I’ve read Curtis Sittenfeld’s short stories before and enjoyed them so immediately had to grab this one. I enjoyed reading these, offering a good sense of a character’s thoughts and emotions in various scenarios. I was in quite the reading slump and this got me out of it due to the format and approachability. A couple phrases bothered me, as did the use of ‘master bedroom’ which I called out in the arc of her last book as well. Overall, not my favourite read but certainly entertaining!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to review this book. All opinions are my own. I loved the thread of stand-alone stories. They were very relatable. I felt rooted for each main character. The author's library has so many different and riveting stories. I can’t believe this is only the author's second story collection.
The main characters were around my age, which was refreshing!
This reader has more of Curtis's back library to explore.

This is the second book I read by Curtis Sittenfeld and I guess they just aren’t for me. This was the whitest, blandest collection of short stories. I’m tapping out.

This collection of stories is all about flawed and realistically unlikable women navigating marriage, motherhood, careers, etc. One even follows the main character from her novel Prep, which I finally read last year and adored. Everything this author writes feels very similar, but god she does it so well! I’m continually impressed by her ability to fully develop characters in such a short amount of time.

This short story collection was DELIGHTFUl! Curtis Sittenfeld is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. I usually do not enjoy short story collections, but each story felt well-developed, meaningful, and enjoyable. I've found myself recalling situations and characters months later. I particularly enjoyed how Sittenfeld feature middle-aged women as complex, interesting characters. I don't typically come across books that celebrate this demographic and I found it to be so refreshing!

Thank you netgalley for the arc of Show Dont Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. I read the authors previous novel romantic comedy and found it to be an easy read so was really looking forward to this one. I never read a synopsis because I prefer to go in to a book blind. By the beginning of the third story I realized that it was not a regular novel but instead of collection of short stories. They are all well written and all about different relationships with some challenging issues arising and how people handle things under pressure. I particularly enjoyed the story about the woman who was filmed and posted on the internet and accused of being racist then trying to help someone find their dog. All the stories were well written and it was certainly an easy read. Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ” Show Don’t Tell” in exchange for my honest opinion. I typically don’t read collections of short stories, but enjoyed Sittenfeld’s Romantic Comedy and decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did decide to read her latest work. All of the stories started in the thick of the plot, and there was great character development, considering how short they were. I feel like individual books could’ve been written about each story and is one of the reasons why I typically stay away from short stories, as I always want there to be more. In this case, I did want to know more about several of the stories. Overall, it was a good read, and I would recommend it to others. I might even read other collections of short stories in the future because of this book.

If Curtis Sittenfeld writes it, I will read it and likely love it. I’m not huge on short stories, but I really enjoyed these. Sittenfeld is just as good at short stories as she is at novels.

Like any collection of short stories, I connect more with certain stories than others, but overall, I feel like Curtis Sittenfeld is really good at taking mundane, everyday pieces of life and pulling meaning from them.

This was not for me. Ordinarily I love short story collections, but this one fell flat. I felt like every story just rambled on unnecessarily. The one I liked that most was the last one, which featured the main character from Prep, but even that was just meh. Disappointing, especially considering how much I loved the author's last novel Romantic Comedy.
I would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

I'm not a short story reader. I want to be, but I just usually want a longer narrative. But it was interesting to see some familiar characters and places reappear in this collection (though Prep is admittedly not my fave).

Each story here felt smart and sharp and true and there are a few I'm still thinking about days later. Definitely rib-sticking despite the abbreviated length—like only great fiction can.

If Sittenfeld writes it, I’m reading it, always worth it.

Fans of Curtis Sittenfeld will not be disappointed! Easy to connect with and quick to read. Written in such a way that picking up and spending a few moments at a time feels satisfying. 3 Stars.

