The Best American Short Stories 2014 by Jennifer Egan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Eagerly awaiting the latest edition in this series is something of an annual holiday tradition for me. And while not every story is a winner, there’s always at least one that justifies the effort. Often I’m introduced to an intriguing author whose work is new to me. If you’re a subscriber to or frequent reader of The New Yorker, you’ve already read a fair number of the stories in this volume so it may not be worth your time.
For those new to the series, you’ll be pleased to find that in addition to the stories themselves, there is a section at the end of the book where each author tells us the story behind the story. It gives great insight into the creative process, especially useful to aspiring writers.
It’s difficult to review an anthology like this holistically as the stories are all from different writers. So any generalizations say more about the editor than about the writers. I don’t know how accurately this collection reflects “trends in modern story telling” so I won’t even attempt to address that point.
Usually there’s one story that stands out above the rest for me. Nothing had that effect on me this year but of the 20 stories here, about half were memorable. Here are my favorites.
Laura Van Den Berg, Antarctica. A woman long separated geographically and emotionally from her brother, tries to retrace his steps after his death. What she learns about her brother is not what she was hoping to find.
T.C Boyle, The Night of the Satellite. What is our responsibility to intervene when a stranger appears to be at risk? The answer to this question causes a riff between a young couple.
Charles Baxter, Charity. No good deed goes unpunished, as volunteering at a medical clinic in Ethiopia leaves the protagonist ill. With no health insurance and no job, he is driven to the black market for drugs. Desperation and vengeance lead to acts of violence in this complex take on the what it really means to be charitable.
Peter Cameron, After the Flood. An elderly christian woman tries to do the right thing (after being strong armed by her pastor) and helps an immigrant family left homeless by a flood. The imposition reveals the strains in the woman’s own marriage.
Nicole Cullen Long, Tom Lookout. A young woman is suddenly left to care for her husband’s illegitimate child while still struggling to put her own life together.
Benjamin Nugent, God. Through romantic and sexual politics on a college campus, the narrator learns something surprising about himself.
So not the best installment of the series but definitely worth a read. Looking forward to next year already!