The collection that established O’Connor’s reputation as one of the American masters of the short story. The volume contains the celebrated title story, a tale of the murderous fugitive The Misfit, as well as “The Displaced Person” and eight other stories.
I suppose it’s skilled, in a revealing sort of way. But I just don’t care to read of racist characters penned by a racist author.
Dark and consistent set of stories, favorites were the title story, The River, The Life You Save May Be Your Own, but all probe uncomfortably into people's judgements of others. Lots of casually derogatory n-word on every unlikable character's tongue.
Immense parables that weave together the societal disjunctions in 1950s America through a series of stories that discuss religion, politics, poverty, rural/urban divide and the American dream with a tenacity and collectiveness that is admirable and inspiring.
I hadn't read this in several years and it was time to read it again. It's different every time.
At first I thought the Catholicism and slight almost allegorical quality would irritate me, but these stories are so good that they didn't. Great dialogue, great story construction, great sense of humor.
