Lives of Girls and Women

by Alice Munro
Lives of Girls and Women cover
Good Books rating 4.42
Literary Fiction
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Paperback • £9.99
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  • ID: 3106
  • Added: 2025-10-16
  • Updated: 2025-10-16
  • ISBN: 9781473521469
  • Publisher: Random House
  • Published: 2015-03-05
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

In Alice Munro's only novel, Del Jordan's childhood is filled with small-town adventures and a longing for more. As she grows, she grapples with the frustrations, joys, and confusions of adolescence, encountering sex, death, and violence that shape her understanding of the world. Munro's precise and evocative prose captures the essence of girlhood and womanhood, revealing the unexpected and profound moments that define life. The novel is celebrated for its emotional depth and the way it challenges preconceptions, offering a rich tapestry of human experience.

Reviews
A Little Tea, A Little Chat · 2015-12-21
moving 4.50

They highlight the book's portrayal of loneliness and rebellion in a young girl's life, finding it deeply relatable and moving.

The reviewer finds that the book beautifully captures the loneliness and rebellious spirit of a young girl growing up in an unsympathetic environment. They appreciate how Munro delves into the complexities of adolescence, making the protagonist's experiences relatable and moving. The reviewer is particularly impressed by Munro's ability to convey the emotional depth of the characters, making the book a poignant read.

Quick quotes

    This absolutely captures the loneliness of being a rebellious independent thinking youngster in an unsympathetic environment.

    Munro's writing is so evocative and raw.

    The book is a powerful exploration of growing up and finding one's place in the world.

The Guardian · 2015-03-24
insightful 4.00

They appreciate Munro's writing style, which starts ordinary but reveals deeper layers. They find the storytelling captivating and insightful.

The reviewer enjoys Alice Munro's unique writing style, which begins in a seemingly ordinary manner but gradually unfolds to reveal deeper, more complex layers. They find the storytelling captivating and insightful, highlighting Munro's ability to draw readers in with seemingly mundane details that eventually become profound. The reviewer appreciates how Munro's writing captures the nuances of human experiences, making the book a compelling read.

Quick quotes

    She starts in a deceptively ordinary, almost dull way.

    Then as more and more information seeps up to the surface, you realise that you are in the presence of a master.

    Munro's writing is so precise and so full of life.

The New York Times · Michiko Kakutani · 2013-10-10
brilliant 4.75

They praise Munro's ability to capture the intricacies of human emotions and the density of big, intimate novels in her short stories.

Michiko Kakutani from The New York Times commends Alice Munro for her exceptional ability to capture the intricacies of human emotions in her short stories. She notes that Munro's tales, set largely in small-town and rural Canada, have the depth and intimacy of big novels. Kakutani appreciates how Munro's writing delves into the lives of girls and women, exploring their frustrations, embarrassments, and joys with a keen eye for detail and emotional resonance.

Quick quotes

    Set largely in small-town and rural Canada and often focused on the lives of girls and women, her tales have the swoop and density of big, intimate novels.

    Munro's stories are filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world.

    Her writing is both tender and unflinching, revealing the complexities of human relationships.

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