Starred review from July 15, 2013
These four exquisitely suspenseful novellas from Oates (The Accursed) offer sharp characterizations, whether it be the naïve and romantic 16-year-old Lizbeth Marsh; the deeply spoiled, deeply disturbed Bart Hansen; or Mariana Mohr, the fourth wife of an accomplished intellectual. The last named is in the title story, which is by far the volume’s strongest. The eye in question is both a beautiful glass nazar—a valuable talisman that’s in Austin Mohr’s art collection—and the missing eye of his diminutive, mesmerizing first wife who comes to visit. In “The Execution,” Bart Hansen’s plan to murder his parents is as inadequate as his father believed all his plans were. “So Near Anytime Always” has a surprise ending to the relationship of Lizbeth Marsh and the unfathomable Desmond Parrish. The relationships between the damaged, sometimes monstrous individuals who people these pages will keep the reader riveted. Agent: Warren Frazier, John Hawkins & Associates.
Starred review from October 28, 2013
The new collection of novellas from Oates presents an excellent vehicle to showcase the talents of four talented narrators. Each performer does a first-rate job of matching the unique atmosphere that Oates creates in these four works. Donna Postel’s ethereal and exotic quality perfectly fits the macabre elements of the title work, which explores the unraveling of marital secrets and the journey toward madness. For “So Near Anytime Always,” Luci Christian effectively captures both the angst and confusion of a teenage female protagonist and the creepy manipulations of her mysterious boyfriend turned stalker. Chris Patton, in “The Execution,” convincingly brings to life the dark rage of a privileged fraternity boy toward his perfectionist father and co-dependent mother. In “The Flatbed,” Tamara Marston methodically weaves together the range of emotions faced by an adult victim of child sexual abuse, from shame and repression to outrage and vengeance. The performances are gripping across-the-board making for a standout listening experience. A Mysterious Press hardcover.
July 15, 2013
Four novellas--and as the subtitle informs us, in each, love has definitely "gone wrong" in perverse and creepy ways. The titular story concerns a nazar, a "talisman to ward off the 'evil eye.' " Mariana, the narrator, is the fourth wife (almost always italicized, to emphasize her outsider status) of Austin Mohr, prominent director of an arts institute in San Francisco. Twenty-five years younger than her moody and volatile husband, Mariana is timid and conforming--until her domestic equilibrium is disrupted by the visit of Ines Zambranco, the first wife. The second narrative introduces us to Lizbeth, a 16-year-old who shyly develops a relationship with Desmond Parrish, an outgoing, brash and highly intelligent young man who's supposedly taking a gap year before continuing his academic career at Amherst. Over a period of several months, Lizbeth gets increasingly nervous about Desmond's mental stability--a valid suspicion, as she later finds out he had killed his young sister and been incarcerated in a psychiatric ward for seven years. "The Execution" puts us inside the mind of Bart Hansen, a college student seething with a monstrous hatred of his father, so he plans what he hopes will be the perfect crime--killing him with an axe. Although things inevitably go wrong (like his forgetting about the evidence provided by EZ Pay when he makes the journey home to do the murder), an exceptionally clever lawyer gets Bart his freedom since the trial ends with a hung jury. The final novella, "The Flatbed," concerns Cecelia, a woman who's not able to have normal sexual relations because her grandfather abused her when she was young. A man romantically interested in her becomes furious when he learns of this and arranges a meeting to get revenge on the old man. With her focus on deviant and twisted characters, Oates continues to be a worthy descendant of the gothic tradition of Edgar Allan Poe.
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June 1, 2013
Oates adds to her treasury of diabolical tales (The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares, 2011; Black Dahlia & White Rose, 2012) a quartet of shrewd and unnerving novellas about toxic entanglements. In the stylishly gothic title story, the legendary director of a performing arts institute swoops in and makes a much younger researcher shattered by the deaths of her parents his fourth wife, installing her in his fastidiously appointed showcase house, where her inchoate fears about his soul-freezing temper crystallize upon meeting his disfigured first wife. Oates has a superbly disconcerting gift for orchestrating slowly coalescing realizations that something is horribly wrong, as in 16-year-old Lizbeth's reluctant recognition that her polite, Polaroid-snapping boyfriend may, in fact, be dangerous. In other subtly sinister, adeptly paced scenarios, a failing frat boy high on Ritalin and video-game fantasies turns murderous, and a frigid young woman identifies her childhood abuser. Oates' deft tales of vulnerable women with surprisingly deep reservoirs of strength and a capacity for revenge are infused with wry and knowing commentary on the battle between the sexes, the justice system, and the consequences of entitlement. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Readers are always ready for new dark tales by best-selling Oates, and this potent volume will gain added visibility given all the attention surrounding her latest novel, The Accursed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)
Starred review from October 1, 2013
In the most recent offering by the preeminent Oates (The Falls) are exquisite portrayals of young, vulnerable people who are preyed upon by one another, who sometimes succumb to the burden of memory and present-day events, and who sometimes achieve victory in working through "love gone wrong." The collection's opening novella, "Evil Eye," depicts Mariana, the fourth wife of a very demanding, wealthy man. When the first wife comes to visit, Mariana hears whispers of what happened to the woman's infant son from that first marriage. Mariana is unable to cope with this news, and her world is completely shattered. In "So Near, Anytime, Always," Lizbeth, an awkward, lonely girl, is initially flattered by handsome Desmond's attentions. When he turns to stalking and otherwise threatening her and when she finds out what happened to his younger sibling, Lizbeth tries to break off the relationship--with dire consequences for Desmond. "The Execution" is a nerve-racking page-turner characterizing young college student Bart, who has been continually bullied by his wealthy father. "The Flatbed," the last tale, deals with childhood sexual abuse and healing still raw memories. VERDICT These powerful, suspenseful novellas can easily keep readers awake at night and perhaps should be read in bright daylight. Highly recommended.--Lisa Rohrbaugh, Leetonia Community P.L., OH
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