After the Plague: And Other Stories

Rating:
Summary: Literary theft
Review: Yes, I do agree that Boyle is a master of his craft. He hits the right notes in his depiction of contemporary American anomie and the rather frustrating quest for meaning in a schizoid world. He knows much of this world pretty thoroughly; my favorite story was "The End of Cool" about an aging hippy who realizes his claim to fame is long gone. But after all is said and done, his characters are a bit lean to me. I want more substance, more fullness, more palpability. The knowing smile one gets from acknowledging the qwirks of his modernist and post-modernist personae does not last quite as long as I would like. Clever set-ups are not a substitute for substance. The other problem I have with the writing is that lots of Boyle's characters seem to have the same upscale, educated diction, whether they're recovering druggies, graduate students in lit-crit, or barflies. Still, a good time will be had, but I like stuff I can sink my intensity in.