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Shell collector book review free.Book Review: The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr

 

He is a paleontologist looking for a rare bird artifact to take back to his museum. He weds an African woman, Naima, and takes her to Ohio. He becomes estranged from her. After a long period of estrangement, Griselda comes to visit her hometown but Rosemary has had enough. She burned, magnificent, in the snow, barefoot, in a T-shirt and green sweatpants, shouting at us. Take what you like and leave the rest, they say in AA. With Doerr there are some stories I like better than others and most have some moments of perplexity where I sputter along in uncertainty.

But Doerr stories have a strength in their readability and re-readability. They grow on you as you experience the nuances and eddies and rip tides. There might be a surprise on the very next page even in the story that you have already read once. I had an experience in reading this particular book of short stories.

As you may know, I especially like very short stories — maybe just a half dozen pages — and books with chapters that are similarly short. Well, Doerr does not really do short, short stories. He runs on a bit at times with a story and, especially when you might be struggling for a meaning, you can be hoping for an ending. And, yet, if you are like me reading in the eBook format, your little note at the bottom left of the page is telling you that you still have a ways to go.

Well, so here I am, reading along with bedtime approaching but my Kindle is telling me I still have over an hour to go in this story. Do I stop and pick this up the next day? I have to get up relatively early to get my daughter to school. I am reading the last story in the book, Mkondo , and for once I think I am actually understanding the allegory, where the story is taking me, and I want to know if there is going to be a happy or puzzling or sad ending.

But, guess what? The story pulls me along and the hour rushes by and, before I know it, I have successfully navigated the rapids and have reached the conclusion with an unexpected happy or is it? Or maybe I need to read this medium-length story again in a day or two to see what I think the second time.

But that night I can go to sleep satisfied but with the knowledge that Doerr has only finished with me temporarily and will be glad to welcome me back at a future moment. I am left with a wonderful uncertainty that is simultaneously a conclusion yet also an open door.

This is that kind of a book for me. But I am not patient with my own writing to allow for that resting period. This is my second experience with Doerr and I have not yet been able to rest from the first one.

When you read this review a month from now and Like it Thank you so much! Or maybe in six months or a year. I think I will come back to Doerr sooner or later and maybe even do some rereading. That would be unusual for me since I do not commonly do much rereading. But I am going to give The Shell Collector only four stars as a challenge to my future self to come back one day and convince myself that there is ample reason to shift to five.

This may be a great book that just needs a little time to grow on me! The story Mkondo did that to me! Left me relentlessly pursued… [mkondo, noun.

Current, flow, rush, passage, run, e. Or stunned? View all 6 comments. Mar 05, Bettie rated it really liked it Shelves: e-book , tbr-busting , beautifully-put , debut , contemporary , nutty-nuut , lit-richer , shortstory-shortstories-novellas , spring , a-cut-above. Description: A remarkable collection of stories from a young American writer of huge potential: 'A show-stopping debut, as close to faultless as any writer could wish for' Los Angeles Times 'His fingers dug the shell up, he felt the sleek egg of its body, the toothy gap of its aperture.

It was the most elegant thing he'd ever held. It has brown spots, and darker stripes at its base, like tiger stripes. You can't see it, can you? He'd never seen anything so clearly in his life. The blind hero of the title story spends his days roaming the beaches of Kenya, his fingers ploughing through sandy granules of grace and intrigue, his German shepherd at his side.

And then there are whale-watchers and fishermen, hunters and mystics, living lives uncompleted or undone, caught, memorably, as they turn toward the reader. A natural storyteller, Doerr explores the human dilemma in all its manifestations: longing, grief, indecision, heartbreak and slow, slow recuperation. Shimmering with elegance and invention, The Shell Collector is an enchanting and imaginative book by a young writer just setting off on what will surely be a hugely compelling literary odyssey.

Chapter 1: The Shell Collector Opening: The shell collector was scrubbing limpets at his sink when he heard the water taxi come scraping over the reef. He cringed to hear it—its hull grinding the calices of finger corals and the tiny tubes of pipe organ corals, tearing the flower and fern shapes of soft corals, and damaging shells too: punching holes in olives and murexes and spiny whelks, in Hydatina physis and Turris babylonia.

It was not the first time people tried to seek him out. The disease causes a gradual loss of vision, starting with childhood night blindness, followed by peripheral vision loss, and progressing to loss of central vision later in life. Progression continues throughout the individual's life, but both the rate of change and the degree of visual loss are variable among those affected, even within the same family.

