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Book Review of Runaway: Stories

Runaway: Stories
Runaway: Stories
Author: Alice Munro
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 1113 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


Munro is an incredible writer, has won many awards, and her words did move me. My complaint is that not only were there no happy endings, there were also no moments of grace or lasting wonder. I get it that bad stuff has to happen to make writing interesting, but I often had to force myself to pick the book up again. I know that men and children leave in women's lives, that missed chances and misunderstandings take place, and that no one can live a completely charmed life. However, I also think that men and children can bring joy and happiness into women's lives, that some marriages do last, that some who leave on uncertain terms do return again, and that sometimes fate works to unite instead of divide. Maybe those stories aren't considered literary, but I wanted at least one that held up some kind of beauty and goodness instead of isolation and abandonment.