Curtis Sittenfeld’s *Show, Don’t Tell* is a sharp, insightful collection of short stories that explore ambition, privilege, and identity with her signature wit. Each story offers a compelling glimpse into the complexities of relationships, creativity, and power dynamics. While some themes feel a bit on-the-nose, the collection is engaging and thought-provoking, especially for writers and literary lovers.

This short story collection looks at how people evolve over time, especially women. Each story dives into a turning point in someone's life, how they got there, and how it impacts them. Overall I liked most of the stories. I loved the realistic look at middle aged women throughout the stories. I also quite enjoyed revisiting the "Prep" world again. My main complaint with short stories in general is that there is not enough character development. Sittenfeld does not fall into that trap. The characters are fully developed and allow you to connect with them even in such a short space.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of Show Don't Tell.

As a fan of Sittenfeld’s debut, Prep, which is now 20 years old, and her more recent, Romantic Comedy, it’s safe to say if it has her name on it I’m likely reading it.

She actually returns to Prep’s main character in one of the short stories which makes me want to go back and read where it all started.

For this selection, it’s the writing that draws me in rather than the actual stories themselves as some feel like everyday observances or reflections on life. Not a bad thing but something to keep in mind.

Her characters are relatable and make you feel like even if you’ve not been in the same situations, you might know someone who has.

Curtis Sittenfeld is an auto-read author for me, and this was another short story collection that blew me away. She examines the minutiae of everyday life and our inner turmoils with such precision - turning the ordinary into extraordinary with her unique brand of uninhibited storytelling. Most of the narratives revolve around women in their mid 40s/early 50s (Sittenfeld's and my age) and are so identifiable to me, but have ageless themes of love, marriage, friendship, feminism, self awareness, to name a few. As with her other books, characters id's and ego's start to go off the rails and she examines them in a deliciously scandalous way. I couldn't put it down and am beginning to think her short stories are superior to her novels, which I also love!

I love that short story collections often allow the stories to be a little more wild and unhinged - there’s less pressure to craft a story that can carry a whole book. This collection is full of fun and weird stories; my favorites were The Patron Saint of Middle Age and The Richest Babysitter in the World.

Curtis Sittenfeld is one of my favorites - and her short story collections are insightful, funny, nuanced and so, so relatable. One of the reasons I probably love them is she (and her main characters) are similar to my age. We went to high school, college around the same timeframe and the stories - both flashbacks and current day- speak to me. Show Don’t Tell is excellent; it is perfectly paced and even includes a follow up story to her novel Prep (though I believe this is her only novel I have not read, I may need to now).
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Show Don’t Tell is available now - highly recommend! 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've been in love with Curtis Sittenfeld's writing since Prep. Already have a good feeling about this one.

Show Don't Tell
Ruthie is reflecting back on her time as a graduate student, specifically the moments leading up to her acceptance or rejection into a prestigious writing fellowship. We're given an inside glimpse into both the competitive nature and misogynistic attitudes that permeate academia (which I appreciated reading about, given that I've witnessed both firsthand). My one criticism would be that I'd have liked to see more done with Ruthie's relationship with her neighbor, Lorraine. That, in itself, could have made up a really impactful story.

The Marriage Clock
Heather's work in film production has her shipping off to Mobile, Alabama, where is meant to help convince author, Brock Lewis (author of bestselling author The Marriage Clock), to agree to a more inclusive version of his story. Considering his conservative base, he has been adamantly against featuring a gay couple in the on-screen adaptation of his book. However, Heather has several arguments up her sleeve to try and persuade him into it. Yet, while there, she finds herself feeling a strange attraction and connection to him, despite disagreeing with some of his more overtly homophobic stances.

The irony of wanting to cheat on her husband with the married author of The Marriage Clock consumes her thoughts, ultimately leading her to consider what steps she should be taken to remedy things with her own husband.

Definitely an interesting story that had a very cinematic quality to it. Good exploration in character dynamics.