He woke, stricken still with the hours-old vision of ascending through rose-lit cumulus, of houses and barns like specks deep in the snowed-in valleys, all the scrolling country below looking December— brown and black hills streaked with snow, flashes of iced-over lakes, the long braids of a river gleaming at the bottom of a canyon.

Above the wing the sky had deepened to a blue so pure he knew it would bring tears to his eyes if he looked long enough. He rolled onto his back and watched shadows shift across the ceiling. Winter is getting to you, he said. In the morning he resolved to make sure she went out every day. Walks with her head down, wears cheap sneakers, never lipstick.

Picks at salads during lunch. Tacks maps to her bedroom walls. Holds her breath when she gets nervous. She was a gray-eyed growth spurt, orange-haired, an early bloomer, and there were rumors about how she took boys two at a time in the dusty band closet where the dented tubas and ruptured drums were kept, about how she straddled the physics teacher, about her escapades during study hall with ice cubes.

We all knew them. They might as well have been true. The Americans went to fish the River Neris one last time. They boarded a trolleybus outside the Balatonas Hotel, squeezed shoulder to shoulder with grim Lithuanians—whiskered old ladies, sullen-faced men in thin ties, a miniskirted girl with a cluster of nose rings—and stood in their rubber waders, holding their bamboo poles out the windows to keep them from being snapped. The trolley rolled past the green market stalls and awning-fronted shops on Pilies Street, past the cathedral and belfry below the castle on the promontory.

It rattled to a stop at the Zaliasis Bridge and the Americans pushed off and slumped down the slick grassless slope underneath the arches where the river slogged between concrete banks. They spread out along the cobbles, impaled cubes of bread on their hooks, and pitched them into the current.

They live in a small collapsing house in the hills outside Monrovia in Liberia, West Africa. Joseph is tall and quiet and often sick; beneath the lenses of his oversized eyeglasses, the whites of his eyes are a pale yellow.

His mother is tiny and vigorous; twice a week she stacks two baskets of vegetables on her head and hikes six miles to sell them in her stall at the market in Mazien Town. When the neighbors come to compliment her garden, she smiles and offers them Coca-Cola. Chapter 7: A Tangle by the Rapid: Mulligan gathers his things: his fly rod, a coffee-browned thermos, Ziplocs plumped with potato sticks, deer jerky, ginger-snaps, extra socks in a knapsack. A fly box from the basement.

Breakfast: sausage sizzled in oil, two slabs of pumpernickel slathered with margarine, coffee in a chipped mug. He chews in the worn door frame between the kitchen and bedroom and watches his wife sleep. Her bulk rounded under blankets. Her gray undergarments on the wooden chair. Ever since their first night she has slept like this, like an ox. Since that fine and giddy wedding night, when he held her long after she slept, and told her things and she did not wake up. He told her once that it was as if some huntsman with his hounds comes to drag her into the night and hold her until dawn.

Some wraithy night huntsman with slaverous hounds on tethers. Mulligan says her name. She sleeps her hard vacant sleep. Before he leaves he stokes the fire. Chapter 8: Mkondo: mkondo, noun. Teams of European paleontologists had found something like the Chinese caudipteryx—a small, feathered reptile—in the limestone hills west of Tanga and the museum was eager to get one for itself. Ward was not a paleontologist halfway to his doctorate he had given up but he was a competent fossil hunter and an ambitious man.

He did not like the work itself—backbreaking hours with a chisel and sifting pan, blind alleys, dead ends, disappointments—but he liked the idea behind the work. To discover fossils, he told himself, was to reclaim answers to important questions. View 1 comment. Dec 14, Libby rated it did not like it Shelves: misses. This collection of short stories is lifeless.

It's everything I hate about writing: boring stories that take place in "exotic" locations, featuring "interesting" charcters, written by a 29 year old white guy invested in authenticity.

The interesting feature of that book is that the main character is blind, as is the protagonist in this brief tale. This aspect arouses many questions. Many believe that the unsighted person has increased sensitivities in other senses.

Does this mean that they are more capable to view failings of others? Does this equate with everyone's human condition- that we are actually all alone, from birth to death? This story had many technical aspects as well as the social and psychological elements, which directed the group to a complex, interesting discussion. So briefly, the tale is of a blind, former professor with a PhD in biology and malacology the branch of zoology that deals with mollusks.

He has moved to Lamu, Kenya, km. His knowledge and his abilities were widely respected, especially with a certain poisonous snail. His skills of this and many others and his ability to find these creatures, though blind, lead to an intriguing tale. Although many people, both professional and uneducated, seek his advice and prowess, his social skills often seem lacking to some.

