I really liked Vanishing and Other Stories, but it's difficult to write about. I really like Deborah Willis' writing style, but her stories are so varied that I don't really know where to start. The characters she has created seem very realistic, flaws and all... most of her stories center around failed relationships, or unraveling ones at the least, but rather than being depressing, her stories are entertaining and relatable. (Is that a word?) I especially liked "Traces," the story of a woman trying to discover her husband's most recent lover, and "Remember, Relive," which illustrates how family complexities can influence one's love life through the story of a lonely young woman. I always enjoy short story collections because of the range of storylines and characters you get; however, the downside is that either the plotline or the character development is not drawn out enough-- the genre really doesn't allow an author to fully develop both. Willis' work is definitely character-driven; I loved her stories, but they often left me hanging... which was pleasurable in some ways, but also a bit frustrating. If you like short stories, I'd recommend this collection. One funny thing: the author is Canadian, and the setting of each story is in Canada. I found that so annoying-- I kept thinking, "God, can't she write about somewhere other than Cananda?!" Then it occurred to me: oh wait... the majority of American writers write about America when they use a generic setting... I wonder how other people feel about that. LOL-- just made me think about setting and how important it can be.
No comments:
Post a Comment