High Crime Area: Tales Of Darkness And Dread (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Joyce Carol Oates's short stories always leave me wanting more, and not in a good way. She is great at developing interesting characters, but just when it seems like something is going to happen, the story ends abruptly, leaving a million unanswered questions. I realize that this seems to be her style and I think I'm in the minority not being much of a fan of her short stories, but I much prefer her novels. An alright collection by Oates. I was somewhat disappointed that in the very first story she got the county (which figures somewhat prominently) wrong and since I lived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for 10 years, it just set the tone for the entire collection for me. It would have easily been repaired by an easy Google search. Eau Claire is the county seat of Eau Claire County, not Oybwa County, whatever that is. I'm sorry that got in the way of what was actually the best story in the entire collection. I also think perhaps this was her most personal collection (just my opinion as a long time reader). I still love Oates and will read whatever she writes, but was just a little put off by this collection.
What do You think about High Crime Area: Tales Of Darkness And Dread (2014)?
I guess I am just not into short stories. The endings seem abrupt and I often do not see the point.
—11lildewitt
Oates tells good stories as this collection of short stories proves.
—Jasmine
