The Suicide Run

Styron's stories are based mostly on his years as a Marine during and after WWII. He paints a vivid picture of a soldier trying to assimilate back into civilian society, particularly his feelings of joy and estrangement. Narrator Mark Deakins seems to have an innate feel for how to interpret Styron's lyrical language, and he employs a gentle but forceful tone throughout the book. He reads with a Southern accent that waxes and wanes, depending on the story, and his characters are understated but recognizable. He also knows exactly where to place emphasis for maximum effect. Listening to Deakins narrate this book reminds us that when excellent writing is matched with deft narration, great things can happen. R.I.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

August 10, 2009
This posthumous collection from Pulitzer and National Book Award–winner Styron (Sophie's Choice
) is a mishmash of early stories and unfinished novel excerpts that, while interesting as an artifact, adds little to his esteemed oeuvre. A former marine, Styron shows the horrors of war not through battle but through vignettes of men on leave (such as the title story) or in their quarters, struggling with their fate. “Blankenship” follows a young warrant officer as he investigates the escape of two Marines from a military prison island. Through interrogating another prisoner, McFee, Blankenship learns how deep soldierly ennui can run. “Marriot, the Marine” is about a writer recalled to duty as a reservist on the eve of his first novel's publication. He finds solace in a superior's love of literature and begins to believe that not all Marines are as brash as his roommate (he of the “wet, protuberant lower lip and an exceptionally meager forehead”), but the illusion doesn't last long. Styron's prose is as assured as ever and his knack for character is masterful, but the overall moralizing tone—war is debasement—is both too simple and too political to work in these character-driven stories.