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The Wheel of Love and Other Stories

In going back and exploring the early works of Joyce Carol Oates, I think I can say it was the late ‘60s when she really came into her own, becoming the literary powerhouse she has been for decades and decades. With the publication of her phenomenal 1969 novel them (which earned five stars from me), followed by this collection of short stories, JCO proved she was a force to be reckoned with, a true surveyor of the modern human condition. Some of her most lauded and anthologized shorts appear here: “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (the collection highlight), “In the Region of Ice”, “Wild Saturday”. All excellent examples of the heights which the short form can reach. Other favorites of mine include the title story with its heartbreaking take on losing a loved one to suicide—excellent holiday reading!—, “I Was in Love”, which features one of my favorite opening passages ever, “Four Summers”, “You”, et cetera . . . Perhaps it would be simpler to list the stories I didn’t like so much, of which there are only a couple. Even those are solid 3-star efforts.What can I say? Joyce Carol Oates is a master of the short form, I know this and you know this. It’s her wheelhouse. I’m a big fan of her novels, too, but she started her career writing short stories and it is where her talents for the twisted and macabre and unsettling shine brightest. I can’t recommend The Wheel of Love highly enough.
Picture of a book: The Wheel of Love and Other Stories

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