White Women LOL
Nothing like some good secondhand embarrassment. White Women LOL features a woman named Jill, whose racially motivated Karen behavior is caught on video and posted online for all to see. What follows is Jill's attempts at a redemption arc... not necessarily because she is truly remorseful for her behavior, but because she is uncomfortably facing the consequences of it. Interesting exploration of cancel culture on a local level.

The Richest Babysitter in the World
While in college, Kit is hired to babysit Diane and Bryan's young daughter, Sophie. While there, she receives small glimpses into the family's private life, especially as they go on to welcome their second daughter shortly after. Once Kit moves away, her connection to the family gradually lessens until her time with them becomes nothing more than a distant memory.

The thing is... Bryan went on to become a Jeff Bezos-like figure, beginning a company known as Pangaea that is the equivalent of Amazon. This discovery forces Kit to reconcile the image she has of Bryan in her head with the unethical business practices being reported in the news. She's left to consider if everyone has this sort of duality about them ("Are the Woleys good and bad in the same proportions that I am, but the vastness of their wealth makes the consequences of their choices more dramatic?").

Creative Differences
Ben is a producer of an up-and-coming documentary, in which Melissa (an artist) has agreed to be a subject. However, when she learns of the commercial aspect of the documentary - product placement that requires her to brush her teeth on-screen with a particular brand - she bows out, citing a lack of transparency. Despite his better efforts, Ben can't seem to get Melissa to change her mind.

In truth, this was probably my least favorite story of the bunch so far. But I do appreciate the commentary here surrounding a lack of respect for women's boundaries.

Follow-Up
At various points, this story rhetorically asks, "What is this a story about?" We're given several different possibilities, but I don't know that any of the suggestions felt totally accurate. And I also don't know that a story should have to lay out what it could be about for its reader.

That said, this one wasn't unenjoyable, per se. I like Sittenfeld's writing, so I was invested throughout. I just had trouble seeing how all of the different threads tie together. Janie is asked to schedule a follow-up appointment after an irregularity is spotted on a yearly mammogram. As she is anticipating that appointment, she is reflecting on the state of her life - specifically, her marriage and her friendship with Pippa. She considers how much of a free spirit Pippa is and how much more life she seemed to live than Pippa. I suppose this is all somewhat existential, given the possibility of mammogram-related bad news looming over her. I liked Pippa and Janie's dynamic, as well as the insight into Janie's short-lived romance with a barista named Silas. But I didn't love how scattered it ended up feeling.

The Tomorrow Box
A middle-aged English teacher receives an invitation from his now-famous college buddy, Michael. The meeting between the two of them is a strange one, for sure. There's an underlying sense of competition between the two and, ultimately, I believe the reader is meant to intuit who the more successful man is -- the one who has achieved fame and fortune, or the one who has found a more quiet sense of happiness with a wife and family.

Either way, this story had a lot of potential that sort of just tapered off by the end. I think had it been developed even slightly more, I would have liked it better.

A for Alone
Irene is an artist who is currently working on a project surrounding the Billy Graham/Mike Pence rule. This requires her to randomly ask a male acquaintance to join her for lunch without providing any sort of explanation. She then picks their brain about their thoughts on the rule, as well as their general tendencies towards seeing women (who aren't their wives) socially. Admittedly, I'd never heard of the Billy Graham/Mike Pence rule, but for those that don't know, it's the idea that a married man not spend time alone with a woman that isn't his wife (to avoid temptation, avoid participating in behavior that's considered morally objectionable, avoid any potential accusations of sexual harassment, etc). Given that the story takes place during Trump's first administration (around 2017), it makes sense that this would be a topic of interest to Irene.

And yet, as she begins undergoing the interview process, her experiment yields interesting and unexpected results, leaving her to question whether or not the rule (which she initially believed to be ridiculous) is actually valid.

