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Rating: 
Summary: Inventive is Sometimes a Good Thing...
Review: ...And other times it's just confusing.I've always loved Jeanette Winterson's writing and her inventiveness, bravery, wit and amazing poetic voice. There were several stories in this collection I had seen in other places and I was happy to see them again. "The Poetics of Sex" was one of those stories that I think many who know her are familiar with. A couple of tamer lines from it read: "I thought I had lost Picasso. I thought the bright form that shapes my days had left me. I was loose at the edges, liquid with uncertainty. The taut lines of love slackened. I felt myself unravelling backwards, away from her." Winteson's tales of obsessive love or triangles are, in my opinion, her strongest and tend to resonate with me most both for the beauty of her language and her force in coming to the truth in them. There are not, however, many examples of this in this book and though the first half held my interest through a string of odd and surprising people and events - the last third of book completely lost me and I was forcing myself to get through it just to say I had finished it. There were Newtonian tangents and whole worlds where the rules of physics are broken and I just wasn't able to stay with it. "The World and Other Places", "The Poetics of Sex" and "The Green Man" were my favorites in this collection. "The Green Man" especially.
Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful way to end the year
Review: Having read the rest of Winterson's in-print books this year, this volume of short stories proved a lovely, fitting end. Some were reflections found in her other works (Sexing the Cherry, Written on the Body), some were completely new to me. Just beautiful.
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Summary: Sharp,
Review: I enjoyed reading Winterson in a short-story form for a change. Working within the confines of a shorter structure lends unusual economy to her generally spiraling imagery; she's more direct and paints with a somewhat broader stroke. I was delighted to experience a wide range of perspectives on a wide range of topics. "The 24-Hour Dog" works on so many levels I want to teach it in a writing class. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting an introduction to Winterson, because here one finds some almost conventional works among stories of almost surreal bent.
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Summary: Juicy reading
Review: I find Winterson's writing and style utterly electrifying. These various stories, some of which delve into the theme of what one risks reveals what one values, explore a variety of worlds and lives. One or two of the stories didn't resonate with me as much as the others, but overall this collection is marvelous. From the lush "The Poetics of Sex" to the dazzling "Orion" to the delightful "Turn of the World", these stories border on fables, and reminded me of works by Emma Donoghue, Angela Carter, and Ben Marcus, among others. Such an invigorating assortment that is certain to gratify daring readers. My favorite line is from the story "Orion": "She realised that the only war worth fighting was the one that raged within; the rest were all diversions."
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Summary: Brilliant art
Review: Jeanette Winterson and I have become friends. What a little gem of short stories. I picked this book up for $1.00 at a charity sponsored book sale and now I feel guilty for not paying more for it. Jeanette has had me laughing, hoping and remembering since page 1. Her whimsy and honest insight has kept me turning pages - and occassionally re-reading stories. Thanks Jeanette.
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Read
Review: Jeanette Winterson is acclaimed as the foremost lesbian writer today. Don't let this title fool you. I'm not a lesbian or gay, and I still appreciate the fine writing I found in The World and Other Places. This book is introduced as a collection of stories. While there are some sort narratives, many of the pieces in this collection could be considered prose poems. In these little portraits, Winterson uses peculiar and striking metaphor to describe the love between people (and even between one person and a dog). Most of these prose-poems linger after you read them, and warrant a second look or closer reading. With vast subjects ranging from time and space and love, it is difficult to grasp the meaning after one quick glance over. Winterson also shows a great deal of breath: the narration and main characters vary greatly as you move through the book. The comments in the narrations have several points that do make you try and interpret what exactly is being said. One of my only gripes is that some of the pieces are very political. Somehow, a few of the stories or prose poems reminded me of the last hundred pages of Richard Wright's Native Son. Rather than telling an interesting story will issues to be discussed, Winterson just latches on to a sort of in your face, "I'm a lesbian, so that makes this special" message, which, rather than being interesting, just bored me most of the time. Other than that, there were really only minor draw backs for me (meaning, maybe I didn't like a story or two. Isn't that expected?). I admit that I enjoy strange stories, so, of course, this book is not for every reader, and I'm sure there will be many reader who do not accepted its slightly bizarre presentation. If there is one that proves that a book is good, it would be that the book makes the reader want to read more of the author's work. This is the case for me after I read The World and Other Places. This is definitely a book to read, if, for anything, to get a different perspective and flesh the kinds of books you read out a little.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful collection of short stories!
Review: Jeanette Winterson never fails to amaze me. Her stories -- an assortment of ambiguous genders and historical elements mixed with poetic and philosophical undertones and magical realism -- are true literary masterpieces. Having read The Passion, The Powerbook and Written on the Body, I thought I'd give one of her anthologies a whirl. The World and Other Places transcends Winterson's talents in gigantic proportions. My favorite stories are "Atlantic Crossing," "The Poetics of Sex," and "24-Hour Dog." The aforementioned stories are what Winterson is about. She humanizes situations that are otherwise seen as taboo subjects -- and she does so with wonderful literary offerings. I couldn't recommend this gem enough...
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Summary: This book is worth getting for the short story "Newton".
Review: The story entitled "Newton" makes this book worthy of purchase. Jeanette Winterson continues a streak of powerful, ingenious writing with this collection of short stories.
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Summary: Each story could be a novel in itself
Review: Winterson's fiction is compelling because she teaches a little bit about the physical world while at the same time leading the reader on a spectacular emotional journey. She is like a naturalist of the inner life, pointing out highlights along the way. Her writing is so beautiful it may make you cry.
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Summary: Each story could be a novel in itself
Review: Winterson's fiction is compelling because she teaches a little bit about the physical world while at the same time leading the reader on a spectacular emotional journey. She is like a naturalist of the inner life, pointing out highlights along the way. Her writing is so beautiful it may make you cry.
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