Like "marriages and infidelities",

I love that this collection stems from the '60's. It is truly quite a remarkable snapshot of the second half of the century.

The 1960s was a decade of great social and cultural change, and this collection captures those moments with a unique perspective.

From the fashion and music to the political and social movements, everything is represented in these pages.

It's as if you can step back in time and experience the era for yourself.

The stories and images in this collection are both fascinating and thought-provoking, making it a must-read for anyone interested in history or culture.

Whether you lived through the '60s or not, this collection offers a valuable insight into a time that shaped the world we live in today.

So, if you're looking for a captivating and engaging read, look no further than this collection.

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is truly a proto-Twilight. It serves as a prelight and gives an inkling of a plot that would later become so popular. In this story, there is a supernatural(esque) badboy named Arnold Friend. He is in dogged pursuit of the freshest face in town.

Arnold Friend doesn't sparkle like the vampires in Twilight. No, indeed. However, his car is gold, which gives him a certain allure. The complete text of this fascinating story can be found here: http://jco.usfca.edu/works/wgoing/tex....

This story has captivated readers with its unique blend of mystery, danger, and the allure of the unknown. It makes you wonder what will happen next as Arnold Friend pursues his object of desire. The details and the atmosphere created in the story draw you in and keep you engaged until the very end.

Again, there is another writer whom I have always steered clear of out of the fear of estrogen poisoning. However, I have come to realize that she is truly great, absolutely outstanding.

Especially, and this point cannot be emphasized enough, her short stories are real stories. They are filled with tense and captivating conflict, and there is just the right amount of resolution to leave the reader feeling satisfied. This is a quality that is extremely difficult to find in a great many "literary" short stories.

Often, in the world of literary short stories, there is a tendency towards abstraction and obfuscation, where the story seems to lose its way or fails to provide a sense of closure. But not with this writer. Her stories are like well-crafted gems, shining with clarity and purpose.

Each one draws the reader in, holds their attention, and takes them on a journey that is both exciting and fulfilling. It is a rare talent to be able to create such engaging and satisfying short stories, and I am now a convert to this writer's work.

This collection merely offers a peek at the tip of the iceberg that is Oates' massive talent.

Despite spanning four decades, Oates tells us in the afterword that she had to leave out many of her defining works like the miniature narratives and gothic/mystery stories. This omission only serves to emphasize the vastness of her oeuvre.

She's brilliant at crafting characters who are just short of likeable, and yet you feel drawn in enough to want to know what happens to them. Her characters are complex and multi-faceted, with flaws and desires that make them both relatable and disturbing.

Her female protagonists especially, seem to invite some of the catastrophes that happen to them. There's that sense of inevitable disaster even as she lays out the path leading to their destruction, whether it's through a seemingly harmless flirtation or a vain indulgence in unwanted attention.

A sense of unease underlies most of these stories, and you go away from them wishing the characters could have made better choices. But perhaps this mirrors real life and makes her stories more painfully realistic. Painting pretty pictures was never Oates' intention to begin with. Instead, she forces us to confront the darker aspects of human nature and the consequences of our actions.

In this collection, most of the stories, when taken individually, are well-written and engaging.

However, I do wish they had been presented in a different order.

Pretty much all of the stories in the first two decades that you read, namely the 2000's and the 1960's, share the common element of horrible acts of violence.

At times, these acts of violence seemed completely unnecessary, which left me with a deeply disturbed feeling that I just couldn't shake as I continued to read the stories from the other decades.

Eventually, the repeated themes of violence and other common elements like infidelity started to become kind of tiresome.

Thankfully, I started to truly enjoy reading the stories again in the last decade covered in the book.

Perhaps a different arrangement of the stories could have enhanced the overall reading experience and made it less likely for the reader to become fatigued by the recurring themes.

The short story - was there ever a golden age? I don't know, but Joyce Carol Oates (JCO) is certainly a master (mistress?) of the genre!

It's truly amazing how a Princeton professor in the ultimate ivory tower has proven so adept at getting into the minds and lives of so many 'ordinary' people. A product of upstate NY, many of her stories are set there, and her sense of place and time is uncanny. She may be at her best in that period from the late 50s to the 80s, which I suppose was her prime and the time and place where she had her life-forming experiences. Some of her more successful novels, like The Falls and We Were the Mulvaneys (which I have read), are from that area and time.

What's astounding is how she can portray a horny teenage girl in rural upstate NY, a male factory worker, a lonely old dairy farmer (with a musical gift), or a disturbed and lost upper-crust woman with almost equal veracity or at least credibility. The effective short story is a tough job; the characters and setting have to grab you early or they never will, but she can do it with a single sentence sometimes. How we sweat inconveniently, feel uncomfortable in our own bodies, seethe over the hands we are dealt by life, are unhappy with our families, our mates, and ultimately our choices. The list goes on and on and is endless; it is the story of humanity. I guess that's how JCO is able to produce such a large oeuvre. There isn't a lot 'uplifting' here; her view is essentially pessimistic or at least very realistic, I think. I cannot condemn her for that, but perhaps that's why I stopped short of giving her a 5-star rating.

