Customer Reviews

Cape Cod Stories: Tales from Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard

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I first read San Francisco Stories (also edited by John Miller), and I was so impressed that I bought the other available books in this series. Unfortunately, where San Francisco Stories gave me a feeling of a particular place, Cape Cod Stories left me with the feeling that I could be reading about any summer vacation destination on the upper Atlantic. The first half of the book, with long entries by Norman Mailer and John Cheever, left me feeling like I was reading good fiction that just happened to be set in the Cape Cod area. The latter half of the book gives a much better feeling of a particular place.

Unlike San Francisco Stories, which were primarily personal essays and historical accounts, the Cape Cod selections are primarily short fiction. All of the stories are interesting, but they seem to run together. There are few older selections; Henry David Thoreau's description of the Highland Light is the best, but seems brief. The collection also includes a few gems, including Helen Keller's description of her first "swim" in the ocean. My only complaint with the editorial selection is placing "Summertime on the Cape," by Paul Theroux, at the end of the collection, rather than at the beginning. More than the others, his essay gives a needed description of the area, and provides a sense of place.

I should note that I have never been to Cape Cod. Someone who frequents the area may feel that this collection captures the mood of the Cape, even if it fails to provide much background for strangers.