This was brilliant - so interesting! I've never read any Alice Munro and you've definitely inspired me. So glad I've found your channel! Am now binge-watching your videos haha :D x
+Reads and Daydreams Oh wow thanks! I’m happy to hear I inspired you. I have links to my two favourites in the description. But I’d print them out because reading on screen is never as good haha. And cheers for checking out my channel! It has made my day :)
This was a really great introduction! I've always wondered about her work, but never had the impetus to actually pick it up, but will do so now! Thank you. :)
Whenever I think of Alice Munro, I think of that kindhearted and sweet woman who, deep down, is a literary genius. In other words, she reminds me of a teacher I had in high school that knew just about everything having to do with literature and also coordinated the literary magazine. I own Dear Life, which I believe is her most recent collection. I do want to and need to read something from her collection and I am glad you brought her up, for Munro and the art of the short story are definitely areas that need more recognition. Great job on this video and thank you for sharing! :) -Josh
+Literary Gladiators Thanks Josh! And that's really nice way of describing of Munro. I totally agree! I hope you enjoy Dear Life. I haven't read all the stories in that collection, but I remember enjoying Corrie when it was first published in the New Yorker. Pay close attention, I had to read it twice to understand what happened at the end haha :)
+Jakob Tanner I will have to really find a way to sit down and read Munro's works. I possess the habit of reading at work and with fifteen-minute breaks, I do not get as much time to read as I want. Perhaps this is not the book to take! I will have to check out Corrie and the others in Dear Life! If I like the collection, then I will definitely look for her others.
I've always meant to read more Munro ever since I lead a discussion on one of her short stories in high school! I even owned Lives of Girls and Women for several years but just never got around to it... I can only hope this will change in the very near future thanks to this video.
+Literally Graphic Thanks!! Yeah go read some more Munro. But as I said in the video, Lives of Girls and Women, I think, is a bit of an overhyped collection. Her mid-to-later stuff is wayyy better. Let me know how you get on :)
I love Alice Munro. Happy to see someone plugging the CanLit! My favourite story by her is "Half a Grapefruit." Very simple, but it really struck a chord with me when I read it.
Thank you so much for this video. I've been wanting to read Alice Munro, and I started listening to an audiobook version of... one of her collections I don't remember which one (one of the first stories was about people on a ship going to the new world?) and while I loved the writing, I have found that I struggle with audiobook versions of short stories. Nice to hear that her work benefits from some close attention. :)
+BooksandQuestions Oh nice. I think you were reading “The View from Castle Rock,” which is pretty good but totally different from all of her other stuff. It’s also a partially autobiographical re-telling of her own family's move from Scotland to Canada. It sort of fits in with this super meta-element that Munro goes into (a lot of her stories follow a schematic similar to her own life story: born in ontario, move to west coast, move back to Ontario). But I wouldn’t start there haha. Also I don’t know if she’s best for audiobook but this is coming from someone who can’t concentrate on an audiobook to save their life. Just the way most of her narrative jumps around in time (and it doesn’t necessarily follow a simple pattern), I feel like that would just become gobbledigook on audiobook for me haha. But let me know how you get on with her on your next attempt!
Numerous times I've held Alice Munro books in my hands at Barnes & Noble and not one ever landed at the register wow Jonathan Franzen must be a marketing genius. Very informative video by the way.
+Books and Things The title story is pretty f-ing dope. So that isn't a bad place to start. It's actually recommended by Slate as a good starting point. I'd try the Beggar Maid collection as that a connected short story collection and I know how you love those! :)
+A Hermit's Progress Thanks Victoria! Beggar Maid is one of my fave stories by her. If you want something a little more off-kilter, her story Open Secrets is really intense :)
Jakob Tanner Just finished-- I read it on a screen, which isn't my favourite way to read, but I still loved it- going to have to buy a collection now! Thanks for giving me the nudge to read something by her finally! :D
Great video! :) I've known of her for some time now, but never really felt like picking up her collections - maybe due to the things you mention. But I will read the Beggar Maid and see how I like it - so this was great! :) On another note... i LOVE The Bone Clocks!!! Love, love, love it! --- just had to get that out there :P No, really - its like nothing Ive ever read before.. it has so much to it - even a small campus-novel inside (which always makes me swoon).. Its just great! So thank you for recommending it! :)
+Marie Berg Thanks Marie! I hope you enjoy The Beggar Maid (its set on a university campus, so campus stories for the win, hurrah!) And I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying The Bone Clocks. Guessing from the Goodreads progress report, you've met Hugo Lamb. He's a total scoundrel but also one of my faves haha. Can't wait to hear what you think once you've finished it! :)
Yees - I love him! The story really picked up for me when he came around (the first part with Holly just scared the living shit out of me haha) :P Hugo Lamb and of course the campus-setting, Im a sucker for that! :) I'll be looking forward to seeing that in Alice Munro as well :)
Just linked to this video by a Hermit's Progress.. you realize the story you described about the old couple is an incredible movie "Away From Her" directed by great Canadian Sarah Polley
+Sandra Reiss Haha yeah! I actually haven't seen Away From Her but people tell me it's great. Another adaptation of her work has come out recently with Kristen Wiig called Hateship, Loveship. But yeah, Sarah Polley is a genius!! :)
Thanks for the Munro tips! I'm even more excited to give her a go! I want to read more CanLit, and have tried Atwood multiple times, but I'm still very unsure about her. Maybe I'll feel differently about Munro!
