Book Review: Sweet Land Stories

When Homer & Langley was first published, I scooped it up. Sadly, I was not blown away like I had wished to be. So when someone recommended Doctorow's Sweet Land Stories, I put it at the bottom of my "to be read" pile. While on vacation, I ran out of things to read (which NEVER happens to me) and with great trepidation I picked up Sweet Land Stories. From the first sentence in the first story, I couldn't put it down! Since finishing it, I have told just about anyone who will listen how wonderful this little book is. Clocking it at a little over 150 pages, this collection of stories packs a punch that many extensive novels can't even accomplish.

Each tale has a hint of mystery about it. However, these are not by any means mystery or thriller tales. Instead, Doctorow creates intriguing situations that the reader just falls into and doesn't want to leave. Still, the point of his stories is not to find out what happened to so-and-so but to watch how different people from a variety of backgrounds handle certain situations. In the first time, we are presented with a boy and his mother who must flee the city for reasons unknown and start again in the country. The reader begins reading in an attempt to figure out what they're running from, but soon becomes caught up in the characters themselves and how certain events change them as people. Similarly, the second tale "Baby Wilson" is about a woman who steals a baby from the hospital and runs away with her boyfriend in hopes of raising the boy as their own. The reader becomes enthralled with the chase but it becomes clear that the real drama lies within the boyfriend who loves his girlfriend but believes her to be mentally unstable.

This is just a sampling from the five tales that Doctorow presents but all of the stories are masterfully written. Some of the stories run longer than others, but Doctorow never wastes a word! His descriptions are poetic are enthralling. His characters are flawed, not particularly likable, but harshly real. Unlike other collections of stories, Doctorow does not give the reader the complete story. Instead, he just gives a glimpse into a certain moment in time. However, these moments are so poignant that the reader never feels of if he/she has been gypped. His characters are as complex as if they were in a 500 page tome. There is not a single piece of criticism that I have for this book. It is simply extraordinary.

-DLP