http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Thu, 25 Sep 2003 00:42:24 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/23/144712.php#comment-20111 Let me try to guess why you hated "Calling." I suspect it is because the main character doesn't 'grow.' If anything, he shrinks. After the three years in his young life during which his father causes a scandal and leaves his mother for another man and his mother subsequently dies of a drug overdose, apparently, the protagonist's parameters are set. He keeps expansive sorts like his father out of his life and leads his life conservatively. He believes the best one can do in regard to the damage people cause each other is mitigate it to the extent possible. That is NOT an optimistic outlook. In my youth, I would not have liked the resolution of the story, saying it is kind of defeatist. But, well into my 30s, I have arrived at the same conclusion about mitigation. Is this close? Let me know. And, stay in touch. I like having people I can discuss literature with. 20111@blogcritics.org Thu, 25 Sep 2003 00:42:24 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2003/09/23/144712.php#comment-19965 I hated "Calling" -- in fact I thought the first five stories in that book were all terribly weak, the worst being "Puppy." Luckily, the next four are superb, and the last one, a novella of sorts called "Abyss," is a stunning masterpiece. 19965@blogcritics.org Wed, 24 Sep 2003 10:14:36 EDT