My Horse and Other Stories (New American Fiction)
The 18 stories in this debut collection range from the disquieting to the bizarre to the terrifying. One stands out for having all these qualities. A woman discovers a "flesh-colored hump" on her shoulder that cannot be removed. What is frightening is not the plot, which finishes on a vague note, but the woman's all-consuming obsession--"It might have been possible that the hump jiggled and swayed somewhat less now than it had when it first appeared, a month before; it seemed harder, and being harder, it also seemed smaller." Another chilling story concerns a miniature pet horse that seemingly becomes a metaphor for the psychological and sexual abuse of weaker creatures--"I would knead him then; he never struggled . . . and once, because I held him for so long, he began to howl." Other stories, including one about a self-abusing boy-man who hungrily stuffs himself with furniture and later becomes a judge, sacrifice internal logic for shock value. While some tales are successful for their rhythm and lyricism, the focus on the gruesome and the lack of character development make this a generally uneven work.Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.