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skirkwalsh 's review for:
The Ocean House: Stories
by Mary-Beth Hughes
I loved THE OCEAN HOUSE. This series of eleven stories are structured like an intricate cat's cradle, with the narrative threads crisscrossing against each other, and ultimately holding each other up in a way. The characters' sadness and grief seem to touch each other—and send off sparks at certain moments. I was very moved by the opening and title story, "The Ocean House," and the closing story, "California." Each story skillfully portrays the ever-changing fault lines of broken families, particularly from the perspectives of younger characters who don't know exactly what is happening before them, but yet they know consciously on some level and this is demonstrated in the intimate tenderness and loss between characters.
I read recently Joy Williams' idiosyncratic tips on writing short stories. The first one read: "There should be a clean clear surface with much disturbance below." This is what I felt while reading these exquisite stories—the sadness, the grief, the rage, all rides underneath the surface of the narrative and then bursts out at unexpected moments. It can be challenging to write about this kind of domestic rage—between parents and children (whether they are young children or grown adults) or between spouses or siblings. Hughes accomplishes this over and over again, with each story illuminating different relationships and dynamics. Don't miss this tender, yet fierce collection.
I read recently Joy Williams' idiosyncratic tips on writing short stories. The first one read: "There should be a clean clear surface with much disturbance below." This is what I felt while reading these exquisite stories—the sadness, the grief, the rage, all rides underneath the surface of the narrative and then bursts out at unexpected moments. It can be challenging to write about this kind of domestic rage—between parents and children (whether they are young children or grown adults) or between spouses or siblings. Hughes accomplishes this over and over again, with each story illuminating different relationships and dynamics. Don't miss this tender, yet fierce collection.