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You Are the Snake: Stories
From the celebrated author of Juliet the Maniac comes a collection of previously unpublished stories concerned with girlhood, family, and urge, reminiscent of Mary Gaitskill and Laura Vandenberg
In You Are the Snake , we peer into the life of a community college student, the life of an abusive grandmother is imagined, and a young woman takes up gardening. Escoria’s characters are trying their best, or they aren't, as they bump against the boundaries of society's expectations.
Exploiting the form of the short story in a voice entirely her own, You Are the Snake resists easy moralizing by subverting our expectations of how narrative functions. While Escoria plumbs the depth of girlhood and new womanhood, she leaves room for oddness, impulse, and yearning. Each story contains its own world, be it the suburbs of California or the mountains of West Virginia, but taken as a whole, this collection is expanding and challenging, corrupting expectations about what women can be and what they can write.
Juliet Escoria’s writing has been called “vivid,” “fantastic,” “sharp,” and “singularly honest,” and this collection delivers the “charged eloquence” of her previous work, in addition to the maturity and style of a new format—the short story—which is a dream fit for her “electricity that pulsates from within the prose.”
In You Are the Snake , we peer into the life of a community college student, the life of an abusive grandmother is imagined, and a young woman takes up gardening. Escoria’s characters are trying their best, or they aren't, as they bump against the boundaries of society's expectations.
Exploiting the form of the short story in a voice entirely her own, You Are the Snake resists easy moralizing by subverting our expectations of how narrative functions. While Escoria plumbs the depth of girlhood and new womanhood, she leaves room for oddness, impulse, and yearning. Each story contains its own world, be it the suburbs of California or the mountains of West Virginia, but taken as a whole, this collection is expanding and challenging, corrupting expectations about what women can be and what they can write.
Juliet Escoria’s writing has been called “vivid,” “fantastic,” “sharp,” and “singularly honest,” and this collection delivers the “charged eloquence” of her previous work, in addition to the maturity and style of a new format—the short story—which is a dream fit for her “electricity that pulsates from within the prose.”
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Juliet Escoria
13 books263 followersJULIET ESCORIA is the author of the novel JULIET THE MANIAC, forthcoming from Melville House in May 2019. She also wrote the poetry collection WITCH HUNT (Lazy Fascist Press 2016) and the story collection BLACK CLOUD (CCM/Emily Books 2014), which were both listed in various best of the year roundups. Her writing can be found in places like Lenny, Catapult, VICE, Prelude, Dazed, and Hobart and has already been translated into many languages. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, the writer Scott McClanahan.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 14, 2024
Gut punchers from start to finish. There’s something about Juliet Escoria’s writing that feels like we’re getting access to the roiling inferno that is human nature beneath the facade of social propriety (what Nietzsche described as humanity’s sickness).
June 26, 2024
I wish I had read this book when I was 16. Or 21. Or even 25. These coming-of-age stories showcasing female rage and outward expressions of emotion definitely would have made me feel less alone in the past. A big part of being a girl and a woman is trying to not “be crazy” or “irrational” or “emotional.” Escoria says “fu€k that” in several of these stories and I am absolutely here for it.
I flew through this collection and loved basically all of the stories. This is a book that I know I will find myself picking up again in the near future. I don’t think I can pick one favorite story but my top 3 were “Math Class,” “Little B!tch,” and “The Arsonist.”
Y’all know I am always in for short stories and novellas so this one was absolutely perfect for me. Check this one out if you have ever been made to feel less than, if you love stories involving female rage, or if you want a guilty pleasure binge read!!
Some squirmy quotes I loved:
“In the scheme of things, I will be dead soon, and no one will miss me. In the scheme of things, I never existed.
“…my ability to feign niceness had been exhausted. I couldn’t smile at anymore strangers. It was impossible.”
“It was she that was tamed, dependent on electric heat, running water, a warm bed, not the plants. And someday it would be her turn to rot in the soil.”
I flew through this collection and loved basically all of the stories. This is a book that I know I will find myself picking up again in the near future. I don’t think I can pick one favorite story but my top 3 were “Math Class,” “Little B!tch,” and “The Arsonist.”
Y’all know I am always in for short stories and novellas so this one was absolutely perfect for me. Check this one out if you have ever been made to feel less than, if you love stories involving female rage, or if you want a guilty pleasure binge read!!
Some squirmy quotes I loved:
“In the scheme of things, I will be dead soon, and no one will miss me. In the scheme of things, I never existed.
“…my ability to feign niceness had been exhausted. I couldn’t smile at anymore strangers. It was impossible.”
“It was she that was tamed, dependent on electric heat, running water, a warm bed, not the plants. And someday it would be her turn to rot in the soil.”
June 11, 2024
Intense! Full review soon!
Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!
