In
the month of June I also read two books by Joyce Carol Oates: The Museum of Dr. Moses – Tales of Mystery
and Suspense and Beasts. Both of these were library books that have
since been returned; hence, the reviews will be brief.
The Museum of Dr. Moses (2007) is not for readers who enjoy happy endings;
however, if you enjoy Stephen King, you should add this book to your “to be
read” list. These stories had all been
previously published in journals and magazines.
I am giving away nothing by including my quick notes on each story: “Hi! Howya Doin!” A friendly runner, “Suicide Watch” Father, son and missing grandson, “The Man Who Fought Roland La Starza” And his affair with the narrator’s mother & truth of his death, “Valentine, July Heat Wave” Unhappy divorce, “Bad Habits” Children of a serial killer, “Feral” Child gone bad, “The Hunter” Serial killer point of view, “The Twins: A Mystery” Mystery on two levels, “Stripping” Pedophile and former (?) victim, and “The Museum of Dr. Moses” Catharsis but is it a happy ending?
I
love reading short story collections, and every story in this book was a page
turner.
Beasts is a novella really – 138 pages – published in 2002. Although I neglected to record the publisher,
I do have some citations from this one and have decided to share exactly what I
wrote in my journal after reading it.
“We are beasts and this is our consolation” (13).
“Trust not in appearances nor in what lies beneath” (14).
How
does Oates do this? She is such a
prolific writer, and this novel hinted but did not clearly give away anything a
moment too soon.
It
begins with Gillian jolted into a memory, not a confession: “This is not a confession. You will see, I have nothing to confess”
(3). And that one word, you, turns a simple first person memory into second person, if only briefly, and brings the reader into the novel as a witness to the memory. Marvelous.
I no doubt have the record, or so I think, of reading every book written by Oates. She is a prolific writer, and I am amazed at her abilities.
ReplyDeleteI first heard of her back in the 60's when she was at Syracuse University with my sister, Dot. I believe that she was doing graduate work, but appeared as a TA or observer in undergraduate classes in English. "Them" was the book that started me off with her, and re-reading it many years later attested to its greatness. Secondly, I heard her speak in Rochester several years ago, and I was impressed at her style of preparation before writing...stickie notes on a board with tiny details about all the characters. Both of her parents sat in the audience, and I wonder what they made of their successful daughter? Hopefully, extremely proud...