I had high hopes for this short story collection by Karen
Russell. While I haven't read any of her previous books, I had heard a couple
of interviews with her that made me think it was something I would like. In fact I
started it thinking it would be a candidate for my personal favorite book of
the year – and some of the stories are definitely on my short list.
I have a fondness for the surreal, and for works that slide
between genres and don't pin down easily. Some of the stories – like the title
work, "Vampires in the Lemon Grove" -- verge on horror, but to my
mind aren't quite. Despite having a pair of aging, abstinent vampires as the
main characters, generating dread in the reader is not the point. More like
exploring the ennui and unrest of their unlives.
My favorite stories among the collection have many layers
that go much deeper than the superficial fanciful initial impression. Others,
while amusing enough, didn't reach beyond the whimsical and clever surface – at
least for me. For my money, the two most successful stories in the bunch are
"Reeling for the Empire" and "The New Veterans."
In "Reeling," young female factory workers, having
been tricked into signing contracts for advance payments to their families,
find themselves transformed into human silkworms. The story is more than an
allegory for the forced labor that disgracefully continues all over the world.
The main character has a fairly good idea of what she is getting herself into,
but chooses it anyway as the only option within her means for helping her loved
ones. She doesn't embrace her fate, but she does accept responsibility for her
decision. Rather than giving up or surviving on futile dreams of returning to a
past existence that has become unobtainable, she determines to take control of
her life as it is. It's a story that will make you think about the crossroads
in your own life, and consider your responses to the outcomes of choices that
cannot be undone.
"Veterans" follows the relationship between a
massage therapist and a special patient: a returning vet struggling with loss,
guilt, and the trauma of PTSD. Her healing hands alter the images tattooed on the young
man's back, in turn altering his memories. At first it all seems like a good
idea – he's happy for the first time in ages. But his experiences cannot be
truly erased, nor can unpleasant events in the therapist's own past that persist
in chasing her down. In the end, this story is about surviving traumatic events
of many kinds – and finding a way to live with them. All memory is mutable, but
truth is truth and will not be forgotten.
So many fun stories – what kind of mind writes about dead
presidents resurrected as horses on farm? In addition: two stories that will
stay with me for some time to come. No complaints from me, and I will
definitely be looking for Karen Russell's other works.
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