Brutal

The term "brutal" holds a powerful and often disturbing connotation. It describes actions, events, or situations that are extremely harsh, cruel, and lacking in any form of mercy or compassion. Brutality can manifest in various ways, such as physical violence, emotional abuse, or even in the form of unjust and inhumane treatment.

A brutal act can leave deep scars, both physically and mentally, on its victims. It shatters their sense of security and well-being, and can have a lasting impact on their lives. The word "brutal" also implies a certain degree of savagery and primitiveness, as if the perpetrator has abandoned all moral and ethical constraints.

In a world that is supposed to be civilized and enlightened, the existence of brutality is a reminder of our darker side. It forces us to confront the fact that humans are capable of great cruelty and that we need to constantly strive to overcome our baser instincts. We must work towards creating a more just and compassionate society, where brutality has no place.

Only by recognizing and addressing the issue of brutality can we hope to build a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.

Apparently, this morning, Oates launched a scathing attack on J.K. Rowling.

It all started when Rowling responded in a rather smug manner to a tweet that Oates had made. In that tweet, Oates was expressing her support for and concern about the trans community after the election.

This reaction from Rowling seemed to have really riled up Oates, who didn't hold back in her criticism.

On the other hand, I just downloaded this collection onto my e-reader. The reason being that we must stan.

Stan culture has become quite prevalent these days, with many people showing unwavering support for their favorite celebrities, authors, or causes.

In this case, I am stanning for Oates and her stance on the trans community issue.

It's important to show support for those who are fighting for the rights and acceptance of marginalized groups.

By downloading her collection, I am not only showing my support but also getting to enjoy her work.

Who knows what the future holds for this feud between Oates and Rowling, but for now, I'll be keeping an eye on the situation.

I get the distinct feeling that Joyce Carol Oates could pen an essay about the act of taking a shit, and it would somehow find its way into print. Moreover, someone or another would likely hail it as a remarkable piece of great American writing. Or perhaps, she could simply smear some feces on a sheet of paper and have it published, and there would be those who would label it a "triumph" of literature.

Okay, to be serious for a moment, just because an author is highly published and widely known does not necessarily imply that everything they produce is extraordinary. This is precisely the case with this collection of short stories. When Oates is in top form, she is truly outstanding. However, when she is off her game, one must be prepared to wade through some of the most pretentious and overly indulgent writing that exists today. It lacks a clear point, a coherent plot (and not in that trendy, postmodern, I'm-high-on-drugs sort of way).

In conclusion, while Joyce Carol Oates has undoubted talent, this particular collection fails to live up to her reputation.

Chilling short stories offer a unique form of entertainment. They are not only fast-paced but also delightful reads that can send shivers down your spine.

Joyce Carol is a master in the genre, crafting tales that are both captivating and thought-provoking. Her stories have the power to draw you in and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Whether you're looking for a quick thrill during your lunch break or a spooky read to enjoy on a rainy day, Joyce Carol's short stories are sure to satisfy. So, go ahead and give them a try. Woo! You won't be disappointed.

In this anthology of short stories,

readers are in for a treat as they will discover not only her well-known classics but also eleven brand new additions to Joyce Carol Oates' extensive collection.

The anthology is neatly divided by decade, which provides an interesting perspective on the evolution of her writing over the years.

Personally, my favorites were her newer stories and those from the 1990s. There was something about the freshness and contemporary feel of the new stories that really appealed to me, while the ones from the 1990s had a certain charm and depth that I found captivating.

I also had the pleasure of rereading "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," and this time around, I noticed all these little details that I had somehow missed during my previous readings. It was like uncovering hidden treasures within the story.

This collection served as a great reminder of the complexity of Oates' characters. Each one is so richly developed and multi-faceted, making them truly come alive on the page. It also made me remember why I chose her as the subject of my college thesis in the first place. Her writing is simply that good and worthy of in-depth study and analysis.

I don't usually enjoy short stories. I find them often too brief, lacking the depth and complexity that I crave in a literary work. However, this particular short story truly took me by surprise.

I really loved it. It had a certain charm and allure that drew me in from the very beginning. What I liked most about it was its ability to be dark without being totally depressing.

The author managed to create a moody and atmospheric world, filled with shadows and secrets. But within that darkness, there were also glimmers of hope and moments of beauty. It was a delicate balance that was masterfully achieved.

The characters were well-developed and relatable, and their struggles and desires tugged at my heartstrings. The plot was engaging and full of twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

In conclusion, this short story was a pleasant surprise and a reminder that sometimes, even in the shortest of works, we can find great beauty and depth. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique and engaging read.