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Haunting Olivia
This story is about how 2 boys try to find their younger sister, even though they know she's dead.
22 pages, ebook
First published June 13, 2005
About the author
Karen Russell
53 books2,830 followersKaren Russell graduated from Columbia University's MFA program in 2006. Her stories have been featured in The Best American Short Stories, Conjunctions, Granta, The New Yorker, Oxford American, and Zoetrope. Her first book of short stories, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, was published in September 2006. In November 2009, she was named a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" honoree. In June 2010, she was named a New Yorker "20 Under 40" honoree. Her first novel, Swamplandia!, was published in February 2011.
She lives in Washington Heights, New York.
She lives in Washington Heights, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 26, 2017
Beautifully written with amazing imagery. The end left me hanging, though.
February 12, 2022
The ending. That's the point of it. It's just. Done. Like life, it can be bright and colorful and beautiful one moment, and.. gone.. the next.
February 21, 2021
Een van mijn goede voornemens is het lezen van kortverhalen.
Deze is een beetje speciaal, veel symboliek en een raar, abrupt einde. Wat van alles zou kunnen betekenen natuurlijk
Deze is een beetje speciaal, veel symboliek en een raar, abrupt einde. Wat van alles zou kunnen betekenen natuurlijk
October 23, 2020
I loved all the celestial imagery. The brother's grief was so palpable throughout, it really pulled at my heartstrings. I was surprised by the abrupt and not at all satisfying ending, but maybe that's the point, you know?
January 27, 2020
Two young island boys venture to the shore where their little sister, Olivia, disappeared two years ago, searching for clues where her body might be. They come across these pink goggles which seem to give them insight to another world under water, a view of the dead.
A conversation with the grandmother gives the reader a hint that maybe their family is something more than just human. I don't think the boys picked up on that hint, though. I don't even think the grandmother thinks anything of the memory she had. It feels like a secret between the writer and the reader, and I just love the sense of mystery and depth this short story is packing.
A conversation with the grandmother gives the reader a hint that maybe their family is something more than just human. I don't think the boys picked up on that hint, though. I don't even think the grandmother thinks anything of the memory she had. It feels like a secret between the writer and the reader, and I just love the sense of mystery and depth this short story is packing.
March 23, 2023
Whenever I write a short story I am always attempting to create the vague closer that comes at the end of this story. Her underwater imagery is astounding and her character development for this story is so detailed and unique. This is an all time favorite short story of mine and one that I constantly channel when I am writing. I’ve read it aloud to countless people deep in the night or on road trips.
November 1, 2022
I really liked this short story. I liked how the world unfolded and made more sense as it went on, which is impressive in such a short story! Lots of imagery crammed into these few pages as well. I will definately be looking into this author more.
March 19, 2020
Beautiful, complex, sweet, and sad story. The writing is easy to read, the characters are easy to feel for. But once again, I am left unsatisfied by the ending...
April 24, 2021
Endings are hard. Beautiful writing throughout with a grandmother character that made me say “damn” out loud.
December 19, 2021
rigor. collecting. checklists. doublespeak. jargon. comparisons.
March 30, 2022
My favorite short story.
September 25, 2022
I enjoyed the descriptions but found the ending unsatisfactory - though, maybe that's the point.
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July 24, 2023Evreyone has someone to hunt.i have many esp ma soul.
November 18, 2021
The ending was really unstatisfactory, but a great story regardless
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews