'Show Don't Tell' is a story collection from Curtis Sittenfeld, whom I know primarily as a novelist. There's a good mix of stories here, although many have a link to education - characters who are students or teachers, or are reflecting on their school/college days. The characters are generally upper class, left leaning types with plenty of liberal guilt, often in their 40s or 50s. Perhaps similar to SIttenfeld herself. I found some of them annoying and found them quite hard to relate to, even though on paper I would have a number of similarities myself.

I should be honest that I'm generally not a fan of short stories, preferring novels, but it does depend on the story in question. Some of these suffered the problem I often have with short stories, that I'm left thinking 'what was the point of that'? But there were a couple that stood out as good reads and where the length felt just right. 'The Richest Babysitter in the World' was the best of the collection, and 'A for Alone' is thought provoking. I also admired the horrifyingly cringe-worthy 'White Women LOL' - any book that can make my toes curl that much has to be effectively written even if not comfortable to read.

I think this collection will be enjoyed by people who like Sittenfeld's novels and identify with the people in the stories - so probably a similar demographic to the one written about. For me the collection as a whole isn't strong enough to recommend more widely, although as I say, a couple do stand out as particularly good. If all of them were the same quality as 'The Richest Babysitter...' then I'd be more generous in my praise.

Curtis Sittenfeld is, of course, a superb writer so everything she puts out is going to be worth reading, this included. The overarching theme of the book is largely a difference between the things we say and the things we do, of letting how things look to others affect the choices we make and how that can play out over the years, and many of the stories handled that in a very interesting way.

However, it did feel a little samey in the end, with certain ideas coming up over and over, particularly in reference to long term marriages and relationships which all seemed to be massive disappointments! All her main characters all seem to come from the same demographic and be on the same wavelength too and that makes it feel repetitive.

I have loved most of Sittenfeld’s books and I’m certainly going to keep reading them, but this one won’t, unfortunately, rank as one of the best for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

You know you're going to get a good story with Curtis Sittenfeld and she does not disappoint with these short stories!

There's something really cosy about the way Curtis Sittenfeld writes, and I think part of this is the familiarity of the characters or settings, especially when she draws on real life figures, or cultural references. I also feel very assured that I'm in safe hands with her writing, knowing in a way what to expect, but also knowing that she will bring this somewhere unexpected, or render it so thoughtfully or truthfully that it may still catch me off guard.

This collection, like her previous You Think It I'll Say It, shows Sittenfeld's strength of capturing moments of feeling, or understanding, in characters that are familiar to us, and might resemble people in our own lives or ourselves. However, I think that the care and understanding that she gives each of these characters and situations help the reader to also put the same weight or importance on their own experiences and feelings, as well as people like them.

I enjoyed each of the stories as I was reading them, and I reached for this over another read several times as it was so easy to like, but I found the same problem with this as I have with her other short story collection, in that I find the stories individually forgettable, which is funny as her novels feel unforgettable to me. I think it's because her characters are often quiet or unassuming, even when they are famous people who live glamorous lives, you actually need an extended period of time to get to know them, even as a reader, and the real magic of her writing is how lived in the characters feel.

My favourite was of course the final story which revisits Lee Fiora from Prep, which I had recently reread ahead of this collection. Perhaps because no time at all had passed since I was last with Lee, I took extra delight in noticing what was the same and different about how Sittenfeld wrote her. I did find a flashback to her time at Ault hard to believe, if only because I truly believe Prep was a sort of definitive account and Lee wouldn't have left out anything impactful or juicy, but perhaps that speaks to how well drawn that character is.

I always feel really secure in the narratives of Curtis Sittenfeld. Everything is explained and paced so well there’s no doubt you’re being told a good story, and Show Don’t Tell has lots of them.

Show don't tell by Curtis Sittenfield

I only discovered Curtis Sittenfield last year and I adore her work. This collection of short stories did not disappoint. I rationed myself to one a day so I could savour them which was a good way to approach them I think. The characters were engaging and while the stories did feel complete I would have happily have read more of what happened in any of the stories! I particularly enjoyed the Patron Saints of Middle Age and Lost but not forgotten. I still have a couple of books in Curtis Sittenfield's back catalogue to read and this book has reminded me to prioritise them as I love her writing style.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Show don't tell is put on 27th February.