+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) Munro is quite different from Atwood. Munro never really ventures into sf or fantasy in the way that Atwood has. That said, quite a few Munro stories borrow from crime literature and have really dark gothick-y things going on. Hope this video helped! :)
Another writer right up there with Alice is Mavis Gallant. She is just as good. Along with Margaret Atwood they form a strong trio of excellent Canadian writers.
I have never picked up a Munro...yikes I'm such a bad Canadian reader! Thank you for highlighting her work, next time I am walking through Chapters I will not just pass her by:)
+ViennaWaitsBooks Haha I'm a terrible Canadian reader too so no worries. I've read like two Margaret Atwood books :S I've put links to two of my favourite stories in the description so you can print them out! :) :) :)
"Chance" is really good! No doubt about it. The symbolism takes your breath away. But I slightly prefer "Friend of My Youth" and "Carried Away". Another story that was exciting to read but which I haven't reread yet is "Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage".
Thanks for the advice! I think so often people tend to not read an author's best work simply because only their shortest work is put on the syllabus (e.g. look at poor Henry James) - or their most sad and serious one (e.g. Oscar Wilde - famous for his hilarious wit and joyfulness, and then people go and read his only sad book?). So I'll try not to make that mistake with Munro.
I would start with Dance of the Happy Shades (note correct title) and work forward. I don't find her (much) later work as compelling, fine as it is. But then, I'm closer to her generation, so that early work has an immediacy that might not be there for younger readers ... ?
+Fiction&History Oooh I don't know if I've read that one. I'll definitely check it out. I feel like Too Much Happiness was a pretty dark and bloody collection. Dimensions was INSANE! I also liked Deep Holes :)
The story "Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You" in the book of the same name. After reading that first story I was blown away and I was hooked! She's a better psychologist than most psychologists. This book is wonderful.
cough NaBOkov cough (I will get people pronouncing his name right. I really need to read some Alice Munro; where should I start....of wait, I should watch this video.
So many people pronounce it that way, I even watched a documentary where a Nabokov expert pronounced it that way, even going on to say "I know it's wrong" _headdesk_
I read Dear Life in 2014 and absolutely loved it, but for some reason I haven't picked up any more of her work. The story "Amundsen" has always stuck with me for some reason. And it too has an incredibly boring opening line: "On the bench outside the station, I sat and waited." Blah. But it's such a fantastic story!
+WellDoneBooks Oooh I haven't read that one, I'll definitely check it out. I remember really liking "Corrie" from that collection. Haha, yeah in some ways I think those boring lines are almost radical and audacious in their own strange paradoxical way!
This was brilliant - so interesting! I've never read any Alice Munro and you've definitely inspired me. So glad I've found your channel! Am now binge-watching your videos haha :D x
+Reads and Daydreams Oh wow thanks! I’m happy to hear I inspired you. I have links to my two favourites in the description. But I’d print them out because reading on screen is never as good haha. And cheers for checking out my channel! It has made my day :)
So true what you say about reading her stories in one sitting. Terrific talk!
very appreciative of your wonderful description of what alice munro's writing is all about, and also your recommendations. very professional
Thanks Lyn!
I never read anything by her but I think I might just have to. Thanks for making this video.
This was a really great introduction! I've always wondered about her work, but never had the impetus to actually pick it up, but will do so now! Thank you. :)
+The Garden of Readin' Awesome! Munro's the best :D :D
thank you so much! Well done, and love the puzzle piece analogy.
Whenever I think of Alice Munro, I think of that kindhearted and sweet woman who, deep down, is a literary genius. In other words, she reminds me of a teacher I had in high school that knew just about everything having to do with literature and also coordinated the literary magazine. I own Dear Life, which I believe is her most recent collection. I do want to and need to read something from her collection and I am glad you brought her up, for Munro and the art of the short story are definitely areas that need more recognition. Great job on this video and thank you for sharing! :) -Josh
+Literary Gladiators Thanks Josh! And that's really nice way of describing of Munro. I totally agree! I hope you enjoy Dear Life. I haven't read all the stories in that collection, but I remember enjoying Corrie when it was first published in the New Yorker. Pay close attention, I had to read it twice to understand what happened at the end haha :)
+Jakob Tanner I will have to really find a way to sit down and read Munro's works. I possess the habit of reading at work and with fifteen-minute breaks, I do not get as much time to read as I want. Perhaps this is not the book to take! I will have to check out Corrie and the others in Dear Life! If I like the collection, then I will definitely look for her others.
