T.C. Boyle is a writer capable of working in any style, time period, perspective, and length. "Wild Child" is a rich collection of short stories, each one surprising and entirely deserving of being expanded upon. I can't recall ever reading another book of short stories that were so varied yet still felt like a cohesive work. Boyle is immensely talented.FAVORITES:"Sin Dollar" - A small-town doctor befriends a poverty-stricken young boy who is blessed and cursed with the inability to feel physical pain."The Lie" - Fed up with his job, a new father avoids going into work by telling his boss that his newborn died; predictably, the lie spirals out of control (This was adapted into a very entertaining indie movie)."Admiral" - A college graduate finds herself working for a rich elderly couple as a dogsitter for their new puppy, a clone of the dog she trained years earlier. The title story is a re-telling of the true story of Victor of Aveyron, a French boy found in the late 1700's who had lived most of his live as a feral child. The doctor who "civilized" him didn't always have the most honorable of motives. That story is an odd juxtaposition to most of the rest which are about modern California themes: lonely women, road rage, mudslides, botox, feral cats, a school board fight over teaching evolution, worry about the ozone layer, and a father pins his DWI on his daughter. Two themes come up in Boyle's California stories: it's always raining and everyone tends toward alcoholism. Other stories are about a Mexican kid who feels no pain and is turned into a circus freak by his father, and a Venezuelan kidnapping. You can see the genesis of Boyle's novel, When the Killing's Done, in several of these stories.
What do You think about Il Ragazzo Selvaggio (2012)?
Good collection of short stories. Glad I stumbled across T.C. Boyle, he's a very talented writer.
—Kadi
I've only listened to Wild Child on audio, not read the other stories.
—dampierp
odd mix of stories. Most had bizarre endings with hidden meaning.
—bookshelfa
I enjoyed these stories but I really like his books much better.
—lei17
