Welcome to Litsy!

I've been reading these for months. Partially because I got out of the habit of reading a short story (or several) each night and partially because they're worth savoring. #readjanuary

I've been in the process of reading this and two other short story collections for several months. At least I have made it past page 24 in each. #readjanuary

They're not gorgeous endpapers, but this is my first Library of America book and it's so well made I could see wanting a whole library of these books. #readjanuary

I've never been a fan of short story collections; it's always difficult for me to get through them, for some reason. I admit that I struggled with this one, too, even though the writing is excellent & the stories crisp & engaging. It just always feels like a chore: once you get settled into one story, it ends & you have to start the process over again. And then these particular stories are just too grim for me. They're gorgeous, but bleak

Torch Song - "For the rest of the summer she stood by the hatrack, bathed in an intense pink light and the string music of heartbreak, swinging her mane of dark hair and her black skirt as she moved forward to greet the customers."

O City of Broken Dreams - "They had left their home in Wentworth, Indiana, the day before, and in spite of the excitements of travel and their brilliant destination, they both wondered, now and then, if they had remembered to turn off the gas and extinguish the rubbish fire behind the barn."

Reading - so you know you're not alone.

I'm reading one story each evening to savor the Cheever. The beginning of this reminds me of the "Pushing Daisies" narration.

The Common Day: "The light there was like a blow, and the air smelled as if many wonderful girls had just wandered across the lawn. It was a splendid summer morning and it seemed as if nothing could go wrong."

One of my current borrowed library books, which I'm not going to finish by the time it's due because of holds becoming available and titles to read for groups, so I purchased a copy yesterday. I've only read a couple of his short stories long ago for school and remember enjoying the discomfort and tension, and I want to savor the others over time. #booktober