Product Description

Potently witty, neurotic and nervy, Come Up and See Me Sometime marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice in fiction. Erika Krouse's debut story collection about sex and the single girl is smart, sharp-tongued and delightfully addictive.

The thirteen stories in this collection are linked by a common theme: the main characters are all young, childless, geographically and emotionally nomadic women who are searching for self-knowledge and satisfaction in the face of the vicissitudes of single life.

In Krouse's able hands, each of these agile stories manages to cull universal truth from idiosyncratic experience and delirious humor out of deepest pathos. "The Fast" is about a woman who seeks power, independence and immunity from heartbreak through a brief flirtation with a latte diet. "Drugs and You" is the story of an innocent woman who hits a heroin addict with her car and falls blindly in love. In "My Weddings," a woman nearing thirty relates a lifetime of attending nuptials, none of them her own.

Mae West, pop culture's original Liberated Woman, is the ingenious guiding spirit of the collection. Her famous quips -- "Peel me a grape," "Come up and see me sometime," "I used to be Snow White but I drifted" -- stand as both complement and telling counterpoint to the lives of Krouse's diverse characters. These are smart, searching, quick-witted women who may strive for the unflappable sass and self-sufficiency of a Mae West, but more often fall prey to their own anxieties.

Erika Krouse's perfect comic timing and dead-on one-liners lend levity to each story, and ultimately these seemingly everyday experiences become sly riffs on common fears of loneliness and isolation. Come Up and See Me Sometime is a delightful, thought-provoking and consistently surprising read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Come Up and See Me Sometime
This was an amazing book that changed my life and my view of contemporay literary fiction.I wait with baited breath for her next work.

Spread the word
I'm not a short story reader but I've been looking for material for women outside of the chick lit genre.I'm so glad that I discovered this gem of a book! (sorry for the cliche, not sure how else to convey my enthusiasm)
The writing is succinct and gorgeous.The author perfectly captures these uniquely female experiences while somehow (I'm sure skill is involved) interchanging humor and compassion.I laughed at some things I'm sure I'm not normally supposed to laugh at.And a beautifully rendered paragraph put me in the shoes of a battered woman more effectively than anything else I've encountered.
I'm quite certain that all my girlfriends and their friends need to read this one.

Controversial stuff
Love this book or hate it, it's great literature. I love it. These inspired stories are crystal-clear and snap with wit. But they're not for the faint of heart. You won't find bubble-gum-Oprah-chick-lit-heartwarming pablum between these covers. These characters struggle with controversial issues like abortion, risk, domestic violence, drugs, and family, and they do it in a way that reminds me of me. I like these characters -- I read this book twice in a row. If you're looking for easy answers, read The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing -- if you want to relate to (fictional, but) real women and their struggles, read this book.

Hilarious, with backbone
These stories had me laughing out loud, then later on I'd find myself pondering the issues they raised. I think this book is written for women like me -- intelligent women who work and try to make some sense out of their strange lives. Plus, Krouse is FUNNY. Her humor is smart and quirky, and you feel like she's telling you stories over a beer. I, for one, am thrilled. I've found a new favorite author.

Disappointing
I really expected to like this book. While the stories are certainly witty and the humor dark, I found the underlying anger and bitterness of every character too much to take. None of the characters seems to be able to relate to society very well, and while that can sometimes make for an interesting read (think the Bell Jar, or even Catcher in the Rye), these characters just seemed pathetic to me. I found them all to be bitter and defensive and I was totally unable to relate or even empathize with them. I was not expecting saccharine, happy Hollywood-type endings to these stories (that may have been even worse) but the only emotion this book evoked for me was annoyance. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Erika Dawn Krouse, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 869 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Product Description
Stories include: What to Name the Baby (Bernard Cooper); What I Ware (Erika Krouse); Some Rain Must Fall (Michel Faber); Culver City (Richard Lange); Cloud Chamber (Holly Woodward); Devil's Workshop (David Griffith); Risking a Goddess (Beth Konkoski); One Owner, Runs (Alison Baker); The Fare (Sarah Messer); Hit Man of the Year (Hannah Tinti); Sumac (Colum McCann); Conspiracies (Ann Harleman). ... Read more