As far as short story collections go, there are always some that I don't connect with as much as others and that was also the case with Show Don't Tell. But I do really adore Sittenfeld's writing and how she writes people in particular, her personalization of people makes the stories feel so real. So this was thoroughly enjoyable

Some of the stories in this collection were excellent, but others I could not connect with at all. This gave it a bit of a disjointed feeling for me.

Somehow and probably also because this is her second collection of tales that are centered on white women who are currently in their 50s and belong to middle-class America, I felt like I had already read quite a few of these stories, with a few exceptions. A pity because it is from Prep that I appreciate this author (and no, I would have preferred to remember Lee Fiora without knowing anything else). But clearly this is my opinion as a white woman who is currently almost 52 years old and belongs to the middle class, European though, not American.

In qualche modo e probabilmente anche perché questa é la sua seconda raccolta di storie che sono centrate sulle donne bianche che hanno attualmente 50 anni ed appartengono alla borghesia americana, mi é sembrato di aver giá letto parecchie di questi racconti, tranne qualche eccezione. Un vero peccato perché é da Prep che apprezzo questa autrice (e no, avrei preferito ricordare Lee Fiora senza saperne altro). Ma chiaramente questa é la mia opinione di donna bianca che ha attualmente quasi 52 anni ed appartiene alla media borghesia, europea peró, non americana.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

“As you make your way through the world, you will feel bewildered, appalled, and charmed by other people.” Taken from her story 'Giraffe and Flamingo', this line could easily summarise the journey you’ll take through Curtis Sittenfeld’s latest satirical observations on modern life.

A new book by Sittenfeld is always an event. Like her contemporary Jhumpa Lahiri, she excels in both short and long-form fiction, crafting tales about people navigating their identities and mild prejudices and entitlements within rapidly changing worlds.

This timely collection of short stories offers an unnervingly perceptive glimpse into contemporary middle-class American lives. Many of the stories, particularly the mischievously dark comedy-of-manners 'White Women LOL', prompt readers to examine their own attitudes and the behaviors of those in their social circles. This particular story begs for expansion into a longer work, rich with compelling characters and untapped potential.

The collection's crown jewel, though not necessarily its strongest story, reunites readers with Lee Fiora, the protagonist of Sittenfeld's brilliant debut novel, Prep. We find Lee as a successful middle-aged divorced mother of two, attending her 30-year boarding school reunion. That Lee has remained such a vivid character since I first read Prep upon its release 15 years ago speaks volumes about Sittenfeld's talent. This 'Big Chill'-esque glimpse into Lee's adult life feels like an unexpected gift to longtime readers.

Each of the twelve stories leaves its own distinct impression, whether exploring marital ennui, the complexities of friendship, creative integrity, arrogant entitlement, or the search for meaning. Throughout, Sittenfeld's exceptionally witty ear for dialogue and keen eye for social observation shine through.

Highly recommended.

I was so happy to read the latest by Curtis. It is a wonderful collection of stories and fascinating characters. I think the author is a magician and I am always enthralled. Thankyou!!

A joy! Curtis Sittenfeld is one of my favourite authors and is absolutely my favourite writer of short stories. I am always blown away by the skill of good short story writing, to craft a complete story in so few words. I love reading them but often find in a collection, there are hits and misses or a general feeling of unevenness. Absolutely not the case with this collection, every on of the 12 hits the mark.

A brilliant collection full of realistic characters , predominantly women approaching or in middle age as they deal with all this stage of live can throw at a person. Marriage, divorce, career, parenting, I loved every character. A special treat was the last story which features Lee from Sittenfeld's book Prep, twenty years later, finding out how her life has gone and where she is now was magic.

Brilliantly written and a genuine joy to read, fans will adore this collection and undoubtedly it will bring the author a huge number of new fans, I am jealous they will get to experience her back catalogue of books for the first time.

Looking forward to buying a copy on publication date, thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

4.5- 5 stars.

I really like Curtis Sittenfeld and have many fond memories of reading her debut novel, 'Prep', many years ago. So, a collection of short stories is always welcome. I did enjoy these but I found myself feeling quite indifferent about many of them. Some, such as the last one, are too long, in my opinion, and others have [sort of] blended into one - without many distinguishing features. I did enjoy the opening story and I do appreciate Sittenfeld's handling of the short form. However, there are too many stories here that are campus-based, or similar.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Sittenfeld’s You Think It, I’ll Say It is one of my favourite short story collections and while Show Don’t Tell didn’t, for me, come close to the brilliance of that earlier collection, it is still a more than worthwhile read purely for the presence of the final sorry, Lost but Not Forgotten, which (fellow Sittenfeld nerds rejoice!) allows the reader to catch up with Lee Fiora, protagonist of Sittenfeld’s debut novel Prep, at her 30 year school reunion.

