As with any short story collection, and especially one taking in such a large body of work as this, there are going to be ups and downs. Some of these stories aren't great, sometimes there's too little focus, not enough of a point. However, for the most part this is an excellent volume of stories. O'Connor's writing is always precise and, while no Chekhov or Carver, it's easy to see why he is thought so well of in terms of the short story. ( )