This was an unfortunate story to have to read over several sittings. I tried…I really did. I looked for assistance online – and I even made efforts to really slow down the pace of my reading in an attempt to digest this story a bit better. I found it difficult to follow and there was nothing that I could really pull from it.
There it is.
Maybe you just don't fully appreciate Alice Munro's writings---their beauty, grace, and subtlety. The strength of her stories lies in their quiet messages and nuanced meanings. She rarely makes her stories conspicuously understood on initial reading, and sometimes a second and much careful reading is necessary to get down to what she intends primarily to convey in the scenes and situations she writes about.
ReplyDeleteHello Anonymous:
DeleteThank you for replying and defending Munro - and providing me with some guidance on her writing. I will take your advice when I encounter her next story...which should be soon considering her numerous appearances in this anthology! I'm afraid I do not give many of these authors the time and close readings their stories deserve - and unfortunately, I have had a rocky relationship with Munro and I need to hit the "reset" button with her. Thanks again for your comment. - Nokaj
You're welcome, Nokaj. Just like you, I'm a follower of the BASS series and in fact have a copy of almost all of them from the 1980's onwards. As for the next Munro piece you'll encounter, it comes in the 1989 volume with story "Meneseteung," edited by Margaret Atwood, a Canadian writer like Ms. Munro and herself a skilled practitioner of the short story. This time I'm sure you won't be disappointed for it is considered by many as one of the best stories she has written among the many impressive ones in her oeuvre. And you yourself say she has numerous appearances in this anthology! This only proves that the many different writers who have served as the year's editor are unanimous in their admiration and appreciation of Ms. Munro's writings.
Delete