![]() The sentence’s smooth rhythm mimics the sweep of an eye and creates a feeling of movement that’s aided by the repetition of the terminal “s” and “t” sounds. Take this line from “Family Man,” about a family that lives “country-quiet” and the disruptions they come to crave or refuse: “From the picture window Maas follows winter colors: whites, slates, steely skies, and yellows.” If the first clause were verse, it would almost scan into iambs, with a dactyl interrupting the line. A devoted reader of poetry - Emily Dickinson and Robert Lowell are favorites - Schutt writes musically, with intense attention to sound and cadence. Widely praised for her craftsmanship, Schutt delivers precise and novel observations, such as “the luggage-colored oak leaves” that mark autumn and “the shape of a man blued by symbols” to describe a lover. The collection is unified by an aesthetic that John Ashbery described as “pared down but rich, dense, fevered, exactly right and even eerily beautiful.” Ranging from a few pages to the length of a novella, these 11 stories are animated by a concern with loss and grief, dysfunctional families, self-knowledge, and dignity. BREVITY, TAUTNESS, RIGOR, SURPRISE: these are the commonly accepted qualities of a good short story, and all are on display in Christine Schutt’s new collection Pure Hollywood. ![]()
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