The Patron Saints of Middle Age
Jess is a middle-aged, newly divorced woman who has returned back to town to attend her ex-mother-in-law's funeral. There, she catches up with the friends she's left behind and considers the factors that led up to her divorce. She considers the patron saint she buried in the yard of her old house and regrets not digging it up before leaving. Her hope is to remove it, preventing it from interfering in the lives of the house's new residents.

The common theme here seems to be women looking out for women. Jess and her friends became close when they banded together over an issue at their daughters' pre-school. They remain in each others' lives, helping to navigate parenting, relationships, and big life changes. Jess hopes to pay it forward (by removing the patron saint) to the woman now occupying her former house, as well.

Giraffe and Flamingo
Very strange story that didn't offer much resolution. That seems to be the common theme with many of these. Curtis Sittenfeld can't seem to stick the landing in many of these, leaving me dissatisfied more than I'm not.

In this case, Emily is reflecting back on her time in college as a music student. She discusses the almost effortless way her roommate, Chloe, manages to enrapture the boys of their dorm, moving between all of them at various points. Meanwhile, Emily has a much different experience... with John Olney, specifically. John Olney makes it a point to privately torment Emily by standing outside of the bathroom stall and harassing her about her bowel movements, causing her to feel a sense of shame and disgust with herself.

Looking back on it all, Emily is left wondering how she really felt about each of those situations (with Chloe and with John). And instead of processing it in a normal way, she chooses to seek advice from her young children about it (which is a bizarre choice). I think if we'd been given an exchange between present-day Emily and John, I would have enjoyed this more.

The Hug
Set in the midst of the pandemic - right as people began venturing out of quarantine - we're introduced to a married couple, Daphne and Rob. Daphne's ex-boyfriend, Theo, is planning to stop by and catch up after years of not seeing each other. In preparation for this, Daphne mentions the fact that she plans to hug Theo. Understandably, Rob thinks this is a bit weird, given the lack of physical contact they've had with anyone outside of their household.

In 2025, reading a COVID story is strange and brings back the exact opposite feeling of nostalgia. While I think the concept was an interesting exploration in the dynamics of Daphne and Rob's marriage, I don't know how well this one will age.

Lost but Not Forgotten
This story serves as a sort of sequel to Prep, which I have admittedly not revisited since it came out in 2005. I remember liking it a lot, but the particulars are currently lost on me, so I don't know that I appreciated in the same way that someone more familiar with the material would have.

Either way, reading Prep isn't necessary to understand the story. The narrator, Lee, is reflecting back on a particular memory she has of her time at Ault, the preparatory school she attended in Boston. She had an encounter with a famous alumni of the school when he randomly wandered into her dorm room. Later, she takes us through the details of that formative experience when she is reconnecting with a former classmate at their reunion.

This one was just okay for me. It was long and drawn-out, which wouldn't be a bad thing for those wanting more from Prep. I just found my interest in it sort of waning by the end. I did enjoy Lee's narration and character, as well as the events she's discussing. I just think it could have been scaled back a bit.

Overall: I'm feeling pretty neutral about this one. There were some stories I enjoyed more than others, but none that truly rocked my world. Curtis Sittenfeld has an excellent narration style and her characters often engage in very thought-provoking, human experiences. I like that about both her novels and her short stories. However, I would have liked more resolution in several of these.

I really enjoyed Curtis Sittenfeld's second story collection, Show Don't Tell. Like those in many of her previous works, the characters in these stories are largely upper-middle class, based in the Midwest, and have some degree of awareness of social injustices. While this might be irritating or grating from other writers, I find myself endlessly charmed by Sittenfeld's writing and, specifically, her characters. My favorite story from this collection, "White Women LOL," centers on a woman who commits a social faux-pas when she asks a group of black people to leave a restaurant where her friend is having a birthday party, and the ensuing anxiety that she feels as a result. While the character herself is not charming, the way Sittenfeld writes about her is. The way she writes about the social neuroses that many people experience in the modern world, as well as the indescribable combination of joy and sadness of nostalgia, has created a lifelong fan in me. Thank you to Random House for my free eARC of Show Don't Tell in exchange for my honest review!