Alice Munro was a monster ...She let her second husband assault her daughter...and she even wrote about it....Gross ..
Thanks for this.
Alice Munro was on a plane beyond what Atwood could touch. She may have been the best short story writer ever.
Alice Munro was a monster ...She let her second husband assault her daughter...and she even wrote about it....Gross ..
I've always meant to read more Munro ever since I lead a discussion on one of her short stories in high school! I even owned Lives of Girls and Women for several years but just never got around to it... I can only hope this will change in the very near future thanks to this video.
+Literally Graphic Thanks!! Yeah go read some more Munro. But as I said in the video, Lives of Girls and Women, I think, is a bit of an overhyped collection. Her mid-to-later stuff is wayyy better. Let me know how you get on :)
RIP Alice
transcendchildabuseenablement
I love Alice Munro. Happy to see someone plugging the CanLit! My favourite story by her is "Half a Grapefruit." Very simple, but it really struck a chord with me when I read it.
+FromTheDustyBookshelf Ooh I haven't read that one but thanks for the tip will go check it out immediately :)
Thank you so much for this video. I've been wanting to read Alice Munro, and I started listening to an audiobook version of... one of her collections I don't remember which one (one of the first stories was about people on a ship going to the new world?) and while I loved the writing, I have found that I struggle with audiobook versions of short stories. Nice to hear that her work benefits from some close attention. :)
+BooksandQuestions Oh nice. I think you were reading “The View from Castle Rock,” which is pretty good but totally different from all of her other stuff. It’s also a partially autobiographical re-telling of her own family's move from Scotland to Canada. It sort of fits in with this super meta-element that Munro goes into (a lot of her stories follow a schematic similar to her own life story: born in ontario, move to west coast, move back to Ontario). But I wouldn’t start there haha. Also I don’t know if she’s best for audiobook but this is coming from someone who can’t concentrate on an audiobook to save their life. Just the way most of her narrative jumps around in time (and it doesn’t necessarily follow a simple pattern), I feel like that would just become gobbledigook on audiobook for me haha. But let me know how you get on with her on your next attempt!
Numerous times I've held Alice Munro books in my hands at Barnes & Noble and not one ever landed at the register wow Jonathan Franzen must be a marketing genius. Very informative video by the way.
+Uma Hasan Thanks! Hope you enjoy Munro when you get to her :)
I NEED TO READ SOME ALICE MUNRO. I own one of her collections but just haven't got round to it yet... I own the The Love of a Good Woman I think.
+Books and Things The title story is pretty f-ing dope. So that isn't a bad place to start. It's actually recommended by Slate as a good starting point. I'd try the Beggar Maid collection as that a connected short story collection and I know how you love those! :)
I do indeed love them! I really want to read some Alice Munro this year :)
Thanks for this video! I have a goal this year on exploring Canadian literature more, and I've never read Alice Munro before, this is perfect!
+Little Prairie Library Oh wow! Have fun! There's lot to choose from :)
This is such a great video-- I'm definitely inspired to read some Alice Munro!
+A Hermit's Progress Thanks Victoria! Beggar Maid is one of my fave stories by her. If you want something a little more off-kilter, her story Open Secrets is really intense :)
Jakob Tanner I'm reading Beggar maid now-- just opened a browser window and I'm waiting for the kettle to boil so I can have a cup of tea with it!
+A Hermit's Progress Ooooh okay! But it's long. Are you content reading on a screeen? Or have you printed it out? Oh my gosh - I'm so concerned now!
Jakob Tanner Just finished-- I read it on a screen, which isn't my favourite way to read, but I still loved it- going to have to buy a collection now! Thanks for giving me the nudge to read something by her finally! :D
Oh wow! I'm happy to hear you liked it. I'd pick up Runaway then and read the three interconnected stories. They are pretty sweet!
Although she never wrote novels herself, Alice Munro's life reads like a Gothic novel.
