Review: The PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories 2010
I’ve read a bunch of these, and I’ll probably keep doing so, even if a fair number of the stories in each are somewhat predictable formula bits, or somewhat over-engineered literary writing. There’s always a gem or two in here.
I rather liked Galgut’s “The Lover,” which starts without soul and slowly won me over, and Rash’s “Into The Gorge,” which was solid and moving. Alice Monroe and Annie Proulx are here again, turning in solid work, though I found Proulx’s “Them Old Country Songs” covered ground she’d covered better before. Monroe’s “Some Women” was a really nice bit of work. Probably my favorite was Ladsun’s “Oh, Death,” which manages to be elegiac without being overly sad.
Others will find different gold, I’m sure, but there is something to like in here if you’re interested in looking.
Recommended.