I've been a big fan of Curtis Sittenfield's for years, and I really enjoyed a new take on her writing through the short story format. These stories introduced me to characters who felt like my real-life friends, because Sittenfield expertly writes them to feel so relatable. I found this collection full of humor, heart, and insight. I would recommend this with enthusiasm to both fans of Sittenfield's previous works, but also folks new to her writing.

I am not a big fan of short stories, I prefer a novel. The exception to this for me is Curtis Sittenfeld short stories. I really enjoyed Show Don't Tell, her latest collection of short stories. Some were published previously, but I had not read any of them before. The situations weren't any I ever found myself in, but I still related and wanted to know how each character solved the problems facing them.
Thank you #NetGalley & #RandomHousePublishing for an advance readers copy to review.

I thoroughly liked this!!!! The different short stories were so different yet so amazing. Show Don't Tell, Follow-up, and The Hug were my favorite!! Every Curtis Sittenfeld book that I have read has been amazing. She writes so well and they're pretty relatable. I hope everyone picks this up! It was quick and easy.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. This is a collection of short stories, mainly about women, and different scenarios they face. They all make you think, and have humor, sadness and fun. Good read. #showdonttell #curtissittenfeld #advancedreadercopy #netgalley #shortstories #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

I solely requested this book based off the fact that I loved the author’s debut novel. I had no idea that this was short stories until I had opened it up. I have never been a short story reader I’m not able to get as invested in them as I am a full novel however, I may have changed my mind after reading this book. The short stories are very contemporary in nature, focusing on families, friendship, and marriage. The author has a deadpan sense of humor that has me giggling through the otherwise serious nature of the stories.

I read a lot of short story collections, and it’s rare for me to like every single story within a collection—but Show Don’t Tell was a win for me all the way around. Sittenfeld has the ability to drop you into a story and almost immediately you know the characters and are invested in what happens to them. It doesn’t hurt that this collection featured stories of women in midlife, which I found very relatable and a breath of fresh air. 4.5 stars

I requested this arc because I’ve read other work by this author and enjoyed them. While I’m not a fan of short stories, this collection is mostly wonderful to read. I prefer to really get to know characters thru a slow process and yet this author manages to give me a glimpse that satisfies with her stories. Most of her stories in this collection are about women in their midlife which is where I find myself. I would definitely recommend this title especially to those who enjoy short story collections.

I loved Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, so was intrigued to read her short stories. Show Don’t Tell just didn’t work for me. Although well written, none of these tales dealing with modern themes spoke to me.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Exactly the fun, charismatic, wit and introspection that I would expect from a Sittenfeld!

It’s hard to review a collection of short stories, especially ones like these that are all uniquely different. However, I will say that I enjoyed all of them (though some a little more than others) which is rarely the case in a collection. It was fun not knowing what to expect - a nice wraparound story with a comedic ending, a tangential nonsensical story, or just a happy ending.

I was personally on the cusp of a reading slump, and this was just the thing to win me back. They are all such quick, bite-sized stories. While getting to know so many characters/settings/tribulations might seem daunting, Sittenfeld does it so artfully you are immediately drawn in each time.

I received this book as an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Curtis Sittenfeld and Random House!

Show Don't Tell is a collection of short stories that show Curtis Sittenfeld's typical humorous, thoughtful, and inciteful writing. Many of the stories focus on relationships, with protagonists in a range of ages. I found myself connecting to multiple characters and the short snippets of their lives that Sittenfeld gave us access to. A highly enjoyable read.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of short stories. So when I requested an arc of Curtis Sittenfeld’s latest, I didn’t realize it was a short story collection. However, I am SO glad I read this one!

This is probably the best collection of short stories that I have read. I’m not sure how she did it but I felt connected to every single story and fully engaged and interested. The author’s writing is amazing and I can’t wait to read more from her.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc

I loved the first few stories in this collection but then didn’t feel like the last couple were as strong which brought down my rating to 4 stars.