Working in a bookstore, and being an avid reader of Canadian
fiction, I've always wanted to read Alice Munro's short-story
collections because of her international reputation as one of
Canada's literary grandmasters. After Runaway won the Giller, I put
down everything I was reading at the time and decided to finally
acquaint myself with Munro's writing once and for all. The first
story,
the title story, I rather enjoyed. But then it was all downhill
after that.
After the fifth story I just gave up. I couldn't go on. The stories
were
well written, there's no question, but I'm afraid there wasn't much
story in this short story collection at all. And the titles, all
single
words (Chance, Passion, Silence...), in a way mocking pretentious
titles of bad fiction, when in fact the mockery doesn't seem
intended
at all. If it is, it's not reflected in the pieces. And I wanted so
badly to
like this collection. I just don't see what all the fuss is about.
I will
definitely give Munro another chance sometime in the future,
because her accolades practically command it. But at the moment, I
must admit, I'm both perplexed and dismayed at my response to this
latest offering from an obviously very talented writer. Oh well.