Gwen E. Kirby

3.5⭐️

Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby is a collection of twenty-one short stories with strong feminist overtones. The stories are varied in plot, genre and tone -from dark and satirical, humorous and laugh out loud to wise and insightful.

The protagonists are as varied as the tone and treatment of these stories. We have characters from the myths, historical figures as well as modern day women of all ages at various stages of life. Each of these stories and characters is unique. In "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway", Cassandra looks into the future and finds solace in her vision of a future where the term “Trojan” would not necessarily invoke the memory of bravery and victory. (“Cassandra has not noticed a lack of men telling women what to do. Perhaps this will be a pleasure of the future, a male desire that goes unspoken. A desire that is only a desire, and not a command.”) In another story, we have a man who starts writing a Yelp review citing a disappointing experience at a restaurant that quickly becomes a critique of his marriage. In "Casper", a group of teenage girls is fascinated with a taxidermied wallaby they find in a piece of lost luggage brought to the shop they work in, leading up to a defining moment in their friendship. In “How To Retile Your Bathroom In 6 Easy Steps!”, we meet a middle-aged woman who ruminates on her failed marriage while retiling her bathroom. (“It is also unfair that your husband has left you for the orthodontist. It is unfair that he did not leave you years ago when you still had many different people you wanted to fuck and many frequent-flier miles. It is unfair that you never learned how to walk in heels and unfair that you might need to learn.”) In another story, we have teenagers fantasizing over how they would defend themselves if cornered by a threat. In "A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot", the author describes a scenario in which men carry a can of Raid to feel safe when some women bitten by radioactive cockroaches develop superpowers and other women start wearing antennae on the street to emulate them. In “Midwestern Girl Is Tired Of Appearing In Your Short Stories”, the author tackles the subject of stereotypes in life and literature. (“If every woman she has ever been were given a name, would there be a Midwestern Girl at all?”) In “Inishmore”, while on a hiking trip a woman examines how her relationship with her sister has evolved over the years, and how she is often blind to how both siblings have changed over the years. (“That’s the thing about places you know too well, and people—there’s an old-self waiting to take you back, to sneak up behind you and clap a formaldehyde-soaked cloth to your mouth before you know to scream.”)

Short story collections are always a mixed bag. I have mentioned only a few, but this collection,as a whole, is quite impressive. The author touches upon several sensitive issues revolving around women, entertainingly and creatively – marriage, relationships, friendships, gender roles, identity and discrimination, stereotypes and much more and offers a reflection on how women in myth, history and in the present-day are viewed and judged not just by men but also by other women and society in general. While I won't say that I enjoyed all of the stories in equal measure, a few of them stood out for me. My personal favorites would be "Shit Cassandra Saw That She Didn't Tell the Trojans Because at That Point Fuck Them Anyway","A Few Normal Things That Happen a Lot","Casper”, “Inishmore” and "Midwestern Girl Is Tired of Appearing in Your Short Stories". Wildly imaginative and entertaining , this was a welcome change from the kind of books I usually read. I found the stories very well written, versatile in content and context and definitely well worth the time invested.… (más)

So based on the title, I thought that this whole book was a feminist retelling of Cassandra’s story after she was cursed by Apollo. However, I realized only while reading the book that this was actually a collection of feminist, women - central short stories. While I had to get past the first couple stories to really immerse myself in the writing, I found that I really enjoyed Kirby’s writing style. She’s got a very witty and humorous take on a lot of situations. My favorite short stories were “For a Good Time Call’ and “Scene in a Public Place at Dawn.” Definitely recommend this one!… (más)