Review: Florida, by Lauren Groff - Parry Game Preserve

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Florida, by Lauren Groff

This collection of short stories put me in mind of the edge of Raymond Carver, but with a slightly different bite to the edge. Groff explores serious themes of estrangement, family strife, parenting, loneliness and femininity which feel increasingly autobiographical as the stories wear on and similar themes are repeated. While each story was engaging and written with an economy that is to be admired, reading through the full collection became somewhat tiresome. This may, however, be due to the extraordinary conditions in which we are living in the world these days (COVID-19) so the literature I will find that I prefer probably will be more aligned with education, fun or escapism rather than grim slice-of-life.

Still, a sharp and important collection of new work that will be worth your time to sample, if not fully consume.