The Whore's Child: Stories

All the characters in this short story collection are flawed, complex and richly drawn. I’ve read and loved many of Russo’s novels and his short stories did not disappoint. Most of the stories in this collection were the seeds for the novel Straight Man – a poignant, hilarious and caustic look at life in academia. Russo is a gifted writer and observer of people and their foibles. What I also love about Russo’s stories (short or otherwise) is his refusal to wrap his stories with a neat bow. The endings leave their somewhat deceived and foolish, but always very human characters a little wiser.
The protagonists in these stories are psychically and (in most cases, physically) wounded as they reflect on and respond to the intimacy and show more alienation they experience with those closest to them – wives, parents, children and friends. Russo’s writing is razor-sharp and he manages to elicit compassion for his characters despite their obvious and often unsympathetic faults. Each compact story recounts an episode in the protagonist’s life (a boy whose mother impulsively leaves her husband and takes her son on a cross-country journey, an older nun-the title story-who mysteriously enrolls in a college creative writing class and a man who seeks out the lover of his now deceased wife). In each story, the protagonist grapples with his understanding of himself and the meaning of his relationships to those closest to him.
Russo is a terrific and incisive writer who uniquely combines poignancy and often heartbreak with sharp humor. He doesn’t spell out his points, but his rich portrayal of his characters allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary life. show less

Russo's mastery of prose shines through in this collection of short pieces on various subjects, though most deal with family and relationships. The title story is charming to the utmost, about a nun who attends the narrator's fiction class, though her work is clearly autobiographical. The stories are pristine in how they include only what is necessary to the plot and development, and yet the prose is rich and he portrays slices of life, of character, with a diamond cutter.

I've always loved Russo's style of writing. He has a way of describing people so intimately that you can see them there in front of you, flaws and all. This is my first taste of his short stories and they are exceptionally good. The title story, The Whore's Child, is about a nun's foray into a writing workshop and her attempt at a memoir. It was simple and did exactly what a great short story should do, give you a glimpse at a few characters and leave you wishing you knew just a bit more about them. Russo writes about a young boy's cross-country road trip with his mother, a man struggling to come to terms with the discovery of his wife's lover, a married couple who are haunted by the decisions of their youth and more. I loved the book show more as a whole and was left wishing for more stories from the author. show less

I love short stories and i really enjoy Richard Russo. Thus i was excited to tear into this small collection. And i was not disappointed!!! I loved this book. Russo has some mysterious way of totally captivating me with his character's humanity.....i feel like i know them, be they adult or child.....i've felt those same things.....occasionally i realize he could be talking about me! Or my mother! It was really a joy to read. I live in Maine, as does Russo, so the Maine settings trip my trigger as well. 'The Whore's Child' (sad & poignant) was probably my favorite, with 'Joy Ride' (a child forced to deal with a mother trying to figure things out), 'Monhegan Island' (Seeing our life through someone else's eyes) , & 'The Mysteries of show more Linwood Hart' (the absolute mystery of growing up as a child with adult parents) all close behind. A quick easy read that i was sorry ended after only 7 stories! Thank you Mr. Russo! show less

This collection of literary short fiction about a series of troubled, often profoundly flawed people is perfect for readers who prize character development and pessimism over plot movement and optimism. Although some form of human misery is at the heart of most stories, the mood is not off-putting. With a few exceptions (e.g., The Mysteries of Linwood Hart), we leave the central characters in the same place we met them, resulting in a flat story arc. Most stories provide a subtle twist at the end, but the characters do not appear to gain insight or a more positive outlook on life. They are condemned to muddle forward as they have in the past.

The stories read quickly, and the characters are not so gloomy to make the reading experience show more unpleasant. They create a sense of wonder or curiosity, and I wanted to see how each story would be resolved.

I am not a fan of hard-core literary fiction, but I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it without reservation. show less

4.5 These short stories will stand out in my experiences equally and caused me to contemplate the complex motivations, reactions, consequences, and feelings behind and within the simplest of human experiences.

Russo excels at creating characters who are so real that later you find yourself saying, "I know this guy once who....." and you realize, "No I didn't--that was a character in a book!"

This reading experience even had a perfect ending. I intended to finish it on the airplane so that I could leave it in the seat-back pocket for another traveler's serendipitous find. Better yet, a passenger next to me peeked at the cover of my engaging read and said, "Russo? Is this a new one? I've read everything he's written and I've never even show more heard of this one. I love Russo.... I saw him speak in Syracuse...." I finished this collection within 4 minutes of landing and handed it to her. So satisfying. show less

I enjoyed several of them though to be honest, I prefer his novels. As expected the small town theme prevails in all stories which are focused on family, for the most part. Russo is a magnificent storyteller in his own right though and its hard NOT to engage with the characters and find the humor he masterfully weaves into them when least expected.