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Can't and Won't
Can't and Won't: Stories | Lydia Davis
NATIONAL BESTSELLERThe New York Times Los Angeles Times The Boston GlobeHer stories may be literal one-liners: the entirety of "Bloomington" reads, "Now that I have been here for a little while, I can say with confidence that I have never been here before." Or they may be lengthier investigations of the havoc wreaked by the most mundane disruptions to routine: in "A Small Story About a Small Box of Chocolates," a professor receives a gift of thirty-two small chocolates and is paralyzed by the multitude of options she imagines for their consumption. The storiesmay appear in the form of letters of complaint; they may be extracted from Flaubert's correspondence; or they may be inspired by the author's own dreams, or the dreams of friends.What does not vary throughout Can't and Won't, Lydia Davis's fifth collection of stories, is the power of her finely honed prose. Davis is sharply observant; she is wry or witty or poignant. Above all, she is refreshing. Davis writes with bracing candor and sly humor about the quotidian, revealing the mysterious, the foreign, the alienating, and the pleasurable within the predictable patternsof daily life.
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Between a so-so and a pick. Some of the stories, especially the one and two page ones, were brilliantly absurdist. They felt just right in that, “short story which tickles a very particular itch” way. The two long stories were completely flat for me. The brevity is where she really shone. 3.5⭐️

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Megabooks
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Finally some flash fiction written about me!!

SW-T 🤣🤣🤣 5y
wordzie 😄 5y
94 likes3 comments
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AlizaApp
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this book of short stories (some of them very short), especially the snippets of translated Flaubert and the rambling, somewhat inappropriate letters.

39 likes2 stack adds
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AlizaApp
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Some of these short stories are VERY short, but I am continually impressed with how much Lydia Davis can do in so few words.

29 likes1 stack add
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Vikz
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Mornings mail #bookmail

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Giabow
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Two down. Taking a quick break for some chili. @24in48 #ReadHarderChallenge2017

4 likes1 stack add
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Giabow
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*I'll be reading from New Hampshire.
*This is my first #24in48
*I heard about it here on Litsy.
*I'm most excited about Habibi by Craig Thompson.
*I play roller derby.
*I'll be here on Litsy or on Instagram - same username.
#readathon @24in48

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Giabow
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MariettaSG This sounds like the #creative writing challenge of a story without any e's. 7y
7 likes1 comment
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KarenUK
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#firsteverlitsypost #day9 #booktober I was traveling for work, escaping the hellish heat in FL for a beautiful week in NH, enjoying raw oysters at Row 34 after a visit to my favorite #getindie....

MrBook Oh wow. Annnnd why wasn't I along on this trip 😜?! I'll forgive you since we didn't know each other for another month or so, but from now on... 😆😂👏🏻👍🏻. You're one of my top favorites on here, so you'd better keep those posts coming for a very long time ☺️👍🏻!!! 8y
KarenUK @mrbook that's so lovely! Right back at ya! 🙌🙌🙌 8y
35 likes2 comments
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KarenUK
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#day3 #textonlycovers #booktober My text-only covers seem to be all short stories..... Loved all 3 of these....

37 likes2 stack adds
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hannarosekatz
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I wonder if thoughts are fluid, and flow downward, from one person to another, within the same house.

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RealLifeReading
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Some #minimalisticcovers for #augustbookchallenge. I found the Katherine Mansfield at a library sale some years ago. The cover art is by Leo Lionni (yes that Lionni who wrote Frederick and Swimmy). Balik Kampung (with the red plastic bag) is a collection of stories by Singapore writers. #augustofpages

Mariliel Ooo, I thought that art looked familiar! (On the Leo Lionni) 8y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Gorgeous choices! 8y
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TheSpinecrackersBookClub This is a gorgeous and perfect collection for today's theme. 8y
Hugoreads I love Lydia Davis!📖 8y
RealLifeReading @Mariliel love his work! 8y
RealLifeReading @Hugoreads this is my first of hers. And she is so good! 8y
117 likes1 stack add8 comments
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BlueNoodleFritz
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I really wanted to start with Break it Down but the bookstore didn't have it...this though...just a couple stories in and I already love it!

TheWellReadOwl She's one of my absolute favorites. 8y
BlueNoodleFritz @TheWellReadOwl this is my first book by her. I can tell she's going to be a favorite! 8y
9 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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KarenUK
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Just picked this up at River Run in Portsmouth NH... A Staff pick.... Can't wait to get started... Love me a short story collection...