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A review by squidbag
Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories by Doris Betts
3.0
I don't think I'm sophisticated enough for short story collections. I find myself at the end of most short stories asking, "Okay, but what was the point of that?"
I learned about a sub-genre whilst reading this - "Southern Grotesque." This would include Flanery O'Connor (high school required reading), Harry Crews (tiresome), Cormac McCarthy (an endurance test in every volume), Carson McCullers (a secret joy), William Faulkner (classic), and among others, Ms. Betts here. I have EXTREMELY mixed reactions to tales which incorporate casual cruelty, cheap lives, predominate religion and throwaway racism as parts of the "Southern experience" without really drawing any particular conclusions about them, but I'm mistaken, because Ms. Betts taught at University, and I am a blunt tool which, unless properly oriented, misses the point. What I know is that my experience as a Southerner is never quite captured and much of what I read rings hollow.
That said, a couple of these stories are entertaining in the way of old Twilight Zones episodes, while other meander without traveling. The characters are engaging, but the women are often broad sweeps while the most engaging character for me was a child. (Again, this could be all about me.) At least two tales here seem to be indulgences of then taboo mixed race romance fantasies of the late 70s. She's a descriptive craftsperson and wonderful on occastion with words, but I was often left wanting more, or possibly less.
I learned about a sub-genre whilst reading this - "Southern Grotesque." This would include Flanery O'Connor (high school required reading), Harry Crews (tiresome), Cormac McCarthy (an endurance test in every volume), Carson McCullers (a secret joy), William Faulkner (classic), and among others, Ms. Betts here. I have EXTREMELY mixed reactions to tales which incorporate casual cruelty, cheap lives, predominate religion and throwaway racism as parts of the "Southern experience" without really drawing any particular conclusions about them, but I'm mistaken, because Ms. Betts taught at University, and I am a blunt tool which, unless properly oriented, misses the point. What I know is that my experience as a Southerner is never quite captured and much of what I read rings hollow.
That said, a couple of these stories are entertaining in the way of old Twilight Zones episodes, while other meander without traveling. The characters are engaging, but the women are often broad sweeps while the most engaging character for me was a child. (Again, this could be all about me.) At least two tales here seem to be indulgences of then taboo mixed race romance fantasies of the late 70s. She's a descriptive craftsperson and wonderful on occastion with words, but I was often left wanting more, or possibly less.