false 5125384 2 <blockquote> <p> A gripping and moving new collection of stories by Joyce Carol Oates, which reimagines the meaning of family—by unexpected, often startling means </p> </blockquote> <p> With the unflinching candor and sym­pathy for which Joyce Carol Oates is celebrated, these fourteen stories examine the intimate lives of contemporary American families: the tangled ties between generations, the desperation—and the covert, radiant happiness—of loving more than one is loved in return. In "Cutty Sark" and "Landfill," the bond between adolescent son and mother reverberates with the force of an unspoken passion, bringing unexpected consequences for the son. In "A Princeton Idyll," a woman is forced to realize, decades later, her childhood role in the destruction of a famous, beloved grandfather's life. In "Magda Maria," a man tries to break free of the enthralling and dangerous erotic obsession of his life. In the gripping title story, Oates boldly reimagines the true-crime story of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who drowned her children in 2001. Several stories—"Suicide by Fitness Center," "The Glazers," and "Dear Joyce Carol,"—take a less tragic turn, exploring with mordant humor the shadowy interstices between self-awareness and delusion. </p> <p> Dramatic, intensely rendered, and always provocative, <i>Dear Husband</i>, provides an unsettling and fascinating look into the mysterious heart of America. </p> 5192218 1 4 2009 Dear Husband: Stories total:129|5:12|4:50|3:34|2:20|1:13| 129 415 321 46 3 1 false false Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 31 20:46:34 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 20:47:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 1 false false Mon Apr 13 09:55:26 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 09:56:44 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed May 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 20:45:59 -0700 2009 Thu May 28 06:47:29 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 25 20:01:45 -0700 2009 Mon May 25 20:01:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 18:02:14 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 18:06:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 20:46:57 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 21:07:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Apr 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 07:04:18 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 30 08:56:52 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false true Sat Jun 06 18:37:59 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 06 18:42:10 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 10 14:23:11 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 10 14:28:40 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 06:06:04 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 06:11:16 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Apr 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 17:19:22 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 17:30:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Apr 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 20:40:56 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 20:45:07 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Oct 15 13:05:50 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 13:10:07 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Mon May 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 20 14:48:40 -0700 2009 Fri May 29 06:42:13 -0700 2009 1
Having finished the book, I would say overal...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun May 10 04:46:30 -0700 2009 Sun May 10 06:20:40 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 30 14:47:04 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 15:04:27 -0700 2009
Sure, they're well written. But they're painful, depressing and just no damn fun to read.

(The second- and third-to-last stories are the only ones I'd eve...more...]]> 1 0 false false Mon Nov 02 10:38:45 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 10:48:11 -0800 2009 1 0 false false Wed Jun 03 09:42:20 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 03 09:43:41 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri May 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 08 14:04:53 -0700 2009 Fri May 08 14:06:30 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sat Jun 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 15 15:39:12 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 20 20:36:26 -0700 2009 1 more...]]>