Doerr has not disappointed in his elegant and scholarly writing. View 2 comments. Anthony Doerr's stories always spark interest in the most unusual things. These are two of my favorite stories from this collection. He then decides to devote his entire life to searching and studying various kinds of shells all around the world, becoming thus one of the wisest men in the field.

Until he accidentally discovers Anthony Doerr's stories always spark interest in the most unusual things. Until he accidentally discovers the healing powers of the supposedly deadly cone snails that cure two malaria patients, causing a public outburst and landing him in the center of unwanted social attention. Sometimes the most beautiful things can be the also the deadliest.

In nature. And in people. The hunter's wife is an unusual woman who connects with dead animals and people, giving the grieving relatives the chance to say goodbye, to feel the last emotions and insights their beloved had felt through this woman's powers - the hunter's wife. The story climaxes when after years apart the hunter comes to see one of her public appearances and finally understands her magic.

Essentially, it's the most basic love story told in an unusually imaginative and metaphorical style. Each story was made up of rich, dimensional characters and beautiful prose. This collection of short stories tempers hope with despair and you will find yourself thinking about them long after you finish. This has been an awesome year of reading for me with many new authors! Immediately drawn to this cover! Feb 11, Sara rated it liked it Shelves: short-stories-novellas. I must preface my next comment by saying that I am not always a fan of the short story.

I often feel it is just getting interesting and it is gone. This might be why I was less than moved by this collection. The stories were good, the ideas were strong, but the connection just never materialized.

The relationship between the two sisters, though strange, was something I could relate to and also the question that rose to my mind of whether it is best to be the one who goes or the one who is left behind. What, if anything, did Griselda owe to her mother and her sister? And, A Tangle By the Rapid River might just be a lesson in getting what you deserve although I doubt that is the lesson Doerr thought to teach with it. Overall, perfectly satisfactory reading and easily fit in between my longer reads.

One or two a night before bed, not a problem. Nov 20, Cherie rated it really liked it Shelves: published-since I think reading the stories more than once helped me enjoy them a little bit more than my first take on them.

I can't say that I have a favorite story, but I think I liked the last one the best. I am looking forward to reading All the Light Jan 30, Magdelanye rated it really liked it Shelves: uplifting , social-commentary , spiritual-adventure , short-stories.

In each of these 8 gratifyingly longish stories we have time to bond with the mostly floundering oddball characters that populate them. AD has a talent for pulling a reader in from the first sentence, and he lays things out without fuss, yet it would be a mistake to take things for granted and prepare for a twist on the anticipated twist, and maybe a few deep laughs.

She was learning that in her life everything- health, happiness, even love- was subject to the landscape. Aug 30, Laura rated it liked it Shelves: library , a-lucky-one , nature , short-stories. These stories all share a common thread, which is that they reveal the power and beauty of nature and the relative frailty of human beings.

Every time one seemed to fall into a pattern or became a bit predictable, the author turned it on its head and pulled the rug out from under me.

I really enjoyed that. His writing calls to mind Colum McCann , and if you haven't experienced his stuff yet, you might want to think about it. Doerr's prose is spare and precise. A story about family, second chances and letting go of the past. I loved every minute of the story and hated to see it end. Jul 12, Chris Conley rated it it was amazing. This was my first book by Nancy Naigle. I really fell in love with everybody and the place, too!!!

Apr 23, Maureen Timerman rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book will put you in touch with your emotions, so much love and loss. A young mother trying to keep life a bit normal for her two young children after the loss of her husband, and we are here to walk in her shoes.

Add a wonderful seasoned woman who lost her husband at a young age, and we are in for a page turner of a read. God's hand placed Amanda where she would meet Maeve, and they blessed one another, in more ways than one.

We are given unconditional love at all levels, and the gifts keep g This book will put you in touch with your emotions, so much love and loss.

We are given unconditional love at all levels, and the gifts keep giving. When Paul enters this book, you will need the tissues handy, oh, how I wished it could have been whom the little one wanted it to be, but again Paul blesses all we come to love. You don't want to miss this beautifully written story of love and loss, and love again. View 1 comment. This is a feel good book for sure.

Based on the loss of her own husband, the author shows the different aspects of grief and how one person's way of coping is not the same as another. At times I found the story moved a bit slow. I did love the children and how the author developed those characters.

Very predictable, but a sweet read. May 11, Susan rated it it was amazing Shelves: books-read , ebook , first-reads-review-copies , romance.

