A review by pamelabaker
The State We're In: Maine Stories by Ann Beattie

3.0

I was very disappointed by this collection, especially when I loved Beattie's New Yorker stories. Too many of these stories didn't feel finished; they ended abruptly before there was any kind of an arc, making them feel more like snapshots. It's not that I need resolution in all of my stories. These stories ended when they needed a little more to make them satisfying. There was little to no emotional resonance. Nothing to make them memorable.

Of course, the writing itself is excellent with well developed characters. I liked that there was at least an attempt to show how Maine has some unusual characters not unlike a more developed part of the country. It just felt like Beattie didn't feel like finishing some of these stories and called it quits early.