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A review by klaws500
The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor
4.75
I've been reading this book for a couple of months, one story at a time every other day or so. It has been an incredible, and frankly weird, experience. O'Connor has written her way into my heart for sure, but I think she'll always remain a mystery to me.
I am fascinated by her style and choices, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye and move on. The force of her personality comes through in every story, and she demands readers meet her where she is. Her stories are incredibly uncomfortable, the status quo is challenged on every page. It's a difficult vision to sell. And yet, as I've worked my way through this collection I've found her impossible to look away from, sometimes because she's grotesque like a car wreck, and others because she's mesmerizing like a peacock displaying his feathers.
Even though I can't at all relate to her deeply felt religious beliefs, I can relate to being an outsider even among your own people. O'Connor was an iconoclast with a unique perspective that she wasn't afraid to share even though it made people uncomfortable and confused. I'm kind of in awe of her.
I am fascinated by her style and choices, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye and move on. The force of her personality comes through in every story, and she demands readers meet her where she is. Her stories are incredibly uncomfortable, the status quo is challenged on every page. It's a difficult vision to sell. And yet, as I've worked my way through this collection I've found her impossible to look away from, sometimes because she's grotesque like a car wreck, and others because she's mesmerizing like a peacock displaying his feathers.
Even though I can't at all relate to her deeply felt religious beliefs, I can relate to being an outsider even among your own people. O'Connor was an iconoclast with a unique perspective that she wasn't afraid to share even though it made people uncomfortable and confused. I'm kind of in awe of her.