Excellent story of love, loss, friendship, and second chances. The story opens with an emotional scene as Amanda bids farewell to her Marine husband, Jack, as he leaves on another deployment. Fast forward two years and Amanda still struggles with the grief of losing her husband. Tired of being the object of pity, Amanda takes her children and moves to Whelk's Island in North Carolina, looking for a chance to start fresh. She buys a fixer-upper cottage on the beach, puts aside her home-based busi Excellent story of love, loss, friendship, and second chances.

She buys a fixer-upper cottage on the beach, puts aside her home-based business dreams for a teaching position, and concentrates on her children Hailey and Jesse. Then a chance encounter with long-time resident Maeve changes her life. Born and raised on Whelk's Island, octogenarian Maeve is like the matriarch of the island. She loves her community and is actively involved in all aspects of it, including attending town council meetings.

She carefully considers supporting new businesses such as Paws Town Square, looking for ones that will serve the community best. Maeve spends hours each day walking the beach and collecting unique shells. There she meets Amanda and her children, and their connection fills a hole she didn't know she had.

After leaving the Marines, Paul searched for a purpose in his life and found it helping military working dogs and veterans suffering from PTSD. Having lost the woman he loved to his best friend, he is content to focus on his business instead. I ached for Amanda as the story opened. Though her grief is better than it had been, Hailey and Jesse are still her reasons for getting up in the mornings.

Constantly missing Jack makes it impossible to feel joy in her life; she survives each day instead of living it. From the moment Amanda and the kids met Maeve, that grief began to lift. Because Maeve had experienced a similar loss, she was able to help Amanda by sharing her own story. She didn't lecture; she simply led by example.

Amanda slowly regained her desire to live life fully again. Through Maeve, an old friend comes back into Amanda's life. Paul's appearance, jogging on the beach, stunned Amanda. Paul had been Jack's best friend, whose friendship had spilled over onto Amanda and the children.

Jack's death hit Paul hard also, sending him into a spiral of grief that ended when he found a purpose in helping the dogs and veterans. After her grief-stricken breakdown and screaming accusations at him, Amanda never thought she'd see Paul again. Amanda never knew that Paul had fallen in love with her the first time he met her, as he refused to come between her and Jack.

Paul sees their reunion as a second chance to win the woman he still loves. I loved watching the development of their relationship as Amanda works past the guilty feelings of loving again.

I enjoyed seeing Paul become part of their lives. There were sweet scenes with the children and emotional ones as Paul and Amanda dealt with their memories of Jack and their growing feelings for each other. As the summer turned to fall, the secret Maeve has hidden all summer becomes painfully apparent. I hurt for Amanda and the kids, who face the loss of the woman who means so much to them.

I loved watching Maeve face what's coming with the serenity she demonstrated throughout the book. The depth of the bond between Maeve and Amanda is beautifully illustrated in the trip they took together. I loved the ending and how the connection between the women lived on. I loved the use of seashells in the story, both as a way to connect people and as inspirations. The seashells with the inspirational quotes made significant impressions on those who found them. I loved the one that Paul found and how it ended up having double meaning to him.

Amanda's discovery was the catalyst that started her moving forward. Eventually, the story behind them was revealed, and I loved how they came to be and that they continued to live on. May 09, Kristina rated it really liked it Shelves: christian-romance , netgalley-books , womens-fiction , christian-fiction , netgalley , romance , The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle is a sweet, inspiring story.

It is one of those novels that makes you feel good. It is the perfect type of book to read while relaxing by the pool or while on vacation. I just loved Maeve who is a free-spirited woman who enjoys life to the fullest.

The friendship between Maeve and Amanda was touching. The point-of-view switches between Maeve, Amanda, and Paul. This allows readers to see things from each of their perspectives. The Shell Collector is an emotional story that will tug on your heartstrings. I thought The Shell Collector was well-written with developed characters and a beautiful setting.

I liked the small-town community as well as the beautiful beach. The shell descriptions allowed me to imagine what they looked like. I thought it was creative for someone to write inspirational messages inside shells and leave them where they can be found.

It seemed the right shell was found by the person who needed it at that time. I did feel the story was a tad too long. It could have been fifty pages shorter. I also felt the characters were too perfect especially Paul and the kids. And when it comes in, new life is washed ashore. Our three main characters are Christians who knows God is there for them.

They pray for his guidance and know that all things happen in His timing. The Shell Collector is a touching tale with cute kids, a playful pooch, special seashells, a mournful mother, a free-spirited friend, superannuated soldier, and a gracious God. Oh, this book. The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle takes you on a beautiful, heart-wrenching journey through grief and coming out on the other side of it.

