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"'Runaway is so good I don't want to talk about it. Quotation can't do the book justice, and neither can synopsis. The way to do it justice is to read it. Read Munro! Read Munro!' Jonathan Franzen, New York Times Book Review"
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My favourite current fiction writer is Canada's Alice Munro
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I must qualify this review by admitting that I almost never read short stories, finding them the most frustrating of genres. I am aware however, that the genre itself requires great skill and craft to succeed, and Alice Munro obviously has both.
Alice Munro's collection in Runaway is of, arguably, the most frustrating type: the short story that is so good it can only leave you disappointed. Just as you get warm and cosy with the characters, just as you are drawn in and fully engaged, it finishes. The stories are all connected to women's lives and experiences, but not in such a way that male characters are either marginalised or sacrificed. Munro's characterisation is superb, and within a couple of pages the reader will feel her creations stepping from the book and into real life.
Her writing is at once disarmingly simple, and yet very powerful, and even though none of the stories are frightening in the least, I felt myself afraid at times. There's an invisible force, an element of suspense perhaps, that pulls the reader through each story. She really is a most remarkable writer.
A couple of the stories end in a rather vague - slightly surreal - way, that may leave some readers a little puzzled. They were the ones that struck me the most, and that I find myself pondering. Another group of three stories contain the same character, and that was quite comforting whilst they continued, although triply frustrating at the end!
If you enjoy short stories, I can't imagine you not liking this collection.
Alice Munro's collection in Runaway is of, arguably, the most frustrating type: the short story that is so good it can only leave you disappointed. Just as you get warm and cosy with the characters, just as you are drawn in and fully engaged, it finishes. The stories are all connected to women's lives and experiences, but not in such a way that male characters are either marginalised or sacrificed. Munro's characterisation is superb, and within a couple of pages the reader will feel her creations stepping from the book and into real life.
Her writing is at once disarmingly simple, and yet very powerful, and even though none of the stories are frightening in the least, I felt myself afraid at times. There's an invisible force, an element of suspense perhaps, that pulls the reader through each story. She really is a most remarkable writer.
A couple of the stories end in a rather vague - slightly surreal - way, that may leave some readers a little puzzled. They were the ones that struck me the most, and that I find myself pondering. Another group of three stories contain the same character, and that was quite comforting whilst they continued, although triply frustrating at the end!
If you enjoy short stories, I can't imagine you not liking this collection.
46 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a beautifully written work and a pleasure to read. I had not read Munro before until I laid my hands on this book. That is why I consider this book as a revelation .The stories are heart-touching, full of lessons and inspirational. The characters are rich, vividly drawn and genuine. I must add that the stories are very insightful, and with that comes the boundlessness and timelessness of it all, as they show how small events can change lives, and how different those events appear to us after. Munro's unique portrayal of everyday aspects of life is rare around and the richness of it will make you want to read all of her other books. Most of the stories tell us how the characters that are easy to relate to are changed by events for forever The fact that this book is a series of well written stories that delve into the thoughts and dreams of the characters, thoughts and dreams that we all share, makes RUNAWAY and the other stories a recommended read. It is a superbly written work that takes its time to work its charm on you.THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, THE MOONS OF JUPITER, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE are other good stories to read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Just finished Runaway, and now the problem is to find something to read that comes close to the quality of her writing and to the scope of her imagination. I am not a great short story fan, but hers are something else altogether - unmissable!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Frustrating
Alice Munro is widely recognised for her short story writing, but although these were obviously well written, I felt they lacked in satisfaction. Read more
Published 1 month ago by DubaiReader
Stunning
I'm a long-time fan of Alice Munro and this volume doesn't disappoint. The title story is masterful - the book is worth buying for that alone. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Helen Barnes
Runaway success
I think that this is one of the best volumes of fiction I've read.
I thought that that was worth a paragraph on its own. Read more
I thought that that was worth a paragraph on its own. Read more
Published 5 months ago by D. J. H. Thorn
Wanted more!
I haven't read Munro before and it didn't take long to warm to her writing. My problem was that I didn't realise this was a collection of short stories and the more I read the... Read more
Published 12 months ago by ali1h
Thoroughly disappointing
I have been working my way through the Man Booker Prizewinners, and was thoroughly enjoying them until I read this book. How it managed to win I'll never know. Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by Robyn Leate
Chance, Soon, Silence
This is a quiet book in which there are few moments of catharsis, yet many moments that resonate and deliver a profound sense of the truth behind fiction of this quality. Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2009 by Eileen Shaw
Pass it on...
Alice Munro doesnt seem to be especially well known in the UK. However I loved this book, as has everyone else I have passed it onto. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2007 by S. Roberts
NOT TOUCHING
I found this book quite boring and superficial.
It is a book very educate, well written but it
flows away and leaves you with almost nothing
It is a book very educate, well written but it
flows away and leaves you with almost nothing
Published on 24 Jun 2007 by Lorenzo Robecchi
So-so
I did enjoy this book, but I found some of the stories a little strange and also you'll find that some of the short stories follow on from each other (ie. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2006 by KT
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