Customer Reviews

Beasts of the Southern Wild and Other Stories

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book on a whim and it ranks right at the top of my favorite book of short stories. I was so moved by her observations of life, that can be so hard and cruel. I found the characters well formed and incredibly engaging. I have read her novel Heading West and found moments in it very rich, but I prefer her short stories, she can really pack it in to a few short pages. She takes you where ever she wants you to go and you feel and see it through her eyes which are not nesecesarily 20-20.

It's fun to read well developed short stories. Doris Betts opens readers to ponderables without being ponderous. She gently coaxes readers to think beyond her words and plots.

The cover on this book certainly is indicative of the weirdness of its written contents. At first glance the cover image seemed to be some sort of creepy beast glaring out at its audience. Possibly that was the intent, hence the title? Then it became apparent the subject was a very unfocused woman with wind blowing her hair. For me, this image was somehow disturbing and repelling. Finishing the first story "The Ugliest Pilgrim", I felt less than enchanted, but tried to read the next one. It was so confusing and cryptic, I left it and tried for a third. By this time I was fed up and decided I would not waste my time any further. Betts' writing style may excite some as being oh-so-hip. Personally, though, I found it much too weird, not to mention unfocused (like the book cover), for my tastes. I love to read many kinds of writings, but this author left me more than unsatisfied! Oh well!