This was a very compelling and sometimes unsettling selection of five stories by Oates about the last days of Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Henry James, and Ernest Hemingway. The first two stories about Poe and Dickinson could have been written for episodes of the Twilight Zone.
The Poe story is told through his diary and takes place on an island off the coast of Chile after his death in Baltimore. He is the keeper of a lighthouse on the island and his patron is a Dr. Shaw who has also done studies on the effects of isolation on animals. As time passes, Poe slowly goes mad as he thinks of his losses in life and he devolves into some kind of hybrid monster from his imagination.
The story about Dickinson was also very bizarre but I thought it was probably the best and most interesting of the five. This one is a futuristic tale where people are able to purchase replicants of famous people. A couple decides to buy a Dickinson "Repliluxe" primarily because the wife is a self-proclaimed poet wanting the input of the great writer. Of course, things don't really go as planned and the Emily bot has a mind of her own.
The Twain story tells of his later life and his apparent obsession with young girls. He "collected" a bevy of girls under age sixteen which he called his "angelfish." One of these girls ends up being obsessed with Twain but when she turns sixteen, Twain ignores her leading to some dire consequences. I had not heard of this before but apparently Twain really did have a passion for young girls (See this article from the Paris Review).
The Henry James story tells of his later life during WWI where he visits a hospital in London to provide solace to wounded soldiers. The story tends to show his leanings toward young boys and his homosexual tendencies. I don't really know much about James and his writings that I have attempted reading were always a little ponderous to me but this was an interesting look at the horrors of war in the face of the wounded.
Then the final story about Hemingway takes place during his last days in Ketchum, Idaho, where he is contemplating suicide. This was a rather harsh look at the author and especially his feelings about women.
I have read several of Oates story collections as well as her novels and I continue to think that she is an amazing writer and one of the greats. This was another very interesting and compelling collection that I would recommend.
The Poe story is told through his diary and takes place on an island off the coast of Chile after his death in Baltimore. He is the keeper of a lighthouse on the island and his patron is a Dr. Shaw who has also done studies on the effects of isolation on animals. As time passes, Poe slowly goes mad as he thinks of his losses in life and he devolves into some kind of hybrid monster from his imagination.
The story about Dickinson was also very bizarre but I thought it was probably the best and most interesting of the five. This one is a futuristic tale where people are able to purchase replicants of famous people. A couple decides to buy a Dickinson "Repliluxe" primarily because the wife is a self-proclaimed poet wanting the input of the great writer. Of course, things don't really go as planned and the Emily bot has a mind of her own.
The Twain story tells of his later life and his apparent obsession with young girls. He "collected" a bevy of girls under age sixteen which he called his "angelfish." One of these girls ends up being obsessed with Twain but when she turns sixteen, Twain ignores her leading to some dire consequences. I had not heard of this before but apparently Twain really did have a passion for young girls (See this article from the Paris Review).
The Henry James story tells of his later life during WWI where he visits a hospital in London to provide solace to wounded soldiers. The story tends to show his leanings toward young boys and his homosexual tendencies. I don't really know much about James and his writings that I have attempted reading were always a little ponderous to me but this was an interesting look at the horrors of war in the face of the wounded.
Then the final story about Hemingway takes place during his last days in Ketchum, Idaho, where he is contemplating suicide. This was a rather harsh look at the author and especially his feelings about women.
I have read several of Oates story collections as well as her novels and I continue to think that she is an amazing writer and one of the greats. This was another very interesting and compelling collection that I would recommend.
Joyce Carol Oates is a supremely talented writer, and she does not disappoint in the very unique approach to this collection of short stories. Each is based on the final days of a famous author's life (Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Henry James, and Ernest Hemingway). I was fascinated by the story lines, and - as always - her writing is such a pleasure. Some passages made me uncomfortable, and some were a bit gory, but JCO is bold. A great collection.