Amanda Whittier lost her husband and is struggling to find herself and some happiness two years later. She moves to a small house on Whelk's Island and meets Maeve - a lifelong resident and a quick friend to Amanda.

Maeve lost her own husband several years ago and is determined to help Amanda see that her life can have joy in it again. I loved Oh, this book. I loved every single character in this book. This is a book that had me crying multiple times - both tears of heartache and tears of joy. Nancy has written a perfect story.

It is absolutely worth the sadness of reading it. There were so many wonderful moments. If you are looking for a moving story then this is it. I can totally see this being a Hallmark movie. I'd give this more than five stars if I could. I received an advanced reader copy for review purposes. My honest review is not influenced in any way. Apr 05, Margaret Dombrowski rated it really liked it. I received this book from the author via NetGalley.

A story of two women that have experienced loss and realize their lives are mirrored in how they've reacted to their loss. Maeve is a strong lead character that "guides" Amanda in hopes that she grabs onto happiness, but she must learn to forgive herself and others.

You'll need kleenex throughout this story. Amanda is a wonderful heroine, valiantly trying to overcome loss, beloved memories either painfully present or just fading, while raising two precious children. I really liked how the author wrote the process of mourning and healing and the way fate gave Paul and Amanda a second chance at love. Paul felt sometimes as a too-good-to-be-true, too perfect hero.

As for Amanda and Maeve, their relationship was interesting but some aspects of it seemed a bit rushed. May 11, Connie Saunders rated it it was amazing. This is such a lovely story, and I found myself feeling many of the emotions that a well-written novel can evoke. I was washed in sadness as Amanda and her children adjusted to life without a husband and father, and I rejoiced as they began to feel moments of joy even in their grieving.

I also loved the friendship that developed between Amanda and Maeve, despite the fact that they were years apart in age. Maeve had lived through much of what Amanda was experiencing, and the fact that she'd never This is such a lovely story, and I found myself feeling many of the emotions that a well-written novel can evoke. Maeve had lived through much of what Amanda was experiencing, and the fact that she'd never had her own children, made the love and attention that she lavished on Hailey and Jesse even more poignant.

Watching her patiently show them the satisfaction in searching for shells along the beach warmed my heart, and her kindness and wisdom was special, indeed.

We all need a Maeve in our lives! I won't ask or push. Just let be there for you a you're ready. Don't make the mistakes I made. I wasted so many years buried in suffering. It also reminds us that love comes in many forms, and each one is equally important. Romantic love is wonderful, but the love between friends can be life-altering and life-sustaining!

Nancy Naigle has written an exceptional book and I recommend it to all who enjoy contemporary women's fiction. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts. Apr 11, Kav rated it it was amazing. This one was a gobsmacker for me! I wasn't sure what to expect, since this is my very first Nancy Naigle book, so I went in without any preconceived ideas and was immediately swept into the story. Definitely an emotional read.

I teared up in many places, and cried buckets twice. But I also laughed and swooned and just plain delighted in these characters and this quaint seaside town! I'd tag it as Women's Fiction with a solid romance thread. And while this story does deal with some heavy subject This one was a gobsmacker for me! And while this story does deal with some heavy subject matter -- grief in all it's forms -- it's laced with so much hope and joy as well that it doesn't feel heavy.

You see, suffering is solitary, but you share your grief with good people. It's the way you release the pain and adjust to the loss. So many beautiful truths like this to touch a reader's heart. And there's even a beautiful second chance love story when Amanda unexpectedly meets up with someone very dear from her past. The Shell Collector turned out to be just what I needed at just the right time -- an emotionally engaging, soul-stirring journey out of darkness into light.

May 21, Melissa rated it it was amazing. This book gave me ALL the feels! I really enjoyed this sweet story chock full of lots of heart and fantastic characters. I was rooting for these characters from the first page and the ending was pretty much a perfect one for the characters and for me as the reader. I really really loved this story and I think it would make an excellent Hallmark movie. I purchased a copy of the audio This book gave me ALL the feels!

I purchased a copy of the audiobook on Audible and it was very well done. Great narrator and enjoyable listening experience. I received a copy of the ebook as a member of the launch team and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own. May 05, Dana Michael rated it really liked it. This is my first Nancy Naigle book! I enjoyed this sweet story about an older lady who befriends a young widow.

