Customer Reviews

Murder & Other Acts of Literature

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I am a fan of mystery story anthologies. That said, I also have to say this was not the best one out there. This type of book should be for our short reading times when we do not want to wade into a full length novel and just enjoy a brief sojourn into imagination land. These stories are hard to digest and are not quick, dark or fun trips. JMO But, you have been warned.

I picked up this little gem at a used bookstore--and what a pleasure! Editor Slung has taken a slew of great, classic authors (Cheever, Welty, Milne, Thurber, Walker, Faulkner, Woolf, just to name a few) and found within each one's portfolio of works a short tale exemplifying some type of crime (mostly murder). These clever, thought-provoking--usually deceptive-- tales prove that great authors are great for a reason--and that one does not have to be known for (or locked into) a specific genre; the truly greats can (and often do) "switch-hit" so to speak. All stories within this tome are remarkable--but those of Allende ("An Act of Vengeance"), Waugh ("Mr. Loveday's Little Outing"), Dinesen ("The Fat Man") and Marquez ("Miss Forbes's Summer of Happiness") particularly stand out. So...fetch a drink, draw the drapes, sit back and relax (if you can!)--you are about to embark on a journey of mystery and suspense comparable to anything offered by Poe or Lovecraft...