We get most of the early part of the story through the eyes of a three-year old who is traveling with her scary father. Oates does a great job on making him threatening in a way that seems real.
He tells her to get out of the elevator on the 8th floor. But he doesn't follow him and that's the last time she ever sees him. She stands there for an hour and them is rescued and eventually ends up with an aunt. Her mother has apparently died.
She never learns much about the circumstance of the death or where her father went. She carries this burden for the rest of her life.
3 comments:
Oates has written so many short stories, Patti! This is one I admit I've not read, but it sounds compelling.
She certainly has the record for most dark and depressing stories.
I've been reading all these raves for Emma Cline's new book, so got her highly praised collection of stories, DADDY. Yes, she writes well, but halfway through my verdict is, she's not for me. I don't care for most of the characters and don't like the stories. I know Patti has said that she doesn't mind unlikable characters, but I can't find anyone here where I am not thinking, "Who cares what happens to these people? Not me."
That does sound like an almost archetypal Oates story...verging on horror, while remaining in the all too possible.
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