 

The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle.Fiction Book Review: THE SHELL COLLECTOR by Anthony Doerr

 

Sharon, this is the book I told you about with the story about the hunter's wife who touches the dying animals to feel their pain and their life. It stems from there to get even more dramatic and metaphysical but seriously There's a story in here about a homeless man who cuts out the hearts of beached whales and buries them a This is a collection of short stories from a pretty young author--really beautiful stuff. There's a story in here about a homeless man who cuts out the hearts of beached whales and buries them and then sleeps on the ground above them, only it's not gross, Jen, it's beautiful.

I can't even write a literate review for this book because I can't stress enough how much I want one of you three to read it so you can tell me if you like it or not. Apr 22, Alice Lippart rated it liked it Shelves: short-stories , read-in , contemporary-fiction.

A good collection with some really strong stories, especially in the beginning. Lovely atmosphere and writing. Unfortunately though, by the end, the stories got a bit repetitive and I felt myself getting a little bored.

A collection of eight stories, studded with exotic locations, eclectic cultures, unique characters with a dash of magical realism in most of the stories. Like the blind man who has a knack for curing people by stinging sea shells, or the hunter's wife who can summon dead animal's soul on touching the dead body.

The story I loved the most was Griselda's. Realistic and contrasting lives of two sisters - one who runs of Picked these short stories for the author's fame from All The Light We Cannot See. Realistic and contrasting lives of two sisters - one who runs off with a metal eater, and the one who stays back.

Most difficult and yet rewarding read of the lot was "The Caretaker". Lost patience with it more than a couple of times, but on finishing emanated a sense of achievement.

Mkondo was a decent story of a couple, where the girl has the tendency to hop one step further, literally!

Was utterly disappointed with July Fourth. Overall a mixed fruit bag full of surprises. Close to nature and rich in emotions, these slow moving stories are for anyone who wants a slice of life.

Not recommended: If you seek a perfect plot with closure in short stories. Apr 28, Judy rated it it was amazing Shelves: absolutely-amazing , short-story , the-book-club.

The Shell Collector: such a simple life of peace, but that peace was shattered so quickly by people wanting something from him The Hunters Wife: Not sure how I feel about this one. Usually I enjoy the mythical and esoteric type of tale, but this one was strangely cold and dispassionate.

So Many Chances: beautiful story of a young starting to find herself. Incredibly written with wonderful word pictures painting the scene. Set over a time s The Shell Collector: such a simple life of peace, but that peace was shattered so quickly by people wanting something from him The Hunters Wife: Not sure how I feel about this one.

Set over a time span of 20 years and essentially nothing happens. But it works. Beautiful descriptive language, I could smell the smells of the carnival and see the small town landscape. One sister runs off to a life outside of the small town. The other stays and picks up the pieces of their broken mother and goes on to live a small town life. But in the end you are left considering just which of the sisters has the "life lived well. July Forth: to quote the final sentence "They would not lose, they could not lose; they were Americans, they had already won".

That says so much. I could hear the silent sarcasm the whole way through. The Caretaker. Hidden in the middle of this anthology is the most amazing jewel. It's beginning is so horrendous, such a graphic description of civil war that I could nearly not continue.

It's middle is a tale of hopelessness, of loss, of despair, it's ending is a glimmer of hope. Such pain and such beauty in one small story.

I am feeling quite numb. I have to put all reading aside for a bit and go outside to my garden to connect. A Tangle by the Rapid River: beautifully short, life flows on and on,despite the tangles and complications we create and encounter. Dude can write. True, his tone is often a bit detached. Even though he's capable of great imaginative riffs, his voice doesn't vary much from one story to the other.

He doesn't inhabit the voice of his characters. In the first two stories, the protagonists are called "the shell collector" and "the hunter. But his narration, which almost always carries with it a sort of omniscience even when he remains in 3rd limited, allows him to do some great things with landscape and with p Dude can write. But his narration, which almost always carries with it a sort of omniscience even when he remains in 3rd limited, allows him to do some great things with landscape and with point of view.

Doerr's an interesting case study in pov, in fact, because in several of his stories, he jumps into a different protagonist's head well after the "pov contract" has been established. For the most part, he gets away with it since his narration is so detached and so incredibly specific and detailed. I'm not usually one for poetic description, but Doerr keeps me engaged. Byatt's "A Stone Woman" is to rocks, but Doerr's story is much more engaging since he sees within his shells both beauty and danger.

