, and (despite a lot of darkness and dangerous predicaments) hopeful. The originality displayed here is unprecedented, and the settings and plots of each story are so completely weird and unexpected that there's no way you could possible get bored. "Reeling for the Empire" is one of the most profound, disturbing, and beautiful pieces I've ever come across, perfectly capturing the hopes and perils of Japan at the onset of industrialization. There is a story in here about former US presidents re-incarnated as horses in a barn...you can't make this stuff up. "Dougbert Shackleton's rules for Antarctic tailgating" is another absolute favorite, a hilarious and perfect blend of satire and absurdity. Honestly, there isn't a story in this collection that I don't completely love, which has never happened to me before, but hopefully (with new work from Russell herself?) will again, very soon.
#dark #clever #absurd #magical #shortstories #magicalrealism #whimsy #favoriteshortstories #fantastical #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

6 people found this helpful

The Most Frustrating Listen Ever

Don't get me wrong. all these stories are absolutely fantastic. I understand open endings and interpretative endings, but every single one of these stories ( except the silk factory one ) end at worst, when everything is starting to make sense, and at best at the climax. I audibly said " what ! " so many times when it would suddenly start on a new story. I had to fight to finish it. I hope one day all these will get proper endings, they are so beautiful and imaginative.

5 people found this helpful

Haunting, engrossing stories

Where does Vampires in the Lemon Grove rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is by far one of the best audio books I've listened to! The stories were all quite different, with different narrators to match. The best of them were utterly haunting. The words and voices cast a spell on me, and linger with me still.

What did you like best about this story?

My favorite stories really stayed with me. The stories themselves are lovely, dark, beautiful things, and the actors reading them were perfectly chosen.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite stories were the silk weaver, the massage therapist, and the scarecrow ones. They seemed to get at a dark, true element of human psychology in a way that realism never could.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this audio book!

4 people found this helpful

Recommended on NPR - Very cool

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Very cool short stories that were recommend on NPR Fresh air. If your looking for "Twilight" go elsewhere. If you are looking for modern cool writing check this out!

What other book might you compare Vampires in the Lemon Grove to and why?

Reminded me of George Saunders

4 people found this helpful

Interesting stories...Too bad they're short

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes if they were to quirky stories/paranormal I would. They are interesting stories. The author knows how to write.

What other book might you compare Vampires in the Lemon Grove to and why?

Any of the short stories by charlaine harris and others. They are fun and give a taste of the paranormal world without going too far.

Which scene was your favorite?

The first story was AWESOME!

If you could rename Vampires in the Lemon Grove, what would you call it?

I don't know I like it.

Any additional comments?

want more!

3 people found this helpful

Short stories...good listen.

Somehow I missed that this book was a series of short stories. Only the first chapter is about Vampires in the Lemon Grove. The stories we're good but not what I was expecting.

1 person found this helpful

Entertaining

This collection of short stories is entertaining and creative. The voice actors all do a good job.

1 person found this helpful

Amazing Set of Readers

The quality of the reading was superb. The quality of the stories (like in most collections) varied a bit.

1 person found this helpful