Ruth Lambert

I'm currently a student in an MFA in Creative Writing program, with a focus on short story.

I am therefore trying to read a wide range of short stories, and bought this and 2 other collections from Audible.com

I was sorry that so many of these stories were in the "horror" genre.

This book is based on the premise that a chance accident or other blow from the Universe (in this case, a mugging) has ripples that flow outward from the incident in an every-widening circle. It's an interesting idea, well presented in the form of a story with a wide cast of characters. I enjoyed the deft way this accomplished British author wove the overlapping stories into this narrative. ENJOY!

These stories were very risqu?? for their time, and are interesting to read now. Wharton is a good, lucid and solid creator of character. Don't expect anything "modern" -- no faxes, cel phones, texting or email. The best story, ROMAN FEVER, is a quiet thriller.

This beautifully written, gorgeously read book is set in the early 1900s in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. It is a one-sided narrative, the letters of the main character Ivy, who is a precocious 12 year old when the book begins, and an elderly lady in her 80s as it ends. What a treat this book was! Like many other readers, I was sorry to bid Ivy goodbye, and grateful for being able to spend so many happy hours in her company.

Ridiculous! I'd give this histrionic nasty stupid and vile testosterone-zone book a negative 2 stars if that were only possible! I cannot believe that ANYONE enjoyed this poorly plotted unbelievable and simpering tale. Jeez! Did every single relative of the author write a review here?? I was truly embarrassed for the author and the reader. OY. Every woman in this story is a stereotype, every conversation a juvenile adolescent male diatribe, etc. etc. Every single joke (I kid you not) is about (a) vomit or (b) good beer.