Lastly, I've got to say that I'm impressed with Doerr's depiction of protagonists of different races. Whenever I'm asked about a white author who can write a black or Latino character, I almost always come up short. Not many attempt it; many fail; I think Doerr succeeds. Anthony Doerr gained popularity after his beautifully written book dealing with two lost souls during the Second World War ''All the light we cannot see'' won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

Having loved the book I wanted to try more of his work and what could be better than this collection of short stories. Much like his previous book, this one is quite magnificently written too; the writing is lyrical and evokes beautiful descriptive visions of the stuff that he writes about.

It's full of metap Anthony Doerr gained popularity after his beautifully written book dealing with two lost souls during the Second World War ''All the light we cannot see'' won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It's full of metaphors and narrative genius especially when he writes about nature, which is a lot. Nature seems to be a common thread that holds all the stories together; whether it is the sea and the shells in the story which gives the book its name, or the wolves and the hunting in the cold mountainside, or the wandering woman who holds it dear, it seems to occupy a primal position in the stories.

There are hints of magical realism that are thrown in to make the stories a tiny bit surreal, they do a wonderful job of imbibing a sense of wonderment and inspired imagination in what are sordid and sometimes dark tales.

The characters he conjures are multi-dimensional and interesting. The stories themselves have endings that are open to interpretation or they just end, there is no urgency in them as the reader is expected to savor them and not look for twists. My only gripe with this book is that the writing is too descriptive at times; the author spends the better part of the story writing detailed prose describing nature and the frame and the elements around the characters, it can get kind of overbearing for the impatient reader.

However, the characters are the redemption. Would advise readers to go into it for a patient read savoring the lyrical prose rather than looking for a fast story-driven book like his previous one from which it differs drastically in pacing but resembles a lot in writing precision. Feb 18, Samuel Hurst rated it it was amazing. This is such a touching set of short stories. The Shell Collector the first story itself is fantastic. My favourite was the last story, Mkondo, which tipped my rating from four stars to five.

Sep 12, Olivia rated it it was ok Shelves: short-stories. This collection also features the spectacularly idiotic quote, "Was that what hunting meant to people?

Killing animals? Jul 09, Nola Lorraine rated it really liked it Shelves: short-stories. Published in , the eight stories in this book shows glimpses of Doerr's mastery. His descriptions and imagery are superb. I started jotting down sentences I particularly liked, but I feel I could buy a copy purely to mark up as a study of short-story writing.

Here are just a few examples: 'Her mother's face retreats inside itself like a poked sea anemo This is the debut short story collection from Anthony Doerr, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his book 'All the Light We Cannot See'.

Here are just a few examples: 'Her mother's face retreats inside itself like a poked sea anemone. Or do they settle like seeds, waiting to open until the time is right? For a Long Time this was Griselda's Story. My personal favourites were the three stories with an African connection: The Shell Collector - About a blind marine biologist in Kenya whose peace and quiet is shattered when he inadvertently stumbles across a potential cure for a fatal disease. The Caretaker - About an African man who goes to the United States as a refugee from the civil war in Liberia, but can't shake the trauma of what he has seen and done.

Mkondo - An unlikely love story between a Tanzanian woman who loves to be wild and free, and a conservative American man who works for the Ohio Museum of Natural History. Not only are the stories really interesting and original, with lots of details and beautiful descriptions, but they are also richly layered and provide lots to think about.

The Hunter's Wife about a woman who can sense the spirits of dead animals and So Many Chances about a man who moves his family across country for a better life were also really interesting and provided a lot of food for thought.

It was interesting, but I didn't like it as much as the others. I also wasn't as keen on the two stories that featured fishermen i. They were well-written, but not really to my taste. However, the others stories more than made up for it. Although not all of the tales had happy ending, most were imbued with hope. It was also interesting to see some themes in these stories that were later developed in All the Light We Cannot See e.

A must-read for anyone who wants to learn from a master storyteller. May 07, Alan rated it really liked it Shelves: short-stories. It is exquisitely written, full of nature - fish,sea, mountains, animals feature heavily. There is some humour but maybe the stories take themselves a little too seriously, and not normally my kind of stuff - a blind shell collector becomes a sought out he review will follow - bit hectic at the moment in a good way There is some humour but maybe the stories take themselves a little too seriously, and not normally my kind of stuff - a blind shell collector becomes a sought out healer, something miraculous perhaps.

Some are more straightforward, a holiday romance for a introverted girl which reminded me a bit of the Simpsons episode where the family are on holiday and Lisa becomes cool. Sometimes I didn't quite believe in the characters - the African refugee one again that jumpy violent landscape of gangs taking over a war torn country and inflicting death and torture, like Akpan and others I've read recently , where he tries to bury his terrible past in the symbolic burial of the hearts of beached whales.

