Reading short fiction, when it is GOOD short fiction, is akin to reading a novel in a few pages. The author must use fewer words to quickly: draw the reader into an unfamiliar world, connect them sufficiently with strangers so that what happens to those strangers “matters” to the reader and set a pace that flows without being rushed. After reading a well-written short story, I find it best to but the book aside for a bit and savor what I have just experienced/read. Based upon this book, T. C. Boyle’s is an awfully good short-form fiction writer. The fourteen stories that make up this collection are eclectic, seeming to have no central theme around which the stories evolve, then the theme of nature makes begins to assert itself, as subtly as a root loosening a foundation, in each tale. This type of fiction is a two-edged sword – it is a delight to have fourteen new stories to dive into in a relatively short amount of time and it is difficult to quickly move from one “stand alone” tale to another without much space to ponder where one has been or where one is headed next. All of the stories have an edge of tension woven in them. I found myself dreading the dire occurrences that were about to happen in each of the tales, even though there was no reason for such suspicion. As I considered this, as to have such unease arise as I read is unusual, it seemed that Mr. Boyle had created enough anticipation in such a short time that I did not want anything “bad” to befall any of my new “friends” and his tales were speaking to a deeper part of me than I had realized. The three stories that spoke loudest to me were “Question 62,” “Admiral,” and the novella from which the book gets its title, “Wild Child.” “Question 62” has the action occurring, concurrently, in the warmth of Santa Monica, CA and the frigid Minnesota winter. The main characters in both tales are confronted with what nature will do to sustain itself and how hard humans have to work to keep “nature” from taking its course. “Admiral” magnifies the wasteful arrogance too often found in opulence and the lengths people are willing to strive to keep “things the way they are.” Finally, “Wild Child” is the retelling of the legendary story of Victor, a feral child “caught” in 1800 in France. After reading further of the history of Victor, Mr. Boyle appears to merely be reminding the reader of this legend. By far the saddest of the collection, it is the megaphone the author uses to highlight the other tales. The story suggests that civilization is the illusion we all hold and by which we measure the worth of all things. Unless something “wild” can be tamed it is of little use. My only drawback to this edition is that I choose to listen to it on compact disc rather than read it from a page. The audio allowed the author to interpret his words but disallowed me the space to create my own voice in the tale. This is a book that BEGS to be read, not just heard. This collection of stories--the first I have read by T.C. Boyle--supports the theory that most writers are naturally better at either long-form or short-form fiction and usually are not equally adept at both. I thoroughly enjoy Boyle's novels. But the same things that make them so appealing--their sprawling quality, their dense and at times overly lush prose--don't serve him well in the short story form. He lacks the biting economy that makes a good story almost like a poem, where every word is absolutely necessary to the story. That said, a few of the shorter pieces worked well ("Balto" and "Sin Dolor.") And the book's title piece is a longer work of short fiction, which suits Boyle's style much better. If you are a T.C. Boyle fan, you'll enjoy this book, but don't expect anything breathtaking.
What do You think about El Pequeño Salvaje (2012)?
I especially loved the one about the trucker and the mud slide! Damn Honda drivers!
—bstofen24
pretty interesting, wild child the last of the stories was a personal favorite.
—Ventara
Free advice...if you're not reading T.C. Boyle, start doing so today.
—Sheila
