Girl with Curious Hair

June 3, 1991
Although many of the stories here seem little more than deliberately dazzling exercises, standouts include tales of fatuous quiz- and talk-show people and a satirical account of a Midwestern reunion of actors in McDonald's ads. According to PW , ``Wallace has talent to burn and is an endlessly inventive storyteller, but one wishes he wasn't also such an exhibitionist.''

The complex, bizarre, cerebral, and massively ironic tales in this 1989 volume defy short summary. Let's just say they justify the late author's high regard among critics and academics. In this recording, the real achievement belongs to actors Joshua Swanson and Robert Petkoff. Despite their frequent mispronunciation of polysyllables, though one may quibble over some of their line readings, and while some of Wallace's erudition escapes them, they merit applause for courage, commitment, and imagination. For instance, in the title story Swanson has the narrating character, a young, sadistic Republican, describe startling events with a measured detachment. And in Petkoff's "John Billy," the ungrammatical yet strangely eloquent narrating Oklahoman virtually canters through his lines. These are bold and personal choices that further animate a spirited text. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

March 15, 2011

Originally published in 1989 and available for the first time on audio, this collection of ten short stories by the late Wallace (d. 2008) exhibits his strength for exuberant storytelling peppered with pop-culture references ranging from Alex Trebek to Ronald McDonald. Wallace's notoriously long sentences and digressions weigh down a few of the tales, particularly "Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way," a sort of tribute to fellow postmodernist writer John Barth. But the work is uplifted by the narration: actors Robert Petkoff (robertpetkoff.com) and Joshua Swanson (www.joshuaswanson.com) bring to life the humor and joy in Wallace's writing, most notably through character John Billy's Southern drawl. Recommended for those liking the work of Sam Lipsyte or Thomas Pynchon.--Johannah Genett, Hennepin P.L., Minneapolis

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