Fantastic descriptions of the whales one bit I remember is the arteries - big enough for a 'housecat' to run through. So good good writing, a little too heavy on the symbols and the characters are bent too much, now and then, to suit the story.

But well worth a go. Jul 31, Maya Lang rated it it was amazing. I've recently been experiencing short story fatigue with my own shorts more than anyone else's. Then along came Anthony Doerr. If I tried to describe any of his plots to you, you'd conclude that they sound absurd. My only conclusion is that Doerr has held onto that impulse that gets us to tell stories in the first place. These are not quiet, formulaic stories told in a certain hushed workshop voice of restraint.

These are stories of the improbable, stories that break the mold, imbued with magi I've recently been experiencing short story fatigue with my own shorts more than anyone else's.

These are stories of the improbable, stories that break the mold, imbued with magic and a sense of the fantastic, yet deeply grounded in characters who are human, memorable, real.

Oct 26, Matthew rated it it was amazing Shelves: short-stories. Utterly fantastic in every regard. Every story is truly special, and many will stay with you long after you've finished them. Doerr's order here, too, is especially spot-on. Unlike so many short sorry collections that fizzle out, this one roars to the end. It is so good, in fact, you will hang on every word, not wanting it to end. Also impressive Utterly fantastic in every regard. Also impressive -- the fact that Doerr was 29 when this was first published.

Many writers would kill to be able to write like this after a lifetime, but Doerr apparently has it. Absolutely incredible prose. One of the very best short story collections I've ever read. Readers also enjoyed. Short Stories.

Literary Fiction. Magical Realism. Adult Fiction. About Anthony Doerr. Anthony Doerr. Doerr is a two-time National Book Award finalist, and his fiction has won five O. Become a fan on Facebook and stay up-to-date on his latest publications. Books by Anthony Doerr. Articles featuring this book. In the world of books, as in life itself, we occasionally encounter odd little storm fronts when things get unreasonably busy.

Read more Trivia About The Shell Collector. Quotes from The Shell Collector. Somewhere inside she could feel winds dying, the gales of her youth stifled. She was learning that in her life everything— health, happiness, even love—was subject to the landscape; the weathers of the world were inseparable from the weathers of her soul.

Welcome back. While Doerr's solemn philosophies and grim truths are rescued from pious modernity in each tale by the brightness and infinity of unlikely romance, this humorless collection is seriously marred by its longest story, "The Caretaker," a tirade told in more repulsive and brutal detail than a CNN report of Liberian civil war, that is hardly readable.

Most stories in the collection were previously published in respected literary journals, from The Atlantic Monthly to Doubletake , yet there is no publication history listed for "The Caretaker," other than here.

It is a thorn in the side of an otherwise delightful and thought-provoking debut. The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr. The Book Report Network. Skip to main content. The Shell Collector. Just before deserting him, Mary grabs Dumas's arm and the foreleg of a doe the hunter has just killed: "Oh, he whispered.

Reviewed by Brandon M. Stickney on January 23, Irish writer Rooney has made a trans-Atlantic splash since publishing her first novel, Conversations With Friends , in Her second has already won the Costa Novel Award, among other honors, since it was published in Ireland and Britain last year.

In outline it's a simple story, but Rooney tells it with bravura intelligence, wit, and delicacy. Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan are classmates in the small Irish town of Carricklea, where his mother works for her family as a cleaner. It's , after the financial crisis, which hovers around the edges of the book like a ghost. Connell is popular in school, good at soccer, and nice; Marianne is strange and friendless. They're the smartest kids in their class, and they forge an intimacy when Connell picks his mother up from Marianne's house.

Soon they're having sex, but Connell doesn't want anyone to know and Marianne doesn't mind; either she really doesn't care, or it's all she thinks she deserves. Or both. Though one time when she's forced into a social situation with some of their classmates, she briefly fantasizes about what would happen if she revealed their connection: "How much terrifying and bewildering status would accrue to her in this one moment, how destabilising it would be, how destructive.

Rooney's genius lies in her ability to track her characters' subtle shifts in power, both within themselves and in relation to each other, and the ways they do and don't know each other; they both feel most like themselves when they're together, but they still have disastrous failures of communication.

Then Rooney elaborates: "She tries to pronounce this in a way that communicates several things: apology, painful embarrassment, some additional pained embarrassment that serves to ironise and dilute the painful kind, a sense that she knows she will be forgiven or is already, a desire not to 'make a big deal. Already have an account? Log in. Trouble signing in?

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