Flannery O'Connor (1925–1964)

Book on CD performed by by Bronson Pinchot, Karen White, Mark Bramhall, and Lorna Raver.
3.5***

I’ve been meaning to read O’Connor for quite some time, and a challenge to read a book published the year I was fifteen, led me to this collection of short stories published posthumously, after O’Connor died at age 39 from complications of lupus.

I like Southern literature, and particularly Southern Gothic literature. The dark themes explored in such works intrigue and interest me. O’Connor excelled at this.

She gives us characters with flaws (both obvious and slightly hidden) and forces them to interact with others frequently against a backdrop of racial tension. (In this collection, the title story Everything that Rises Must Converge and the final one Judgment Day focus on the changing perceptions in 1950s-1960s America.) O’Connor also frequently includes religion, and her characters sometimes show a change in their religious adherence. While her characters may be blind to their (and others’) faults, the reader has a clear view.

There are occasional bits of … well, not exactly “humor” but lighter observations which lessen the tension and give the reader a short break from the frequently bleak story.

The audiobook features a quartet of talented voice artists. Unfortunately, I cannot clearly tell which person narrated which story, other than the men taking on those stories that primarily featured a male point of view; while the women voiced the tales with a female point of view.… (mer)

Assigning stars proved to be a challenge for this title. This collection of short stories bears little resemblance to my limited exposure to O'Conner's writing, namely "The Gift of the Magi". She writes with confidence shaping believable characters creating places and situations that ring true. However, these stories lack a single sympathetic character. Each one -- man, woman, child or adult -- is uniquely blind, bigoted, selfish, calculating, arrogant, and often sinister. As a reward some unique death or living death awaits them all.… (mer)