This was a bit of a slog story for me bit it may well be my failing. I always think I will enjoy a less conventional story but I often don't. Link was mentioned as publishing her first novel (after many stories) this year on the New York Times Book Review Podcast so I looked online for a sample of her stories and the title appealed to me so I read this one.
Two women, both named Louise, are having lunch. They are accompanied by one of their children, Anna, who only eats green food, dresses in green and plays with green toys. You get the idea-although that idea gets tiring quickly. As does sorting which Louise is which. One of the Louises' confesses to having affairs with multiple cellists and the other confesses she has a male ghost living with her. He is naked and hairy and she never knows where she will find him curled up.
Louises' friends give her ideas on how to get rid of him, none very effective. So the story goes on with the annoying green child, the affairs with cellists, and attempts to get rid of the ghost. Naming both women Louise was a gimmick to me and tiring. I will try another of her stories because she is well-thought of and this one was too long and bereft of any ideas beyond this.
Anyone else read her? I bet Todd knows her and recommend a story.
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7 comments:
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I've read more of her work as an editor (co-editor of her and her husband Gavin Grant's magazine LADY CHURCHILL'S ROSEBUD WRISTLET, and of THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR, the fantasy more or less half coedited with Grant while Ellen Datlow edited the horror). One of her most acclaimed stories is conveniently online, a tribute to Shirley Jackson entitled "The Summer People", which won the Jackson Award for its year and was included in its year's O. HENRY AWARDS volume, after first publication in TIN HOUSE. The collection of hers it appeared in, GET IN TROUBLE, was Pulitzer shortlisted.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-86461
The one you tried does come across as a bit precious, indeed. (Sadly, Grant is apparently suffering from long COVID, and is finding it difficult to work of late.)
And as much a tribute to Appalachian specialists such as Manly Wade Wellman, and fairy-tale traditions (Be Bold, Be Bold, But Not Too Bold). I like it.
Sometimes I like unconventional stories, Patti, but they don't always work as well for me, either.
Thanks, Todd and Margot.
Like Todd, I've read her work as an editor rather than as a writer.
A while back I bought pulp writer Cleve F. Adams's PUNK & Other Stories cheaply on Kindle (though I just checked, and it is no longer available). It is four novellas (I guess), and I've been reading one occasionally. Yesterday I read the non-series "Frame For a Lady" and found it a quick, entertaining read. Nothing new or special, just a nice professional job.
Also finished the Yiyun Li collection, which I do think Patti would like, as it has kind of a downbeat view of life. I read a few stories in the BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR 2023, but then returned it to the library before reading any more. As always, Doug Allyn and Brendan Dubois are favorites that can be relief upon.
Will have to check to see what collections I have still unread on the Kindle, as I don't have any library book collections outstanding. Of course, there are always the Henry James and Edith Wharton complete collections, but not sure I'm in the mood.
And it's taking me so long to do the index for one of the two books I wanted to do for SSW (because it was published so ineptly, despite the quality of the work assembled), that I might just refashion the Kelly Link note into mine for this week.
Alas all systems, and the desire to do things that take So Much Time.
Glen recently purchased one of her collections of short stories, and I plan to read some stories from it also. But neither one of us had read anything by her yet.
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