Ratings11
Average rating2.8
Set in a New York apartment building, Fourteen Days is an irresistibly propulsive novel with an unusual twist: each character in this diverse, eccentric cast of neighbours has been secretly written by a different, major literary voice - from Margaret Atwood and John Grisham to Emma Donoghue and Celeste Ng. One week into lockdown, the tenants of a run-down apartment building in Manhattan have begun to gather on the rooftop each evening and tell stories. With each passing night, more and more neighbours gather, bringing chairs and milk crates and overturned pails. Gradually the tenants - some of whom have barely spoken to each other before now - become real neighbours. A dazzling, heartwarming and ultimately surprising narrative, Fourteen Days is an ode to the power of storytelling and human connection. Includes writing from: Charlie Jane Anders, Margaret Atwood, Jennine Capo Crucet, Pat Cummings, Joseph Cassara, Angie Cruz, Sylvia Day, Emma Donoghue, Dave Eggers, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, John Grisham, Maria Hinojosa, Mira Jacob, Erica Jong, CJ Lyons, Celeste Ng, Tommy Orange, Mary Pope Osborne, Doug Preston, Alice Randall, Caroline Randall, Ishmael Reed, Roxana Robinson, Nelly Rosario, James Shapiro, Hampton Sides, R.L. Stine, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Monique Truong, Scott Turow, Luis Alberto Urrea, Rachel Vail, Weike Wang, DeShawn Charles Winslow, Meg Wolitzer
Reviews with the most likes.
Very strangely edited. I thought each day would have a different collaborator, but the same characters had multiple collaborators. One story just goes right into the next with some disjointed group talks in between. The majority of the stories went on way too long and the stories I liked the best were the quickest. Out of everything the only ones I enjoyed were The one about the Nun and Elijah Maine's stories, “Iron Lung” and the one about the curses with the ice cubes. I found the spider one very intriguing. You don't find out who rode what until the end which was also interesting. I think at the end of the day I would have preferred a connected short story format instead of this disjointed novel format. Also the ending how they all died was SO stupid. I hate stories like this. Especially in using COVID as a plot device. With some of these stories sappy and some hopeful themes (like the cheering of healthcare workers everyday) you would think there would be a more positive ending. Maybe even a flash forward 1 year later to see where everyone ended up.
I didn't really enjoy this, unfortunately. A lot of the authors involved seem unaware of how people actually talk or tell stories, and the twist is ridiculous.