Scan barcode
middle_name_joy's review
3.0
Of Joy Williams' talent for story-crafting, I am in awe. I've often seen quotes taken from her works, and the beauty of those excerpts led me to Honored Guest, a collection of her short stories.
Sure enough, the prose is breathtaking: direct, flowing, and observational. The bleak, depressing mood will haunt you for days. The first few stories even gave me the urge to write, which is rare.
My major misgivings are that plot devices were repeated and several stories lacked resolution. The latter especially bothered me. I know high lit likes to think it's quirky for leaving the "point" to the reader to infer, but sometimes the story didn't travel far enough for there to be a point.
Overall, it was a dark wandering that I enjoyed. I will pick up more from Joy Williams in the future.
Sure enough, the prose is breathtaking: direct, flowing, and observational. The bleak, depressing mood will haunt you for days. The first few stories even gave me the urge to write, which is rare.
My major misgivings are that plot devices were repeated and several stories lacked resolution. The latter especially bothered me. I know high lit likes to think it's quirky for leaving the "point" to the reader to infer, but sometimes the story didn't travel far enough for there to be a point.
Overall, it was a dark wandering that I enjoyed. I will pick up more from Joy Williams in the future.
More...