Dean's List, Part 1

This is for dean's litcritters but since I'm not part of his workshop, I thought I'd just post it here.

It's actually quite fortuitious that the same time I read a couple of stories that the litcritters are taking up, I was also reading gabe's exposition on critiques/reviews. Mind you, both sections are a bit long but that's gabe for you. (More thoughts on that later when I get to it.)

I had to mention the above because-- like most of the reviewers' replies to gabe's rant-- I also lack the critical skills needed to fully dissect the said stories. That being said, I still can do a small review with the appropriate commentary:

• Anne Harris' Still Life with Boobs is a hilarious story of a young woman who discovers her breasts have started gallivanting on their own on nights on the town. I thought it somewhat predictable in that it's very Freudian (i.e. repressed = problems). However, Harris got me going with its engaging story and sympathetic protagonist. Moreover, the writer avoids being raunchy due to bizaare scenes wherein male and female body parts get it on in the darkness of secret parties. Likewise, despite the possible erotic assumptions of such a story, she actually tones it down on the masturbation and actual consumation scenes and relieving most of the sexual overtones.
• On the other hand, Kij Johnson's Fox Magic is a lyrical tale of a female fox who falls in love with a human being and the resultant tragedy that brings when the illusory nature of fox magic is called into play. I'm actually familiar with Johnson as her story forms the basis of her novel, The Fox Woman. Fortunately, this is one of stories that I also find predictable-- i.e. you know the story's going to end badly-- but the writing's so good you can't stop reading. The last time I felt like that was while reading Patricia McKillip's classic The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.
• Unfortunately, I've never got into Margo Lanagan's Singing My Sister Down despite the fact that a lot of people love this story (including dean). The long and short of it is, this touching story of a family who have to witness an execution of one of their own has-- given my weakness for lyrical prose-- writing that's somewhat off-putting. This is sad because the prose is actually excellent for its setting (post-apocalyptic? dawn age?) but rough on my mind's ear. This also explains my reluctance to read similar works like Russel Hoban's classic Ridley Walker.
• Last but not least, Rudyard Kipling's The Recrudescence of Imray is a perfect example of stylized prose that still rings true despite its eccentric flow. Sentence forms are convoluted and topsy-turvey; and yet despite its almost purple prose, Kipling's story of the disappearance of a minor Indian bureacrat and the role of two Englishmen in solving this mystery turns almost into a song. At least it reminded me of the tempo of Kipling's poems.

On a last note, Lanagan's prose reminded me of certain books wherein a hidden typo would reveal itself and expel me from the flow of reading a story. Unfortunately, Lanagan's prose-- though perfectly stylized-- did the same for me to the point that I couldn't empathize with the emotions supposedly generated by the story. Alas and alack.