First, the other stories. Many of those collected here have already been published elsewhere, several as Kindle singles and three in 2020’s short collection, Help Yourself. I refer you to my previous comment about being a Sittenfeld nerd, which means I had read all of these already. Tonally and in terms of theme, these familiar stories along with several of the ones that were new to me kind of blurred into one somewhat. For the collection up to the final story, I would have likely given a 3 star rating.

But Lost But Not Forgotten reminded me precisely why I’m a Sittenfeld nerd in the first place. Prep was a completely transformative book for me when I read it on release in 2005 and several times since then. Lee Fiora was not so much a role model as a reflection back of my own socially awkward self, one which was so accurate that it made me cringe. So it was an utter joy to encounter Lee as an adult woman, one just a few years older than I am now, no longer awkward but accomplished. I rarely highlight while reading fiction but found myself doing so to several passages in the story. This was, both for nostalgic reasons but also for the quality of writing, a true 5 star read.

There is no denying that Sittenfeld is a fabulous writer. Her line level work makes me want to re-read sentences over again to soak them up. But these short stories fell a bit flat for me. In fact, I didn't finish them because they all felt a little bit the same. I have absolutely loved previous work by the author and will continue to read everything she writes, but these didn't hit home for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Sittenfelds supreme talent is showcased in this collection of short stories which are intriguing and fascinating.

Slice of life short stories, academia and female characters. Well written, clever and engaging. Very relatable middle age representation!

I don't know if I'm growing out of Curtis Sittenfeld or if her writing is just growing away from me. This second collection of short stories, Show Don't Tell, is probably no worse than her first full-length collection, You Think It, I'll Say It, and yet I was far less impressed by it. It's interesting that I'd read almost half of these stories before, either in her previous short collection Help Yourself or as Amazon Originals. Therefore, a number of these were re-reads, and with the exception of 'Giraffe and Flamingo', they did not repay rereading. But then, the new-to-me stories mostly failed to captivate either, although I did like 'The Richest Babysitter in the World' and 'The Patron Saint of Middle Age'.

Sittenfeld deliberately sticks to what she knows, writing about midwestern white American women of a particular generation - now in their fifties, they look back to college days in the 1980s or 1990s. In You Think It, I'll Say It, I thought this was a strength, but I now feel it's becoming a weakness. All her protagonists are identical (even when they are men) and the register, for better or worse, is definitely veering more towards the middlebrow. Sittenfeld's short fiction tends to work better for me when it has a snappy premise - for example, in 'A for Alone', where an artist decides to challenge Mike Pence's belief that women and men shouldn't be alone together unless they are married by taking a series of male friends out to lunch - as otherwise it meanders, the writing not strong enough to accomplish the nebulous magic that some literary fiction manages. I did enjoy reading this collection, and I think many people will enjoy reading it a lot more than me, so I don't want to put off any prospective readers, but I'm going to mute my excitement about the next Sittenfeld release. (And try to forget that she ever tried to write a follow-up to her fantastic Prep ('Lost But Not Forgotten') which somehow brings less than nothing to the table by making Lee Fiora just the same as all the other middle-aged women in these stories.) 3.5 stars.

Curtis Seinfeld has done it again.
I’m not a fan of the short story and when I requested this because I enjoyed Romantic Comedy so much, I did not realise it was a selection of short stories.
However, I enjoyed them very much and found quite a few of them thought provoking. I shall be thinking about Pangea for quite some time.
Very insightful writing, and compelling short stories.
Thank you so much to #NetGalley for the opportunity to have read this had a publication in exchange for an honest review

I love Curtis Sittenfeld; Romantic Comedy was easily my book of the year in 2024 so I was thrilled to be approved for this one (thank you!). This collection of short stories is warm, thought-provoking and often funny. Sittenfeld beautifully explores themes of celebrity, love and life beyond your 20s with nuance and great introspection. I loved most of the content featured, and every character jumps off the page even in this format. If I were to be critical I'd say that because there are many short stories in this collection (it is generous!), there is some overlap and repetition in parts. But she's just a beautiful writer and I'll read anything she puts out!

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read early.