Rating: 
Summary: Distant dreams
Review: This collection of anachronous, dense short stories intrigued me. As a first-time Munro reader, I at first found it difficult to appreciate the patterns, details, and lack of plot. Eventually,however, a common thread develops and the reader is drawn in to these dream-like stories. "Save the Reaper", contrary to what other reviews might say, is the jem of the collection. The look exchanged between the little boy and the grandmother near the end make this story the central story around which the others revolve. The understanding look that says, "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret" provides a central theme for the collection. "The Love..." provides portraits of secrets, the uncertainty of the thoughts and actions of loved ones, and the burden that comes with this knowledge. A must-read for someone learning to get past looking for a plot.
Rating:
Summary: Distant dreams
Review: This collection of anachronous, dense short stories intrigued me. As a first-time Munro reader, I at first found it difficult to appreciate the patterns, details, and lack of plot. Eventually,however, a common thread develops and the reader is drawn in to these dream-like stories. "Save the Reaper", contrary to what other reviews might say, is the jem of the collection. The look exchanged between the little boy and the grandmother near the end make this story the central story around which the others revolve. The understanding look that says, "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret" provides a central theme for the collection. "The Love..." provides portraits of secrets, the uncertainty of the thoughts and actions of loved ones, and the burden that comes with this knowledge. A must-read for someone learning to get past looking for a plot.
Rating: 
Summary: Nuance, subtlety, beauty
Review: This must be some of the most beautiful prose I have encountered. I cannot say enough about the way Munro turns a phrase, takes the commonplace to an extraordinary place, uses language. This is not a book to take to the beach -- rather, this is work to be savord for the nuance, the subtlety and the ordinariness-turned-on-its-ear. Buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: Authenticity and Freedom
Review: We all know that there are quite a lot of people who believe that Alice Munro is one of the greatest short story writers alive, and I could not agree with them more. But let me say what I particularly like about Alice Munro, what distinguishes her from other great writers. First of all, there is a unique impression of authenticity. There are certain conventions in fiction about what is regarded as important or interesting; Alice Munro ignores them. She knows that tiny incidents can be the defining ones. She knows that spending a weekend with one's own daughter can be an unbearable challange which almost drives you mad. These stories do not gloss over the mundane aspects of life we have to struggle with most. Second, Alice Munro's stories believe in human dignity and choice. Hers is a moral universe. It's not just the title story which shows us a person making a choice. We tend to just let things happen to us and pretend we cannot do anything about them; these stories show that sometimes we can (but they do not deny that very often we cannot). There is also a great story, "Jakarta", which implies that such choices are not valid forever; it's not enough to decide against betraying your husband today. The decision may feel momentous, but if you decide otherwise tomorrow it doesn't matter all that much. The problem is, however, and the story shows that too, that when you take those decisions you are very often incapable of feeling their impact. Read these stories! This is a book for grown-ups. It will help you understand the world.
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