Thank you to Soft Skull Press for my gifted review copy!
June 9, 2024
This was fine- some of the stories are far more engaging than others. The writing can be short and stilted at times. There was a very random mention of Israel toward the end that seemed to serve no purposes and leaves me wondering why the author chose to include it. Full review to come.
March 18, 2024
This is a solid collection of stories exploring so many aspects of womanhood. There were some stories that stood out to me more than others. I found it to be very honest and plainly spoken. I think personally, I’ve preferred similar collections with a bit more shock factor but I would still certainly recommend this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Softskull Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
Thank you NetGalley and Softskull Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
July 2, 2024
I like Juliet Escoria’s writing so much—a new book is cause for celebration. I loved these stories.
July 27, 2024
Funny, blunt, and sometimes deeply upsetting. Written in a unique and compelling voice. Julia Escoria manages to craft fully realized characters within each short story, and by the end of this collection their shared world had emerged.
July 26, 2024
3.5☆
|| #gifted #partner @softskullpress ||
✍🏻
Escoria's first book Juliet The Maniac was a favorite a few years ago so when I saw she had a new story collection coming out I was thrilled! And what a cover!! This gut punch of a story collection explores many aspects of coming of age womanhood and female rage. I wish I had this book in my 20's, it was funny, sad, intense, relatable, violent, honest and filled with tension. My favorites were Dust Particles, Math Class, I Am The Snake. If you enjoy Chelsea Hodgson and or Elle Nash's work you will enjoy this!
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
|| #gifted #partner @softskullpress ||
✍🏻
Escoria's first book Juliet The Maniac was a favorite a few years ago so when I saw she had a new story collection coming out I was thrilled! And what a cover!! This gut punch of a story collection explores many aspects of coming of age womanhood and female rage. I wish I had this book in my 20's, it was funny, sad, intense, relatable, violent, honest and filled with tension. My favorites were Dust Particles, Math Class, I Am The Snake. If you enjoy Chelsea Hodgson and or Elle Nash's work you will enjoy this!
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
March 7, 2024
You Are The Snake: Stories by Juliet Escoria
This collection explores the underside of growing up (including twenty somethings), and the odd things we do that we wouldn't repeat as adults. There's a certain level of discomfort which creates tension with the reader, but it just makes it even better.
It triggered reminiscing about Perpetual West and Sugar Run by Mesha Maren, and sure enough you might find a connection between the two on the internet.
Enjoyed!
This collection explores the underside of growing up (including twenty somethings), and the odd things we do that we wouldn't repeat as adults. There's a certain level of discomfort which creates tension with the reader, but it just makes it even better.
It triggered reminiscing about Perpetual West and Sugar Run by Mesha Maren, and sure enough you might find a connection between the two on the internet.
Enjoyed!
February 18, 2024
Whoa....all of these stories are hard, heavy and stay with you a long time. Girls, women of all ages, are in these stories exploring heavy topics (such as rape and sexual assault). This book is hard to get through but oh so worth the read. Still thinking about these stories....will definitely be reading more from Juliet Escoria!
Thanks to PRH & Soft Skull for the ARC!
Thanks to PRH & Soft Skull for the ARC!
July 31, 2024
One of my top books of the year- a stunning collection of unholy desires, vile dreams, and all aspects of girlhood, be it bloody or beautiful. Made a note in the middle of reading the collection about how sturdy words can be when not overworked and Juliet is beyond talented at placing the right words at the right time to create a tone that is all hers. Will revisit often.
June 25, 2024
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of this story collection before it was published. Juliet Escoria is a brilliant writer, her prose is clear sighted, unflinching, honest, brutal, and relatable. I have always enjoyed her writing. This collection is a stand out.
July 7, 2024
I really enjoyed this interesting collection of stories. "Hazel: A Diptych" had a unique style and was my favorite of the bunch. "Little Bitch" was a moving and funny depiction of trying to engage with children.
July 12, 2024
longtime fan of Juliet Escoria and her newest story collection exceeded expectations. these stories are funny, inspiring, sad, beautiful, relatable. highly recommend you pick this one up for your next summer read.
Want to read
June 4, 2024#GoodreadsGiveaway
June 28, 2024
I absolutely hate writing reviews. Just read it :) it’s fantastic.
Read
July 24, 2024Good
July 28, 2024
I loved this book! It was such a fun read! It was entertaining, thought provoking, and strange. I couldn’t put it down!
July 30, 2024
Why are people praising this book? Juliet was trying to sound prolific but the stories were so pathetic and served no moral purpose to anyone reading it. Especially the story, dust particles.
June 22, 2024
A phenomenal collection full of heart and verve and violence and beauty.
Nostalgic and tender and entirely fresh.
Couldn’t recommend more.
Nostalgic and tender and entirely fresh.
Couldn’t recommend more.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews