Review of Dancing Alone in the Rain & Other Stories

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 08 Dec 2023, 15:51

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dancing Alone in the Rain & Other Stories" by Edna Wu.]

5 out of 5 stars

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"Dancing Alone in the Rain and Other Stories" is a collection of five short stories by Edna Wu. The stories broach subjects such as poverty, loneliness, mental illness, love, the concept of soulmates, and many more.

The eponymous story, "Dancing Alone in the Rain: Resonance of the Soul," is a novelette that follows Xiaoxing and his life's journey amid his family's tumultuous move from grass to grace and back to grass again and how a soulful connection with a stranger changed his life.

"The Slayer of a Swan" tells the story of an isolated, mentally unwell man and how his obsessive love for a swan led him down a path of no return.

"DC: A Riddle" is a poetic exploration of a convention-defying bond between soulmates and the ebbs and flows of love.

Edna is a soulful writer. Her stories have an imperceptible heart and poetic depth that tugs at the heartstrings. I especially enjoyed "Dancing in the Rain." The story's depth and lucid portrayal demand utter immersion. But most of all, it speaks to the human need to be understood and the remarkable ability of a non-judgmental, listening ear to uplift one's spirit, as exemplified by Xiaoxing's relationship with Yun (also known as Sister) and her effect on his life.

The only quibble I have about the book is the author's penchant for unconventional hyphenation. Sometimes, words such as "sensing" and "surprisingly" are written as "sens-ing" and "surprising-ly," among other instances. Despite trying really hard, I could never grasp the reason for the unique hyphenation style.

Overall, I utterly enjoyed reading the book. The stories are rich and often poetically narrated. Besides the unique hyphenation style, I have no other complaints. I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars. It will appeal to lovers of short stories and soulful, poetic narrations. Edna's impeccable writing more than compensates for the few errors I spotted while reading the book.

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Dancing Alone in the Rain & Other Stories
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Fatola Fatai · Post by **Fatola Fatai** » 15 Dec 2023, 04:10

Thank you for the review. This will definitely be an interesting book to read. Do keep up the good work

Manabjyoti · Post by **Manabjyoti** » 15 Dec 2023, 07:04

The review of "Dancing Alone in the Rain & Other Stories" by Edna Wu praises the collection's rich and poetic narration, highlighting the depth and lucidity of "Dancing Alone in the Rain." The reviewer appreciates the imperceptible heart and poetic depth in Edna's storytelling, emphasizing the human need to be understood. The only quibble mentioned is the author's unconventional hyphenation style, with words like "sensing" and "surprisingly" presented as "sens-ing" and "surprising-ly." Despite this, the reviewer gives the book a solid 5 out of 5 stars, recommending it to lovers of short stories and soulful, poetic narrations.

Jessica Uchechi Azuka · Post by **Jessica Uchechi Azuka** » 15 Dec 2023, 13:05

I love short stories because they are easy to read and digest. This book has an intriguing cover page. I am looking forward to reading this book. Thanks for an engaging review.