Freese's stories have similarities with Charles Bukowski in theme, and Raymond Carver in writing style. Instead of trying to make sense of a dark and lonely world, Freese (like Carver) shows us the world each character lives in and leaves it at that, allowing the reader to make sense of it all at face value. In this way, Freese's stories successfully make sense of otherwise senseless moments in childhood. At the same time, he shows there might be hope in the future; in "Alabaster," for example, a young boy meets an elderly Polish woman and her daughter who have moved to his neighborhood. He sees the seven digit tattoo on her arm, and sees that she is "numbered." Freese doesn't say whether or not the young boy knows he has met a holocaust survivor, but leaves open the possibility of hope in the child's future while suggesting the pain of the woman's past.
Of course, Down to a Sunless Sea isn't entirely heavy-handed and depressing (not that sad stories are depressing anyway). At times Freese's stories are quite humorous, as in "Arnold Schwarzenegger's Father Was a Nazi," where Freese has some fun with Schwarzenegger's past. And future, for that matter; the story reveals Schwarzenegger's attempts to re-make his upbringing to fit with his new-found fame and marriage into a heavily political family. Any story about Schwarzenegger in 2007 would be funny, but the story is especially interesting because it was written in 1991. Not only does it reflect a pre-"Governator" Arnold, but also an Arnold Schwarzenegger who hadn't yet graced the world with his god-awful comedies Jingle All the Way and Junior.
Overall, Down to a Sunless Sea is an excellent portrayal of the heartaches and troubles of childhood and adolescence. The short story has become one of the most important literary genres in modern history, and Freese's grasp of the genre is certainly up there with the best modern writers out there. With its important themes and literary allusions, Down to a Sunless Sea is well worth a read.
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