Roar is a 2018 short story collection written by Cecelia Ahern. Each story is a fable wherein Ahern pulls from contemporary gender dynamics to introduce a struggling woman and literalizes common clichés with magical realism, and by the end of the tale, the protagonist is empowered by a lesson or realization that allows them to overcome her oppression.[1][2] The collection received positive reviews.
 First edition | |
| Author | Cecelia Ahern |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Aisling Bea, Lara Sawalha, Adjoa Andoh |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | HarperCollins UK |
Publication date | October 2018 |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-0008283490 |
Contents
edit- "The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared"
- "The Woman Who Was Kept on the Shelf"
- "The Woman Who Grew Wings"
- "The Woman Who Was Fed by a Duck"
- "The Woman Who Found Bite Marks on Her Skin"
- "The Woman Who Thought Her Mirror Was Broken"
- "The Woman Who Was Swallowed Up by the Floor and Who Met Lots of Other Women Down There, Too"
- "The Woman Who Ordered the Seabass Special"
- "The Woman Who Ate Photographs"
- "The Woman Who Forgot Her Name"
- "The Woman Who Had a Ticking Clock"
- "The Woman Who Sowed Seeds of Doubt"
- "The Woman Who Returned and Exchanged Her Husband"
- "The Woman Who Lost Her Common Sense"
- "The Woman Who Walked in Her Husband's Shoes"
- "The Woman Who Was a Featherbrain"
- "The Woman Who Wore Her Heart on Her Sleeve"
- "The Woman Who Wore Pink"
- "The Woman Who Blew Away"
- "The Woman Who Had a Strong Suit"
- "The Woman Who Spoke Woman"
- "The Woman Who Found the World in Her Oyster"
- "The Woman Who Guarded Gonads"
- "The Woman Who Was Pigeonholed"
- "The Woman Who Jumped on the Bandwagon"
- "The Woman Who Smiled"
- "The Woman Who Thought the Grass Was Greener on the Other Side"
- "The Woman Who Unraveled"
- "The Woman Who Cherry-Picked"
- "The Woman Who Roared"
Reception
editRoar received "Positive" reviews according to the book review aggregator Book Marks based on nine independent reviews.[3] Kirkus Reviews called it "a sharp, breathtaking collection of fables."[4] Ariel Balter at the New York Journal of Books found the collection to be a "great idea not very well executed" due to its lack of subtlety and nuance.[5] Reviewing for The Irish Times, Martina Evans enjoyed the collection, but felt that the lessons could be more profound if each woman struggled a bit more before the happy ending resolution.[6] Bethanne Patrick praised the collection for The Washington Post with a recommendation to read only one or two of the fables in a sitting in order to best appreciate them.[7]
Adaptation
editIn August 2018, before the collection was published, the stories were set to be adapted for TV.[8] Apple TV+ picked up the series, and the series was released on April 15, 2022.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Fiction Book Review: Roar by Cecelia Ahern". Publishers Weekly. 16 April 2019.
- ^ Billen, Andrew (10 November 2018). "Review: Roar by Cecelia Ahern — satirical short stories for feminists". The Times.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Roar by Cecelia Ahern". Book Marks. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "ROAR | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews. 4 February 2019.
- ^ Balter, Ariel. "A book review by Ariel Balter: Roar: Thirty Stories, One Roar". New York Journal of Books. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
- ^ Evans, Martina (3 November 2018). "Roar review: Cecelia Ahern's fairy tales get real". The Irish Times.
- ^ Patrick, Bethanne (22 April 2019). "Review | In Roar, Cecelia Ahern uses fables to delve into what it means to be a woman". Washington Post.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (21 August 2018). "'Roar' TV Series In Works Based On Cecelia Ahern Short Stories; 'GLOW' Duo To Showrun, Nicole Kidman Among EPs". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation.
- ^ Framke, Caroline (11 April 2022). "Roar Throws Nicole Kidman, Issa Rae, Alison Brie and More Into a Mixed Bag of Feminist Fables: TV Review". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 28 April 2022.