This is a collection of 25 short stories that are akin to the mood and subject matter of Oates' novels. The stories reflect a dark and dangerous world, especially for women and children, that can turn ugly with no warning. The world is seldom what it seems in an Oates story or novel and this book is no exception to that point-of-view. There are some outstanding stories in this collection, even a few that I will have a difficult time getting out of my head.

I am not generally a fan of short story collections; Oates is fast changing that.

Rated at: 4.0 ( )