The UnAmericans

The UnAmericans: Stories by Molly Antopol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't think the publicity blurb for this collection of short stories does them justice. These are incredibly engrossing stories of family, faith, love and death. Antopol admits that the inspiration to these stories are her own families tales and maybe that is what makes them feel alive and relevant even in settings as far back as WWII as a young woman escapes the Jewish extermination by navigating the sewers. Several are also set in the era of McCarthism and the Red Scare. Her characters are deeply drawn, often trying to balance their ambitions with their family obligations. Fame is often the temptress, with the character having to decide what and whether to sacrifice (honesty, family, political beliefs) for it. There is also a recurring theme of ;moving on after the loss of a spouse, whether by divorce or death. My favorite is "Minor Heroics" of a brother trying to find his place after his heroic older brother is injured. "The Quietest Man" is moving and surprisingly poignant. "My Grandmother Tells Me This Story" would keep any grandkid's attention.

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Eligible

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rewrites are tricky. Especially for a novel as beloved as Pride and Prejudice. Sittenfeld does a passable job updating the plot. Perhaps the things I found most dismaying about the updated version was how some things don't change (wealth=desirable) and what did change ("running away together" is no longer sensational of course, so the scandals had to be ramped up). This is not really a reflection of the choice of the author, but rather of the world we live in now. Though that is partly why I love Austen so much--the charm of a more genteel time. So I can't fault the author for society's morality these days, and I thought she did a fair job of translating the plot into a modern setting. But it is hard to be objective when one is reading the rewriting a beloved classic. I missed Austen's wit and elegant style. I missed the chemistry of Elizabeth and Darcy. It was fun escapism but can't really hold a candle to the original. I will say that I did appreciate the dignity Sittenfeld gives to Mary in the epilogue...

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