Great video, JT. I think I should finally take your advice and expand my Canadian literary horizons :)
+Claire Quigley (ClaireQuip Reads) Hey you've done quite a bit of Canadian literature! You've certainly read more Atwood than me ;)
Great video! :) I've known of her for some time now, but never really felt like picking up her collections - maybe due to the things you mention. But I will read the Beggar Maid and see how I like it - so this was great! :)
On another note... i LOVE The Bone Clocks!!! Love, love, love it! --- just had to get that out there :P No, really - its like nothing Ive ever read before.. it has so much to it - even a small campus-novel inside (which always makes me swoon).. Its just great! So thank you for recommending it! :)
+Marie Berg Thanks Marie! I hope you enjoy The Beggar Maid (its set on a university campus, so campus stories for the win, hurrah!) And I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying The Bone Clocks. Guessing from the Goodreads progress report, you've met Hugo Lamb. He's a total scoundrel but also one of my faves haha. Can't wait to hear what you think once you've finished it! :)
Yees - I love him! The story really picked up for me when he came around (the first part with Holly just scared the living shit out of me haha) :P Hugo Lamb and of course the campus-setting, Im a sucker for that! :) I'll be looking forward to seeing that in Alice Munro as well :)
Just linked to this video by a Hermit's Progress.. you realize the story you described about the old couple is an incredible movie "Away From Her" directed by great Canadian Sarah Polley
+Sandra Reiss Haha yeah! I actually haven't seen Away From Her but people tell me it's great. Another adaptation of her work has come out recently with Kristen Wiig called Hateship, Loveship. But yeah, Sarah Polley is a genius!! :)
Thanks for the Munro tips! I'm even more excited to give her a go! I want to read more CanLit, and have tried Atwood multiple times, but I'm still very unsure about her. Maybe I'll feel differently about Munro!
+Amanda Center (IntrovertX) Munro is quite different from Atwood. Munro never really ventures into sf or fantasy in the way that Atwood has. That said, quite a few Munro stories borrow from crime literature and have really dark gothick-y things going on. Hope this video helped! :)
It certainly did! Thank you!!
Another writer right up there with Alice is Mavis Gallant. She is just as good. Along with Margaret Atwood they form a strong trio of excellent Canadian writers.
Agreed. Mavis Gallant is ace!
Thank you! u've helped me a lot with my college translation!
I have never picked up a Munro...yikes I'm such a bad Canadian reader! Thank you for highlighting her work, next time I am walking through Chapters I will not just pass her by:)
+ViennaWaitsBooks Haha I'm a terrible Canadian reader too so no worries. I've read like two Margaret Atwood books :S I've put links to two of my favourite stories in the description so you can print them out! :) :) :)
Eight years later: Where to start indeed?
"Chance" is really good! No doubt about it. The symbolism takes your breath away.
But I slightly prefer "Friend of My Youth" and "Carried Away". Another story that was exciting to read but which I haven't reread yet is "Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage".
Thanks for the advice! I think so often people tend to not read an author's best work simply because only their shortest work is put on the syllabus (e.g. look at poor Henry James) - or their most sad and serious one (e.g. Oscar Wilde - famous for his hilarious wit and joyfulness, and then people go and read his only sad book?). So I'll try not to make that mistake with Munro.
Alice Munro was a monster ...She let her second husband assault her daughter...and she even wrote about it....Gross ..
I would start with Dance of the Happy Shades (note correct title) and work forward. I don't find her (much) later work as compelling, fine as it is. But then, I'm closer to her generation, so that early work has an immediacy that might not be there for younger readers ... ?
Alice Munro was a monster ...She let her second husband assault her daughter...and she even wrote about it....Gross ..
Wenlock Edge in Too much Happiness. I like stories about envy and revenge.
+Fiction&History Oooh I don't know if I've read that one. I'll definitely check it out. I feel like Too Much Happiness was a pretty dark and bloody collection. Dimensions was INSANE! I also liked Deep Holes :)
The story "Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You" in the book of the same name. After reading that first story I was blown away and I was hooked! She's a better psychologist than most psychologists. This book is wonderful.
Oh man...oh no...
Canadian literature FTW!
+CravingBooks Yeah wooohoo!!! :)
Thanks a lot from Russia!
cough NaBOkov cough (I will get people pronouncing his name right. I really need to read some Alice Munro; where should I start....of wait, I should watch this video.
+Knowledge Lost Aw man but I love saying NAbokov. Haha -- thank for the tip. Won't embarrass myself anymore (or at least a little bit less :P)
So many people pronounce it that way, I even watched a documentary where a Nabokov expert pronounced it that way, even going on to say "I know it's wrong" _headdesk_
I read Dear Life in 2014 and absolutely loved it, but for some reason I haven't picked up any more of her work. The story "Amundsen" has always stuck with me for some reason. And it too has an incredibly boring opening line: "On the bench outside the station, I sat and waited." Blah. But it's such a fantastic story!
+WellDoneBooks Oooh I haven't read that one, I'll definitely check it out. I remember really liking "Corrie" from that collection. Haha, yeah in some ways I think those boring lines are almost radical and audacious in their own strange paradoxical way!