Alice Munro is capable of spinning readers away from the salient detail of Austin's death in a story like "Pictures of the Ice". 1990; Penguin, 1991 Yet, she is equally capable of writing an opening which cannot be set aside and which demands rereading as the story unfolds,
Remember when "Gravel", in Dear Life, had readers considering the way that life can shift beneath one's feet, like an aggregation of water-worn stones readjusting? 1990; Penguin, 1991 This story has one considering the formation of frazil ice, the way that loose and randomly shaped ice-crystals can form
This title recalls Barbara's "Oranges and Apples" game, the idea of having to choose between two things. 1990; Penguin, 1991 It also echoes Anne having asked Matthew, en route to Green Gables: "Which would you rather be if you had the choice--divinely beautiful or dazzlingly clever or angelically
It is often said that a single story by Alice Munro contains as much complexity as a novel written by another writer. 1990; Penguin, 1991 One might recall long stories like "Chaddeleys and Flemings" or expansive stories like "The Moon over the Orange Street Skating Rink" or, in
At one time, Zeigler's Department Store had a grocery department and a hardware department, but no longer. 1990; Penguin, 1991 The store assortment has changed. The role of the department store has changed. Downtown Walley has changed. And, perhaps most significantly, Murray has changed. When the story opens, Murray's
