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White Cat, Black Dog
White Cat, Black Dog: Stories | Kelly Link
19 posts | 18 read | 12 to read
Seven ingeniously reinvented fairy tales that play out with astonishing consequences in the modern world, from one of today's finest short story writersMacArthur Genius Grant Fellow Kelly Link, bestselling author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Get in Trouble Finding seeds of inspiration in the Brothers Grimm, seventeenth-century French lore, and Scottish ballads, Kelly Link spins classic fairy tales into utterly original stories of seekerscharacters on the hunt for love, connection, revenge, or their own sense of purpose. In The White Cats Divorce, an aging billionaire sends his three sons on a series of absurd goose chases to decide which will become his heir. In The Girl Who Did Not Know Fear, a professor with a delicate health condition becomes stranded for days in an airport hotel after a conference, desperate to get home to her wife and young daughter, and in acute danger of being late for an appointment that cannot be missed. In Skinders Veil, a young man agrees to take over a remote house-sitting gig for a friend. But what should be a chance to focus on his long-avoided dissertation instead becomes a wildly unexpected journey, as the house seems to be a portal for otherworldly travelersor perhaps a door into his own mysterious psyche. Twisting and winding in astonishing ways, expertly blending realism and the speculative, witty, empathetic, and never predictablethese stories remind us once again of why Kelly Link is incomparable in the art of short fiction.
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

This was a decent take on fairy tales. Like real ones, not the fluffy kind. My book club has pointed out several times that it's a bit gloomy.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
29 likes1 comment
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AmandaBlaze
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Somehow, I missed this. Now on my TBR.

25 likes1 stack add
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AlizaApp
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Pickpick

Another delightfully weird collection of short stories from Kelly Link.

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sarahbarnes
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Pickpick

An unpopular opinion based on other Litsy reviews, but I enjoyed most of these stories. I loved their strangeness and occasional creepiness. A couple were a miss for me, but I loved The White Cat‘s Divorce, Prince Hat, The White Road and Skinner‘s Veil. Finished these while at a conference in Atlanta.

Billypar I haven't read this yet, but I'm a huge fan based on the two collections I have read. Strange about the tepid Litsy reviews because it's got the highest avg GR rating so far compared to her others. But the Litsy reviews are only a handful, so it's a small sample I guess. 10mo
sarahbarnes @Billypar that is interesting. I will say that I am going to immediately track down her other collections after reading these. Good to know that you‘re a fan based on what you‘ve read! 10mo
Hooked_on_books This didn‘t work for me, but not because I thought it was a bad book by any means. It‘s good to find a writer that hits your kind of weird! 10mo
sarahbarnes @Hooked_on_books I wholeheartedly agree! 10mo
39 likes4 comments
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Addison_Reads
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Mehso-so

#tob24

I love weird, and I love fairytale retellings. Kelly Link is a brilliant writer, but there were only two stories in this collection that I enjoyed.

The others felt lackluster in comparison. I do appreciate that she explored fairytales not commonly known. Some of the connections to the original tales were too loose, which made it difficult to follow.

squirrelbrain You‘re having a #ToB review-fest! 🤣 Says me, just about to post another one…. I don‘t think many of us have liked this one so far. 🤔 10mo
See All 9 Comments
Addison_Reads @squirrelbrain I think I have two more and I'll be caught up... for now. 🤣 10mo
BkClubCare I did! I liked this one! 😁 @squirrelbrain I just am horrible at reviewing short stories but I enjoyed this. 10mo
squirrelbrain Oops sorry @BkClubCare 😃 I may even go back to it yet, it‘s a library book that‘s still waiting at home for me when we get back from our hols. 10mo
Suet624 I‘m thinking I may skip this one altogether. 10mo
Chelsea.Poole You‘re on a roll too! 👏 10mo
Hooked_on_books This didn‘t really hit for me, either. I thought the idea was really clever and a couple stories were intriguing, but it wasn‘t for me overall. 10mo
42 likes9 comments
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Deblovestoread
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Bailedbailed

I guess this proves I‘m still not a short story person. The first two stories were well written and compelling enough to keep me going. The third not so much. I read the 4th because I wasn‘t ready to turn out the light but didn‘t want to pick up something new. Bailed at the half way point. #TOB24

@BkClubCare @Megabooks @Hooked_on_books @Jas16 @cariashley @MicheleinPhilly @Larkken @Suet624 @merelybookish @batsy @Readerann @Chelsea.Poole

Ruthiella Short stories have to be pretty spectacular for me to really like them too. It‘s just not my medium. 10mo
squirrelbrain I ‘hibernated‘ it halfway through the second one; it‘s good to know I‘m not alone! 10mo
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Hooked_on_books This particular collection wasn‘t for me, either. I have read some collections that are dynamite, though. There might yet be a collection out there that you would love! 10mo
Jas16 I am not a fan of short stories either so I will definitely wait on the short list for this one. 10mo
MicheleinPhilly I‘m probably skipping this one. 10mo
BkClubCare I really enjoyed these. #shrug 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I am horrible at describing/reviewing. 10mo
Victoriahoperose It may just be me but I feel like Kelly Link is tough to get into. I‘ve read a few of her collections and one was for book club and everyone HATED it. I like some stories, but I never love the full collection, but that is me for most short story collections. 10mo
60 likes8 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Mehso-so

