Come to Me: Stories (1993)

You would think that I would have gotten my hands on an Amy Bloom book by now. I mean, when I think of "great modern-day short story writers," her name is one of the first that comes to mind.

I've read a handful of Amy Bloom's stories before - in the various Best Of and O.Henry collections, one or two in A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You (one of the best book titles ever), as well as her work in O Magazine (I think it was O) - but never sat down with one of her books in its entirety.

So I thought I would start at the beginning, with Come to Me. Truth be told, this has been on my "want to read" list for quite some time.

Twelve stories comprise this collection, and several of them are connected to each other. It's a brilliant way of showing the perspective of several characters within the same incident as well as at different times of their lives. It's similar to the effect of Olive Kitteridge, only on a more abbreviated scale. Still, I think that these stories - particularly the related ones - would satisfy those who resist short stories because of not getting to know the characters well enough.

As good as these stories are, I really can't say too much about them ("Hyacinths," "The Sight of You," and "Silver Water" and then "Faultlines" and "Only You") for fear of giving too much away, but suffice it to say that they center on two families and are about how our earliest experiences shape us, as well as about what we don't know or don't want to see.

Relationships in all their complexity are at the heart of these stories. There's a daughter reflecting on her parents' unconventional marriage during her mother's funeral ("Love Is Not a Pie") and a husband and wife grieving the earlier than expected end of their May-December marriage ("Semper Fidelis"). There's misplaced affections for obstetricians ("Song of Solomon") and stepchildren ("Sleepwalking"), and inappropriateness under the guise of neighborliness ("Light Breaks Where No Light Shines"). There are families dealing with mental illness in their children and the knowledge that their spouses are in love with others. And of course, there is Amy Bloom's wonderful writing that keeps her readers wanting more.

The author's blurb on the back cover of Come to Me mentions that Amy Bloom divides her time between her psychotherapy practice and writing. Since this collection was published in 1994, I'm not sure if that is still the case.

As much as I'm not sure if I'd want to have Amy Bloom as my therapist (my life is fodder for more than a few novels), I'll say this: after reading Come to Me, I can't wait until my next session of reading one of her books. Originally posted on The Betty and Boo Chronicles
http://bettyboochronicles.blogspot.com
> ( )

If it is true that a writer writes about what they know and that their first work is often semi-biographical, then Amy Bloom's life is a soap opera. He's sleeping with her who is sleeping with him, but he doesn't know that she is also sleeping with her who is sleeping with him, her, and her...

Despite the constant theme of "Relationships Gone Wild", Bloom's stories are lyrical and engaging. I breezed through this collection in a couple of days. Several of the stories are interconnected, with different viewpoints, and I enjoyed these most. Come to Me is a very worthy debut. ( )

Originally posted on my blog, The Reader's Commute.

Amy Bloom is a storyteller I turn to again and again; whether it's because I want a good cry or I want sentences so beautiful that they make me cry, Bloom does not disappoint. This summer I had the opportunity to read her 1993 short story collection, Come to Me.

The winning story in this collection was certainly "Silver Water," a piece that explores that relationship between a girl and her mentally-handicapped sister. As the narrator struggles to remember how her sister once was, her family tries to deal with the challenges that come along with caring for someone who is mentally ill. The opening of the story is beautiful, as the narrator reminisces about her sister's singing voice:
"My sister's voice was like mountain water in a silver pitcher; the clear blue beauty of it cools you and lifts you up beyond your heat, beyond your body. After we went to see La Traviata, when she was fourteen and I was twelve, she elbowed me in the parking lot and said, 'Check this out' And she opened her mouth unnaturally wide and her voice came out, so crystalline and bright that all the departing operagoers stood frozen by their cars, unable to take out their keys or open their doors until she had finished, and then they cheered like hell."
Bloom has been trained in psychotherapy, and this adds a refreshing depth to her writing. She clearly understands the motives and desires of the characters she creates, and the way these characters interact with each other is so true to life that it's almost frightening.

Bloom's stories often focus on love and complicated relationships, such as the relationship between a widow and her stepson in "Sleepwalking." The subjects in these stories are often troubled and their problems can be emotionally-draining to the reader, which is why I think I love the fact that these are short stories and not longer works. That way, I can have a little bit of sadness that lasts ten or twenty pages, and then I can go about my day.

That's the beauty of a short story collection. You get complete, fulfilling stories on a smaller scale. Short story collections are especially great for commuting because you can finish a story or two on a train and not feel like you're missing out (and not worry about "what will happen next?" when you're at work all day).

For anyone who has not read Amy Bloom before, or for anyone who is looking to delve into the world of the short story, I highly recommend reading Come to Me. ( )

I was pleasantly stunned by the quality and depth of these stories. Some stories continue into others making them mini-novellas, if you will. The stories seemed familiar to me but then I realized it was because Bloom's strength is pulling the reader deeply into the emotions of the characters making us "part" of the story. I felt I was there IN THE STORY not eavesdropping but possibly a relative or friend who had a familial or intimate right to be there. Where else would I be?

Most stories do not have that effect on me. Many novels don't draw me in like Bloom's stories have. I will have to find more of her titles to read.

Excellent read! Strangely strong stuff. ( )

Silver Water is a wonderful story in this collection. ( )