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.

Having really enjoyed Rodham and Romantic Comedy and being a fan of short stories in general, I was sure I was going to love Show Don’t Tell but unfortunately this was not the case.

In the end I actually didn’t finish this one as I just couldn’t get into it at all. With a few exceptions, I just couldn’t engage with a lot of the stories and their characters.

I might try and pick Show Don’t Tell up again at a later date but for now this just isn’t for me!

I've not read a lot of Sittenfeld's work but I was drawn to the idea of her short stories and this volume didn't disappoint at all. As is to be expected not every story worked (for me at least) as well as others but there was only one that I skim read from the whole collection.
I definitely got Elizabeth Strout vibes from some of the stories and for me this was a real treat as I like that style of writing. The championing of older women without all of the stories being about menopause/perimenopause was also refreshing as was the focus on the small everyday occurrences rather than big showy events.

Show, Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld is a masterful collection of stories that delve into the complexities of human behavior, instinct, and the quiet turbulence of everyday emotions Sittenfeld captures the nuances of the human experience, allowing us to reflect on the emotional undercurrents that shape our lives. It’s a collection that doesn’t rush, but instead invites us to savor the ordinary and discover the extraordinary within it.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Sittenfeld's prose is sublime. Each one of these short stories was a tiny masterpiece. They were complete and beautifully crafted in themselves but I also wouldn't have been sorry if each one of them had been book length. Not a wasted sentence. Sharp, funny, sad and just all round terrific. I ate this up in one sitting.

Show Don’t Tell has exceeded my expectations; when it comes to short story collections, I keep the expectations to a minimum, and often get a mixed experience.
This one here is firstly, well-written, secondly, contemporary and alive.
The endings did not always satisfy me, but I realised that the resolutions by Sittenfeld meant a change for my reading experiences.
It gets better after the second story, in my opinion.
The characters felt authentic.
Although, there was not an all encompassing theme, there were a few sub themes or topics that the writer had explored in a few of the stories. I liked this aspect - as a writer/reader, I love seeing different takes on the same themes by the same author.
4.5 stars very deservingly rounded up.

Love this collections of stories from renowned story teller Curtis Sittenfeld. I really loved her last few novels so I was excited to check this one out! Perfect if you’re looking for a story to dip in and out of if you don’t have a lot of time to sit and read a full story but still enjoy the pleasure and escape of reading

I love Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing - she may be my favourite author - but this collection didn’t entirely work for me. Her characters are so immediately engaging, but many of these stories left me feeling a little unsatisfied, wondering what the point was, or what I was meant to take from them (maybe nothing?! I don’t know…) I kept wanting to get back to the excellent novel I was reading and then realising it wasn’t a novel, it was a story, and it was already over.

If you’re a fan of Sittenfeld then you will without a doubt love this collection . All the stories are written in her classic style and there wasn’t one that I didn’t enjoy . The characters are so real and relatable and just normal ! Stories of marriage and friendships and situations from everyday life and we mee Lee from Prep again !! Such a great collection I could easily read again .

Curtis Sittenfeld is an eloquent and expressive storyteller. This book is a masterclass in short stories.

Curtis Sittenfeld proves once again why she’s one of my favorite short story writers. These stories focus on everyday life, with characters so relatable you might cringe a little—or laugh out loud. They’re smart, funny, and thought-provoking, with that perfect balance of depth and subtlety.

If you love stories that make you think, laugh, and maybe even wince in recognition, I can’t recommend this collection enough!

I’d buy anything Curtis Sittenfeld wrote, and every time I read a short story collection I wonder why I don’t read more short stories, so this collection was a dream come true. As with every collection, there are some stories which work better than others. They are connected by a sort of re-examination of life through a middle aged lens, so look at forgotten dreams, or the twists life has taken. I particularly enjoyed being reunited with Lee Fiora from Prep at the Ault reunion, and chuckled during the story The Hug, where a woman is negotiating with her husband about whether she should hug an old (male) friend she’s meeting in Covid times. A For Alone, with its art project based on the Mike Pence Rule where men and women should not be alone together if not married, ends in predictable disaster.
As ever, Sittenfeld’s writing is incisive, relatable, and witty.
She’s a writer at the top of her game and this is a collection worth looking out for.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

If you enjoy well-written short stories then this is the book for you. Sittenfeld's way with words is an art and her characters come alive in just a few short sentences. The stories are a meandering stroll through the character's thoughts and although not much happens they're perfectly crafted and satisfying. For me it was better to read one at a time as a diet of short stories can be a bit too much, this way I stretched out my enjoyment rather than overdosing and getting bored.

My first ever read by this author but definitely not my last. I really enjoyed the short story structure (not something I can usually say!) alongside the wit and humour of this unique writing style!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley UK for an eARC of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review!

Oh, how I've loved to be back with the familiar Curtis Sittenfeld voice, candour, and humour. This book contains 11 hyper realistic and vivid stories in which the main characters reflect on past life events. All of the stories make you reflect and reconsider what you know about life and society. The author is incredibly observant and each story is a vignette of everyday life dissected and made sometimes fascinating and sometimes political. I found the descriptions of life as a young woman in high school or university very relatable, layered and perfectly crafted. Some of the main themes are: moments that in hindsight become life defining, sliding doors moments, carving own path in career and life, navigating romantic and quasi-romantic relationships, and social media. It wasn't a full five stars only because some of the stories were slightly less relatable to me as they were about divorce and midlife, but I still wholeheartedly recommend this book - it's so good!

Favourite stories:
Show don't tell
The richest babysitter in the world
Follow-up
Lost but not forgotten

As someone who was obsessed with Prep when it came out, I was excited to get an update in this book. This short story collection is perfect for fans of Sittenfeld

When I saw this was a collection of short stories I almost didn't request it as they are not my favourite form of literature. However I love Sittenfeld's work and decoded to take a chance on them. I needn't have worried,. This is an excellent collection by a writer whose understanding of the human condition shines through in every story.. I loved all of the stories but my particular favourites were Show Don't Tell which examines the anxieties of a young woman waiting to find out if she's won a writing fellowship. There are some pithy observations in this about the relationships and rivalries between writers that really rang true. Many of the stories look at insecurity, none more so than The Tomorrow Box where a teacher Andy meets up with a famous old school mate Michael and reflects on both their lives. Michael it turns out is still resentful for not being invited to Andy's wedding. Andy on the other hand never thought to invite him because he thought he wouldn't want to come. Michael, it seems, is still an insecure child at heart. Also outstanding is the final story, Lost but not forgotten, which revisits characters from Prep. I've singled out just three but in reality all of them are great. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.