I liked some of these stories quite a bit, but others fell a little flat for me. I found them all wildly creative, though, and Link is clearly a good writer. I‘m just not sure her type of weird (and these are weird) is my type of weird. #tob24

squirrelbrain I‘m halfway through story number 2 and not sure if I‘ll continue. 🤔 10mo
Megabooks @squirrelbrain I bailed after story 2. I enjoyed another story collection of her, but this wasn‘t my cup of tea. 🤷🏻‍♀️ liked this one 10mo
53 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BkClubCare
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#ShortStories #Pub2023
Mentioned in a #TOB chat 💬 “The Long List is coming! The Long List is coming!!” 😂

#DogsofLitsy #CopperBopper #wpg

Ladygodiva7 What a cutie!! Love his coloring! 🖤🤎🤍 11mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So adorable 🐶 11mo
dabbe Hello there, adorably cute Copper! 🖤🐾🖤 11mo
Larkken I was just thinking about the TOB longlist! 🐶Cute pup! 11mo
BkClubCare Squeeeee #ToB24_LongList!! 11/16/2023 #ToBLongList2024 (edited) 11mo
38 likes1 stack add5 comments
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ICantImReading
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

My favorite stories were the first and last ones. I liked how there was a different audiobook narrator for each story. I felt like I didn‘t fully understand some of the stories or what the point was, but maybe it would be worth revisiting this collection again someday? The writing was engaging and unexpected. 🎧

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Pinta
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Mehso-so

Link captures folktales‘ self-assurance, internal logic & demand for suspended disbelief, but there‘s a level of scary missing. What‘s the contemporary version of the deep dark woods? The endless dark parking garage? (Maybe still the deep dark woods.) Scary things diminished in safe world rather than safety threatened. Where were the BAD CHOICES? Doors to KEEP CLOSED? Fun, but made me turn to Erben & Němcová for some real folktale shivers. 2023

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Kazzie
Pickpick

All the stories, except one which I didn‘t understand, were very strange and cool. Reimagining fairytales is wild. The last story, about Death, was particularly weird. Recommend and want to read more

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Tara
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Pickpick

I LOVE KELLY LINK. So many moments where you just stop and go “how does she do that????” These stories are clever and playful and grim and unsettling and and and and…! This is an author at the height of her power and we are all just along for the ride. All but one story were 5⭐️ reads for me (I didn‘t click with the Hansel & Gretel retelling.)

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Tara
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“Pity the introvert with the face of a therapist or a kindergarten teacher. Like the werewolf we are uneasy in human spaces and human company, though we wear a human skin.”

suvata I‘m a big Kelly Link fan 13mo
9 likes1 comment
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annamatopoetry
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Pickpick

Kelly Link never disappoints! All around good short stories; a variation of Prince Hat Underground (which is very scandinavian so I was surprised an anglo writer used it) and one on Tam Lin (which I struggled to remember the plot of since I didn't read it until adult age), overall the whole collection was very deft and felt effortless. Skinder's Veil took a long time to take off but was almost as weird as Two Houses, which, oof. Strong recommend!

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suvata
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Pickpick

I‘m huge fan of Kelly Link and have read all of her books. This collection was my least favorite but still very good. Magical-realism with a pinch of horror. 3.5 Stars

Finding seeds of inspiration in the Brothers Grimm, seventeenth-century French lore, and Scottish ballads, Kelly Link spins classic fairy tales into utterly original stories of seekers—characters on the hunt for love, connection, revenge, or their own sense of purpose.

wisherwishinguponastar You review has me interested, but is there another title by this author you like more? 1y
suvata @wisherwishinguponastar Favorite of hers is Get In Trouble closely followed by Magic For Beginners. 1y
bethanysea I agree-Get in Trouble is pure genius! 1y
43 likes4 comments
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annamatopoetry
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"Analysis slides off Prince Hat like water off a duck engendered from dark matter. "

Kelly Link. HOW. HOW DOES SHE WRITE LIKE THIS.

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suvata
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This is just a small sampling of what I have planned for June. 😎

Emilymdxn I loved either or so much i really hope you like it! 1y
suvata @Emilymdxn I have enjoyed all of Elif Batuman‘s books so far. Excited to read this one. 1y
37 likes2 comments
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RowReads1
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rachelm
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Feb was a great reading month and I got through eleven arcs!

kspenmoll Wow! 11 arcs! 2y
rachelm @kspenmoll busy month! 😂 2y
61 likes2 comments