I was intrigued by the concept of this book, understanding it to be a collection of short stories set in a New York apartment block at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. As usually happens for me with an anthology, I preferred some of the stories (mostly ghost or “shaggy dog” tales) to others, but what I liked best was the overarching narrative telling its own intriguing and surprising story as the book progressed, and which I had not expected. A very good read, only loosing a star because of the few stories that did not appeal to me.

An interesting idea, but not very well constructed. It very much felt like a book written by a large group of different people, rather than being coherent. Also, no one needs more Covid lockdown books. We all lived it, we know it was terrible.

The premise of ‘Fourteen Days’ is intriguing. Take a load of authors, all of whom are critically-acclaimed in their own right, and get them to collaboratively write one novel. I can only imagine the logistics behind organising that one, especially during a pandemic. I can only admire the experimental nature of this novel and the radical approach to its construction.

Reading ‘Fourteen Days’ made me question the nature of novels. What makes one book of 300 plus pages a novel, whilst another is a collection of short stories with a series of motifs and shared characters?

‘Fourteen Days’ is set in New York during well, fourteen days, of the COVID lockdowns. It tells of the hopelessness, boredom, grief and terror that many faced during those difficult months of 2020. Each night, the building’s residents congregate on the roof and tell their stories, recorded by the buidings’ super, Yessie.

I started to read Yessie’s story as a novel, enjoying the protagonist and her life story. After a few chapters, the other characters’ stories became a larger focus and the framing narrative seemed to be forgotten, with Yessie simply writing up the stories on some nights. I particularly enjoyed ‘The Spider’, ‘A Gift for Your Wedding to Which I Was Not Invited’, ‘The Iron Lung’, ‘The Tapes of Charlotte P’ and ‘Shakespeare in Plague Times’, although there is something in here for most people. By about halfway through the book, I was definitely reading it as a collection of unconnected short stories. However, towards the end, I felt that things were coming together into a more cohesive narrative once again.

Overall, I did enjoy reading ‘Fourteen Days’, and whilst I’m not convinced that it completely achieves its aims of being a ‘novel’ in its truest sense, there is a strength in the collaboration and the concept seems altogether fitting as a product of the covid lockdowns.

I knew that this book would be a little different to what I usually read but I underestimated by how much. Even now, a few weeks after reading it I’m still not sure what to think.
I should say that it is very good. It’s original, powerful and very modern. But it’s also strange. It says a lot when the most normal thing about it was the pandemic. Only a few years ago but in many ways it feels like a lifetime. Seeing the daily figures, the deserted streets, the fights over toilet roll and the clapping for the health workers. Only thing different was that it took place in New York and not in the UK.
I gave up early on trying to work out who wrote what. Instead I focused on the increasingly bizarre characters. Obviously there is the usual likeable/ unlikeable feeling but there was also the feeling that none of them were as they initially seemed. All had a backstory, a lot of which was confusing for this reader with not really knowing about the attitudes towards different cultures in America. Some of the stories were fascinating, some upsetting, some a little bit scary. But almost all of these people I had sympathy for. In particular Yessie, the super, who was struggling more than the others to be accepted and struggling with not being able to see her father. Another was the character known as Maine. A medic who has experienced first hand the devastation in the hospitals.

Set during the dreaded COVID19 pandemic, this book follows the life stories of a group of tenants in New York with nothing better to do than get to know each other.

The premise of this book (minus the covid part) really interested me but what really got me was the collaborative authoring of the stories however this is the aspect I enjoyed least as some of these authors have very distinctive voices that really disrupted the flow of the book.

As with any short story structured books, there was some stories I enjoyed more than others. Overall a good read but not revolutionary.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

The cover, the premise and oh thar list of authors drew me this book, as an avid reader of short stories, I was excited for this one .

Set during an early Covid lockdown in a New York rundown apartment block, the residents gather each evening on the rooftop to share stories. As the days pass, more and more of the neighbours seeking connection , join in. Some of whom have never spoken before .

As is the way with many short stories collections, some hit hard, some are a joy and there a couple of blips along the way.

I read this over a number of weeks and perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I read in one go.

I did like the diversity of the voices and stories and the concluding stories felt fitting and right.

A wonderful idea and recognition of the people who couldn’t flee cities when the pandemic struck if a slightly uneven read. Perhaps it’s all still too fresh. In a decades time this may hit differently.

3.5 stars

I was drawn to this book by big names, the concept - each chapter written by a different author - and the subject. Inevitably I enjoyed some stories more than others but I thought it flowed really well and I appreciated the overarching tale and watching the group become true neighbours. It was a heartwarming and moving read with a twist at the end I just didn't expect.

Fourteen Days
by The Author's Guild
Edited by Margaret Atwood

Set during the height of the Covid lockdowns in April 2020 in a NYC tenement, this is so much more than a collection of short stories. As the tenants of the building gather on the roof at dusk in increasing numbers for a socially distant breath of fresh air and a tipple, they take turns recounting stories that reflect on their current anxieties, explain their individual foibles and idiosyncrasies and crack open the hard shells of their exterior dispositions to each other.

I absolutely loved the way this novel was put together, rather like a patchwork quilt whose beauty is so much more than it's individual pieces.

I recognised plenty of the author's through their narrative voices and writing styles which was fun, and I didn't realise that each character would be mapped to their author until the very end.

I read this book like I do with most short story collections, one chapter per day. I didn't expect it to have a complete narrative arc in itself, but in hindsight, the one a day approach worked splendidly for me, the plot revealing itself in a real-time way.

I can't recommend this enough for those readers who feel comfortable stepping straight back into that mid- pandemic "unprecedented times" state of mind where everyone else was a pariah, where medical and care workers were gods and royalty, and where human connection was sustained on a different level.

Publication date: 6th February 2024
Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouseuk for the eGalley

An interesting idea, but not very well constructed. It very much felt like a book written by a large group of different people, rather than being coherent. Also, no one needs more Covid lockdown books. We all lived it, we know it was terrible.

Fourteen Days, edited by Douglas Preston and Margaret Atwood
Publication date: 6 February 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
Thank you to Random House UK, Vintage Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One week into lockdown, the tenants of a run-down apartment building in Manhattan have begun to gather on the rooftop each evening and tell stories. 

I love the concept of this book; co-written by 36 different authors, you do not know who's written what until the end of the book. Unfortunately, when I went through the list of authors and which part of the book they'd contributed to, I realised that only a very small minority of the stories had stuck with me in the four days it took me to read this book. True to form for me, I did not vibe with anything remotely poetic whilst the darkest, more twisted, disturbing or surrealist stories stayed with me. As someone who's had such an amazing time with short story collections last year, I went into Fourteen Days with such high expectations, and although I appreciated the talent on display, I was still left disappointed.

Includes writing from: Charlie Jane Anders, Margaret Atwood, Jennine Capo Crucet, Pat Cummings, Joseph Cassara, Angie Cruz, Sylvia Day, Emma Donoghue, Dave Eggers, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, John Grisham, Maria Hinojosa, Mira Jacob, Erica Jong, CJ Lyons, Celeste Ng, Tommy Orange, Mary Pope Osborne, Doug Preston, Alice Randall, Caroline Randall, Ishmael Reed, Roxana Robinson, Nelly Rosario, James Shapiro, Hampton Sides, R.L. Stine, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Monique Truong, Scott Turow, Luis Alberto Urrea, Rachel Vail, Weike Wang, DeShawn Charles Winslow, Meg Wolitzer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

For me, this was just OK. I didnt enjoy it as much as I thought I would from the blurb, possibly because the stories are very American. The storytellers were of differing ethnicities and I feel that because I am not alert to the nuances of the lived experiences of different ethnic backgrounds in America, I probably did not properly "get" some of the stories. For instance, I am still bemused by La Reina's story about the Lobster Roll Contest.

It seemed to me that there was a bit of repetition - every night we have the same framework in details , we hear about the tenants bringing their chairs etc., up to the roof and settling themselves, clapping for the essential workers and then hearing the church bells and going away. Every night of the 14 nights. Also, I wasn't interested in the Covid stats and at first I kept wondering who this Cuomo was and how he fitted in to the story but that was my ignorance and not the fault of the book.

There are a lot of characters and they all have nicknames and for me, this was a barrier to engaging with them because I got mixed up with who was who.

I found the building superintendent to be the most interesting character by far and her love for her lovely Dad was a high point of the book. I would have liked to have known a bit more about Yessie . Otherwise, many of the stories or character studies did not stick in my mind.

I think the book gets better towards the end although it did seem like quite a long read and I did feel some camaraderie with the tenants as the book went on.

It is a book with a worthy aim and I hope it sells well but I feel that I am not the ideal reader for it. I am afraid I am unfamiliar with most of the authors so I did not have the added fun of trying to work out who had written what.

I thought the ending was unexpected and quite intriguing and might well prompt a person to read at least parts of the book again.

A bit messy for me this book. It was a great concept, and some fantastic authors were involved, but I found it quite confusing. It had way too many characters, so I couldn't get to know or connect with any of them. The subject matter was relatable - Covid will be dancing at the front of my memory for many years to come - just couldn't get my head around the structure and different writing styles.

I loved the idea of this novel. The residents of an apartment block in New York start meeting up on the roof in the evening during COVID restrictions. There they begin to swap stories, talk about their lives.
I tried to guess which author had written which story, and. I failed miserably!
Some stories I enjoyed more than others, some more meaningful and some the style of writing I did not enjoy.
Overall a great idea and some good stories.

This is an incredible concept 👏🏻

36 authors co-wrote a book about the residents of a New York apartment block who congregate on the rooftop during the Covid lockdown of 2020.

I personally didn’t much care for the characters and realised that I am more of a plot driven reader than I realised, however for those who enjoy short stories, this book is highly recommended.

The ending was totally unexpected and absolutely floored me!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, The Authors Guild and Random House for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really liked the concept of this book - New York at the start of the pandemic, where for fourteen days, strangers meet on the roof of their apartment block and tell stories.

I knew going into this book, there were multiple authors and I had assumed each day was a different author. In fact there are multiple authors for each of the fourteen days and what is so impressive is how seamless the transition is between each writer. The narrative flowed really well and I didn’t become disengaged with the plot. The stories are moving and poignant, funny and relatable.

Towards the end, I felt like the pace dropped and it started to drag a little. It finished with an apt and clever ending.

I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a thought provoking read with multiple narratives.

Thank you to the authors, publishers and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

'Fourteen Days' is a clever concept - a plethora of short stories by a diverse range of some of the most popular and acclaimed authors of the early 21st century - set into a broader 'frame narrative'. The central character is a woman who has become superintendent of a run down apartment building at the beginning of the first Covid lockdown in New York. Stuck inside, surrounded by the sound of sirens and depressing statistics about rising numbers of cases and deaths, the residents begin to gather on the roof at sunset to get some air and socially distanced company. Soon the disparate group of neighbours begin telling stories, and over fourteen days most tell at least one story. These are the stories written by the impressive list of contributors.

The novel is well put together - Douglas Preston who wrote the 'frame' narrative manages to join the stories together seamlessly. Although you can get a sense of different writing styles within each story, the joins between each piece of writing aren't obvious and the overarching story gives a sense of propulsion and enables the reader to invest in the characters in a way that conventional short collections cannot offer. I think the success or failure of a book of this type must lie in the frame narrative, so Preston deserves extra credit for doing a good job of it.

There are some magical realistic touches and strange moments throughout, and some of the stories are about ghosts or the supernatural. I generally prefer my books to sit firmly in either the fantasy or the realistic genre, but that's just down to individual preference. Most of the individual stories are really good, as you'd expect from such a stellar cast of authors. It's a good way to get a taster of writers you might not have considered buying, or from genres you don't read. For example I don't read non-fiction but I really liked the story about Shakespeare's life during the plague years.

If you're looking for something a bit different, with all the benefits of a short story collection and those of a novel, I'd definitely recommend trying 'Fourteen Days'. There's a lot that is impressive about the concept and many great moments throughout it. For me it's still not cohesive and consistent enough to get a five star rating, but I'm not a fan of short stories. I'd certainly read another novel in this format, particularly if the frame narrative was written as well as this one.

Unfortunately didn’t have time to finish this, so I missed the opportunity to read through to the end before it was archived. I wasn’t compelled by the first narrative, though, which wasn’t encouraging, and I’m afraid I can’t stand books set during the pandemic. If I had known this was the premise I wouldn’t have requested a copy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the ARC.

Margaret Atwood? Count me in. A collaborative novel, sounded a bit more problematic but the number of well known authors convinced me.

14 days in a NY City apartment during the COVID lockdown.. I am afraid it didn’t work for me. Short stories are not usually my genre but this wasn’t even short stories - more vignettes and musings from the apartment dwellers. Also a lot of characters and it was difficult to keep track of people, Had I been more invested in the book I would have kept notes.

Well written in places but did not work as a package.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

What a wonderfully inventive premise for a book, and a deliciously satisfying reading experience with each chapter written by a cornucopia of fiction writers including Atwood, Ng, Grisham, Eggers and many more. I notice the retailer websites draw comparisons with Decameron, but I also felt the resonance of The Canterbury Tales and a tribute to the power of storytelling with diverse narrative voices. The reading experience is heightened by not checking who wrote which chapter- listed at the back- and I have discovered a few new authors based on the impact of their individual chapters. Also a couple of surprises when you see how some of the authors have approached their stories outside of their normal writing style. Filled with pathos, humour and incredibly different characters, I would definitely recommend this if you fancy reading something fresh and engaging.

I was really looking forward to this but the reality was that I couldn’t get into it at all sadly. I found it a little complicated with all the characters and nicknames and it didn’t flow in a way that was easy to follow. Great in concept but it just wasn’t for me!