“No one does a better job of writing about the high and low points of contemporary relationships than Curtis Sittenfeld. Her characters are petty, flawed, tender, funny, and completely believable. The characters in You Think It, I'll Say It do not shy away from assuming they know those around them, making the twist when their misjudgments are revealed even more satisfying. While it is easy to fall in love with the insightful storytelling and humor, Sittenfeld's true gift is to make you recognize yourself in these pages.”
— Luisa Smith, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
Description
“Every bit as smart, sensitive, funny, and genuine as her phenomenally popular novels,”* a dazzling collection from theNew York Times bestsellingauthor of Prep, American Wife, and Eligible
“I really loved all the characters in this book. They’re so complex and interesting, and in every story, you’ll find them going through these pivotal moments in their lives.”—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club Pick) NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PEOPLE AND USA TODAY AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • NPR • Financial Times • San Francisco Chronicle • New York Public Library • Refinery29
A suburban mother of two fantasizes about the downfall of an old friend whose wholesome lifestyle empire may or may not be built on a lie. A high-powered lawyer honeymooning with her husband is caught off guard by the appearance of the girl who tormented her in high school. A shy Ivy League student learns the truth about a classmate’s seemingly enviable life.
Curtis Sittenfeld has established a reputation as a sharp chronicler of the modern age who humanizes her subjects even as she skewers them. Now, with this first collection of short fiction, her “astonishing gift for creating characters that take up residence in readers’ heads” (The Washington Post) is showcased like never before. Throughout the ten stories in You Think It, I’ll Say It, Sittenfeld upends assumptions about class, relationships, and gender roles in a nation that feels both adrift and viscerally divided.
With moving insight and uncanny precision, Curtis Sittenfeld pinpoints the questionable decisions, missed connections, and sometimes extraordinary coincidences that make up a life. Indeed, she writes what we’re all thinking—if only we could express it with the wit of a master satirist, the storytelling gifts of an old-fashioned raconteur, and the vision of an American original.
*Booklist (starred review)
LONGLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN FICTION
“At once psychologically acute, deftly crafted and deeply pleasurable.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Witty and buoyant . . . Each deceptively simple and breezy story is masterfully paced and crafted.”—Chicago Tribune
“Perfectly paced, witty and laced with unexpected twists: Every story here sticks its landing. Whatever [Sittenfeld] writes, we’ll read it.”—People
“Razor-sharp, often hilarious . . . [Curtis Sittenfeld] is a sharp observer of human nature and human relationships. . . . A witty, breezy, zeitgeist-y collection.”—USA Today
About the Author
Curtis Sittenfeld is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Prep, The Man of My Dreams, American Wife, Sisterland, and Eligible, and the story collection You Think It, I’ll Say It, which have been translated into thirty languages. Her short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post Magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories, of which she was the 2020 guest editor.Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, and Vanity Fair, and on public radio’s This American Life.
Praise For…
“I really loved all the characters in this book. They’re so complex and interesting, and in every story, you’ll find them going through these pivotal moments in their lives.”—Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine Book Pick)
“At once psychologically acute, deftly crafted and deeply pleasurable.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Sittenfeld makes writing lively and diverting fiction look easy, though each deceptively simple and breezy story is masterfully paced and crafted. . . . Witty and buoyant, Sittenfeld delivers her characters to her audience with bemused perspicacity and above all affection. . . . Sittenfeld proves adept at quickly establishing characters in whom the reader feels inclined to invest immediately.”—Chicago Tribune “Perfectly paced, witty and laced with unexpected twists: Every story here sticks its landing. . . . Whatever [Sittenfeld] writes, we’ll read it.”—People “Razor-sharp, often hilarious . . . [Sittenfeld] is a sharp observer of human nature and human relationships. . . . A witty, breezy, zeitgeist-y collection.” —USA Today
“Magnificent . . . brilliant . . . Sittenfeld is an astute observer.”—Houston Chronicle
“Cathartic fun . . . Sittenfeld here confirms an ability to mine the casual cruelties and quiet furies of the elite for comic gold.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“Sittenfeld’s new story collection is brutally, beautifully human.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Sittenfeld proves once again why she’s one of the finest observers of human nature writing today with a collection of potent pieces as funny as they are literary.”—Glamour
“Empathetic imagination is one of the defining features of Sittenfeld’s fiction.”—NPR
“Sharply observed and unforgettably crafted stories . . . The sheer power of Sittenfeld’s storytelling talents will leave you breathless.” —Southern Living
“Deeply relatable characters interacting in deeply human ways.” —HuffPost
“[Sittenfeld] brings her unflinching eye, piercing wit, and storytelling gifts to everything she does, making this collection a series of perfect gems.” —Nylon
“Sittenfeld is always a treat. This collection of short stories is smart and funny and honest.”—PopSugar
“Sittenfeld spins magic. Reading these consistently engrossing stories is a pleasure.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sittenfeld’s first story collection takes no prisoners . . . Brilliant.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Every bit as smart, sensitive, funny, and genuine as her phenomenally popular novels.”—Booklist (starred review)
“No one does a better job of writing about the high and low points of contemporary relationships than Curtis Sittenfeld. Her characters are petty, flawed, tender, funny, and completely believable. The characters in You Think It, I'll Say It do not shy away from assuming they know those around them, making the twist when their misjudgments are revealed even more satisfying. While it is easy to fall in love with the insightful storytelling and humor, Sittenfeld's true gift is to make you recognize yourself in these pages.”