4.25 ⭐️

In Curtis Sittenfelds’s latest short story collection SHOW DON’T TELL, we get an assortment of flawed female women mostly in their 40s as they confront various aspects of themselves. Had I not known the author of this collection, I think I could have puzzled it out since a number of these stories are adjacent to academia and the privilege and style that I associate with Sittenfeld’s writing.

Maybe it’s because I’m in the exact target demographic for this short story collection that most of these short stories resonated with me. I really enjoyed “The Marriage Clock,” “The Richest Babysitter in the World” (the protagonist babysits for basically Jeff Bezos right before a company like Amazon is founded and turns down a job offer from him), “The Patron Saints of Middle Age,” and ‘Lost But Not Forgotten.”

“White Women LOL” addressed race. I have mixed feelings about the story, but that might be because I’m not sure if Sittenfeld as a privileged white women should have stepped into this lane. I also wasn’t a fan of “Giraffe and Flamingo,” but on the whole most of these 12 short stories did speak to me.

The story “Lost But Not Forgotten” features Lee Fiora, the main character from PREP, going to her thirtieth reunion and connecting with someone she had only known in passing back in school. I have read PREP, but it was so long ago that I didn’t remember anything. However, I felt it was a strong story on its own, and I didn’t feel you needed to have read PREP to enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

SHOW DON’T TELL publishes February 25, 2025.

#showdonttell #curtissittenfeld #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #bookstagram

Big Curtis Sittenfeld fan and this collection is no different. She's super skilled and I'll be thinking about these stories for a long time.

I often think of Curtis Sittenfeld as the author of short stories for people who don't typically read short stories (i.e. me!). Her stories are accessible, the world-building extensive, and the messages profound. This collection is no different. The protagonists - mostly female - feel familiar, and all canvas that liminal space between college and adulting. Some protagonists are reflecting back on a significant time in the past with the benefit of hindsight; others have their contemporary worlds rocked by the appearance of someone or something from the past. The opening stories and the final story are the strongest - I particularly recommend The Richest Babysitter in the World and Lost but Not Forgotten if you like to dip into and out of short story collections. Recommend for Sittenfeld and short story fans.

4 Stars. Another winner by Curtis Sittenfeld! I was so happy to get an advanced reader copy since I had recently loved and reviewed her hilarious Romantic Comedy.

In Show Don’t Tell, a collection of 11 short stories she explores the themes of marriage, female relationships--including a story about Lee Fioravante, the main character in Sittenfeld’s PREP--infidelity, and white privilege. Sittenfeld’s mostly white midwestern middle-aged female characters deal with weighty conflicts that force them to choose between what’s societally expected versus what’s best for them.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

I always enjoy reading Sittenfeld's writing, and this collection of short stories was no exception. Each story in this collection aptly captured the ins and outs of daily life. Would definitely recommend this!

Show Don't Tell is a collection of 11 essays that delve into marriage, friendship, fame, artistic ambition, and the ever-shifting dynamics of modern life
It also shares its title with one of the essays included—a 2017 piece originally published in The New Yorker. Each essay unfolds through the perspectives of women, most of whom are on the cusp of middle age, grappling with pivotal moments of introspection and change.

There is no question that Curtis Sittenfeld possesses a remarkable talent for crafting deeply insightful stories about human nature and relationships. Her prose often creates the sensation of a private exchange, as though she’s confiding in the reader one-on-one. This intimate voice, combined with her nuanced understanding of her characters’ hopes and fears, makes Show Don’t Tell a quietly powerful read.

Curtis Sittenfeld writes short stories with depth, humor and reflection. At least I was reflecting on my own life, friendships and marriage while reading them. I use to think short stories weren’t my thing but Sittenfeld has changed my mind with her writing.

This is a lovely collection of unrelated short stories. The collection spans decades and explores multiple topics from post-grad coming of age, racial biases, marriage, children, careers, cancer, adultery, and second chances. I typically prefer to read a story developed over the course of the book, but this was an enjoyable read with each chapter being its own story.

Thank you to Curtis Sittenfeld, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!