A Manual for Cleaning Women Selected Stories

3.5 🌟

LUCIA BERLIN, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE? It took me a while to finish this book but these stories, dear lord, these stories. The writer really had a way of pulling me in and making me truly live inside them. What a fascinating point of view and fresher look on just ordinary American lives. Wasn't expecting such a romantic touch on some stories but it was HIGHLY appreciated. Favorite ones: Melina Toda luna, todo año Friends Let me see you smile Mijito Here it is Saturday

I wasn't sure about Lucia Berlin's stories when I started reading. They're different than anything I've read and the language initially felt too simple. I was also a bit thrown by all the first person narratives. About five stories in, I felt like a lightbulb went on and I understood what she was doing. As in any collection of this size, some stories are better than others, but the ones that are good are wonderful little revelations. She's a fan of little twists and ah-ha moments at the end and they're surprisingly effective. I also loved the way these stories are organized: they follow a natural progression where you're seeing the same story, character or event but from a different angle at various points. When a character pops up in a new story it feels a bit like deja vue or like running into someone familiar in an unfamiliar place. My favorites in this book are: Tiger Bites Temps Perdu Todo Luna, Todo Año Melina Friends Grief Bluebonnets La Vie en Rose Panteón de Dolores So Long Mama Here It Is Saturday Wait a Minute and Homecoming

What a stunning collection of stories. They are enthralling, surprising and heart breaking. The more I read, the better they got. My favorites were definitely the ones towards the end of the book, closer to the end of her life. “ Mama” still haunts me many weeks after finishing it.

Just stunning. A must read for fans of short stories.

I picked up this collection on a whim after reading many rave reviews and I was certainly not disappointed. Lucia Berlin is maybe my favorite short story writer now. It is a genre I have been attempting to explore because I enjoy writing short stories myself and wanted to broaden my understanding of the genre. Berlin’s writing is solid, well paced with an honest take on different situations she has faced through her life. Point of View is one of the more notable stories for me. As I read it I knew it was going to be something I was going to come back to. It felt very meta that Berlin, as a writer was writing about the actual process of being a writer. It reminded me of a assignment I had for my creative reflection module at university and I kind of wish that I had discovered it earlier because it fits with the assignment brief perfectly. Emergency Room Notebook, 1977 also notable for me as it felt like a masterpiece in storytelling. It was well paced, engaging and demonstrated Berlin’s skill as a writer. I feel like for anyone wishing to explore the world of short stories Berlin and this particular collection is a great start. Her writing is well-paced and more importantly it feels raw and truthful. From what little I know of Berlin’s personal life I can see it reflected in her writing which made me enjoy it much more.

A series of dark, poetic, realistic stories--all inspired by Lucia's tragic and beautiful life. I'm not typically a short story fan, but each one takes you deep into the characters, as if a novel--really enjoyed this work!

I wasn't going to review this book. I really wasn't. Because how does one even begin to go about describing what it feels like to be in love? Ok, maybe that's hyperbolic, but at the same time I'm feeling the same excitement and utter loss for words. I almost skipped this book because of all the hype. Because that's the kind of person I am. I figured there's no way I won't be disappointed by a book getting this much press and acclaim. But I am here to tell you that I, the coldest heart this side of the Mississippi, always ready and willing to hate, believe the hype is entirely justified and that this book needs more. This collection of short stories is a masterpiece. I've only had this feeling with a few other authors. Shirley Jackson, Lydia Davis, Vladimir Nabokov. You just have a moment when you're reading where you go "wow, this person is actually a literary genius and I am not worthy." Prepare yourself for that feeling. Lucia Berlin is incredible in the least pretentious way possible. When you read her stories it's like being told a story by a friend. Granted, a friend who's seen a lot of life. Her writing is beautiful without it being easy to put your finger on why. Not a word is wasted and her voice is so strong and compelling. Normally I mark a bunch of passages that I like, but I had to give up with Berlin, because I loved it all so much. I was running out of book darts. "After a long time the cranes did come. Hundreds, just as the sky turned blue-gray. They had landed in slow motion on brittle legs. Washing, preening on the bank. Everything was suddenly black and white and gray, a movie after the credits, churning. As the cranes drank upstream the silver water beneath them was shot into dozens of thin streamers. Then very quickly the birds left, in whiteness, with the sound of shuffling cards." The stories in this book are a selection of her best works put in order chronologically. What's brilliant about this is that Lucia Berlin writes very autobiographical stories. It essentially feels like you're growing beside her, like you're watching her life unfold. And this lady has been through all sorts of shit. For a while she lived in mining camps in America, then she moved to Chile where she lived flamboyantly into her 20s. She moved back to America and lived much less flamboyantly. She worked as a maid. She was married 3 times, had some kids, had some affairs, and struggled with alcoholism for most of her life. Most of her stories are about poverty, alcoholism, relationships, family, death. That's part of why I thought I wouldn't be interested, but I was wrong. Berlin is sharp as a tack, she has all sorts of hutzpah, and boy can she tell a story (often in only a few pages or less). "Women’s voices always rise two octaves when they talk to cleaning women or cats." I still really don't know what to say about this collection of short stories. I'm tongue-tied. I don't want to try to describe the pieces, because I know they'll all fall flat in my summation. All I can ask is that you please take the time to AT LEAST read this excerpt from it. "Carpe Diem" was one of the stories that really got to me and you can read it online here. I'm so grateful to have read A Manual for Cleaning Women. I genuinely feel lucky to have had the opportunity, which is an incredible feeling to have after reading a book. I want you to feel that too. "The only reason I have lived so long is that I let go of my past. Shut the door on grief on regret on remorse. If I let them in, just one self-indulgent crack, whap, the door will fling open gales of pain ripping through my heart blinding my eyes with shame breaking cups and bottles knocking down jars shattering windows stumbling bloody on spilled sugar and broken glass terrified gagging until with a final shudder and sob I shut the heavy door. Pick up the pieces one more time." Full review: Outlandish Lit

Stories of the marginalised, alcoholics, couples. Frequently end with a poetic and unexpected emotional punch.