What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours

by Helen Oyeyemi
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Short Story Collections
Technical
  • ID: 3741
  • Added: 2025-10-20
  • Updated: 2025-10-20
  • ISBN: 9781447299363
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2016-01-01
  • Reviews: 3

Helen Oyeyemi's 'What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours' is a collection of stories that transcend traditional narrative boundaries. Characters from one tale slip into another, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected lives. The book invites readers into a fantastical world of lost libraries, locked gardens, and marshlands where the drowned dead reside. Here, students learn the art of puppetry, the Homely Wench Society orchestrates clandestine book exchanges, and lovers celebrate St Jordi's Day with books and roses. The collection is a testament to Oyeyemi's boundless imagination, blending elements of fantasy, romance, and literary fiction. Each story is crafted with baroque beauty and a deep sensuousness, drawing readers into a world that is both familiar and strange. Whether exploring themes of identity, memory, or the power of stories themselves, Oyeyemi's prose is as enchanting as the worlds she creates.

Reviews
SF Book Review · 2017-02-03
clever 4.50

The book is praised for its playful and ambitious storytelling, cleverly built around the theme of keys. The reviewer appreciates the exquisitely imagined narratives.

This reviewer loved how the book plays with the idea of keys, both literal and metaphorical. The stories are seen as playful and ambitious, with a level of imagination that makes the collection stand out. The reviewer highlights the clever structure and the way Oyeyemi weaves together different narratives, creating a rich and engaging reading experience. They also mention that the book's themes and prose are deeply moving, making it a memorable read.

Quick quotes

    Playful, ambitious, and exquisitely imagined

    What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is cleverly built around the idea of keys, literal and metaphorical

    Her prose exemplifies this growth best

Book Spoils · 2016-12-04
transformative 4.00

The short stories are described as inherently weird but well-crafted, with a transformative and deeply moving style. The reviewer appreciates the unique storytelling approach.

The reviewer notes that the stories in this collection are inherently weird, but Oyeyemi's transformative and deeply moving style makes them work. They highlight the well-crafted nature of the stories and the unique approach to storytelling. The reviewer finds the collection to be deeply moving and well-crafted, making it a standout read. They appreciate the way Oyeyemi's prose brings the stories to life, creating a rich and engaging experience.

Quick quotes

    The short stories in this collection are inherently weird, but Oyeyemi makes it work with her transformative, deeply moving, and well-crafted style

    Oyeyemi makes it work with her transformative, deeply moving, and well-crafted style

    This is the first

The Guardian · 2016-04-27
struggle 3.50

The book is seen as a struggle against the confines of the short story form, with pieces ranging from beautiful fables to tricksy fantasies. The reviewer appreciates the range and depth of the stories.

The reviewer notes that Oyeyemi struggles against the confines of the short story form, creating pieces that range from beautiful, simple fables to more complex, tricksy fantasies. They appreciate the range and depth of the stories, highlighting the way Oyeyemi pushes the boundaries of the short story format. The reviewer finds the collection to be a testament to Oyeyemi's growing talent and her ability to create rich, engaging narratives.

Quick quotes

    Oyeyemi struggles against the confines of the short story in pieces that range from beautiful, simple fables to tricksy fantasies

    Her prose exemplifies this growth best

    This is the first

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