The Night in Question

The Night in Question: Stories by Tobias Wolff

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The good stories (The Other Miller, Two Boys and a Girl, Bullet in the Brain) in this collection can hold their own with the works of short story masters like Hemingway and O'Connor. The weaker ones (Migraine, Lady's Dream) are still enjoyable. And the best stories (Powder, The Life of the Body, Casualty) are stunning.



Wolff's principle strength is the economy of his writing and his precise use of detail. His best short stories cover nearly as much thematic ground as a novel, in five percent of the space.



Heartily recommended.


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