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Book Review- Cardiff, by the Sea: Four Novellas by Joyce Carol Oats

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Thank you to Grove Atlantic for providing me with a copy of Joyce Carol Oates’ collection, Cardiff, by the Sea: Four Novellas, in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge Joyce Carol Oates fan and I was thrilled for the opportunity to read her new novella collection, Cardiff, by the Sea. All four novellas focus on young women navigating isolating and unsettling situations. The collection is labeled a suspense, which is apt, as the pacing of each story feels like a ticking bomb and the edginess never fades.

In the first story and title of the collection, Cardiff by the Sea, a mid-twenties university researcher discovers that she has inherited an abandoned farm house in rural Maine. The woman had been adopted as a child and the inheritance leads her to blood relatives and a shocking revelation of her parent’s death. I was gripped by this story and it felt quite personal. I also had a similar family tragedy that happened to me at four years old, the same as the main character ( although I was not adopted) and I have quite a bit of mystery surrounding my blood relatives. I found myself deeply connecting to the point where I felt almost in a trance reading this story. It was an out-of-body experience that I have never had while reading. It has been a week and I feel haunted by Cardiff by the Sea.

The second story, Miao Dao follows a preteen girl struggling to survive absentee parents, a handsy new stepfather, and boys at school who both tease and touch her developing body. She escapes to a nearby abandoned lot that is filled with feral cats. Her favorite cat, “Miao Dao” becomes larger than life in her imagination and takes on a protector role, helping the girl fight back against those who harm her.

In Phantomwise:1972, a college student has two secretive relationships. The first is with a young professor who only uses her for sex when he is in the mood. She becomes pregnant and decides to keep the pregnancy a secret. In the early stages of her pregnancy, a much older visiting professor takes an interest in her and she becomes his assistant. She is flattered to have attracted the attention of a man that she admires, yet she knows that the situation is not right. He wants more. She struggles with the harmful and inappropriate attention of two men, while trying to figure out what to do with the secret growing in her uterus.

The final story is The Surviving Child. A new wife marries a wealthy older man and becomes stepmother to his young son, Stefan. Going into the marriage, she knew that her husband and stepson had suffered a terrible and highly publicized tragedy. Stefan’s mother had killed herself and his baby sister. The mother had tried to kill Stefan, but he survived. Stefan’s mother was a famous poet, who through her death achieved a feminist cult-like status akin to Sylvia Plath. Stefan is a strange child marked by tragedy and his stepmother arrives unprepared for this new role. She spends a lot of time wandering around the mansion, looking for clues left behind by her husband’s first wife.

Oates has written an exceptional collection. I highly recommend all four novellas. in particular, Cardiff, by the Sea was a profoundly affecting reading experience that has left me feeling rattled.

tags: Joyce Carol Oates, Joyce Carol Oates Author, Cardiff, Cardiff by the Sea Joyce Carol Oates, Cardiff By the Sea Four Novellas Joyce Carol Oates, Novellas Joyce Carol Oates, Best Fiction 2020, Unsettling Fiction, Miao Dao joyce Carol Oats, Phantomwise Joyce Carol Oates, The Surviving Child Joyce Carol Oates, Stories Set in Maine, Stories About Orphans, Stories About Haunted People, Stories About Dysunctional Families, Stories About Suicide, Stories About Murder, Grove Atlantic, Stories About College Students, Stories About Teenage Girls, Stories About Family Secrets
categories: Read
Tuesday 03.09.21
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 

Book Review- Joyce Carol Oates' The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror

Thank You to Grove Atlantic for providing me with an advanced copy of Joyce Carol Oates' The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror is a six-story collection from acclaimed writer Joyce Carol Oates.

LIKE- I'm a mega-huge fan of Joyce Carol Oates and I was absolutely thrilled to received an advanced copy of The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror. Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what type of stories to expect. "Tales of Terror" is so different than the type of stories that I'm used to reading from Oates. They were a refreshing and delightful change from her usual stories. Is there anything Oates can't write? She's so talented.

A common link with many of the stories is a focus on psychological torment, specifically the protagonist feeling burdened by perceived ( sometimes real) terror. The characters are tormented by their own worldview and perhaps their own proclivities, which they project on those around them. The stories all have a creepy, looming danger tone.

My favorite story was Gun Accident, where an adult narrator recalls a terrible accident that happened when she was a teenager housesitting for her favorite teacher. It's so filled with suspense, that my heart was racing during the entire read. I could not put it down.

I also enjoyed the dark humor in Mystery Inc, the story of a bookstore owner who goes around killing the competition.

DISLIKE- Equatorial, the story of a couple on a cruise didn't hold my interest. It ran long and just when it would grab my attention, just as quick, my attention would drift.

RECOMMEND- Yes. If you're a fan of Oates, this is a must. If you're not familiar with her stories, this short collection is a fine place to start. 

tags: joyce carol oats, Joyce Carol Oates Author, Joyce Carol Oates Review, The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror Review, The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror Joyce Carol Oates, Gun Accident Joyce Carol Oates, Mystery Inc Joyce Carol Oates, Equatorial Joyce Carol Oates, Joyce Carol Oates Horror Stories, Grove Atlantic, NetGalley
categories: Read
Thursday 05.05.16
Posted by Karen Lea Germain
 

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