Creatures of Habit: Stories

I love this book. It's so real as I am from Lumberton and knew Jill before she had published. As I read her work I remember those days and those places and I appreciate how she has given new life to those times and places. I could not put this book down and I am proud to have met Jill and proud of her wonderful ability as a story teller. john evers

Do people behave any better than animals? Do they often behave worse? That question underlies Jill McCorkle's latest book, Creatures of Habit, a collection of stories set in the fictional town of Fulton, North Carolina, that explores the vagaries of childhood, love and marriage. The best stories in this book deal with betrayal. In "Chickens," McCorkle demonstrates her profound ability to report on the intricacies of human psychology. The story tells of a young college graduate, Kim, who always expected to marry Randy, her childhood sweetheart. Toward the end of her college career, however, she learns that Randy has been dating -- and sleeping with -- other girls. When he attempts to patch things up, her pride rebels. Instead of taking him back, she starts dating a divorced man 14 years her senior. Has Kim betrayed her birthright or has she bailed out of a bad situation? McCorkle shows her brilliance as a writer by not telling the reader exactly where to stand on this question. "Snakes" is another story that deals with the compromises one makes with the romantic ideals of youth. A middle-aged married couple has weathered a dark patch in their relationship. They are enjoying a quiet evening together when the wife learns that her husband had a brief affair during their estrangement. Now she has to decide whether to undo the repairs her marriage has undergone by making an issue of his lapse. Another powerful story is "Turtles," in which McCorkle draws back the curtain on old age. The central character, Carly, is ending an unloved life in a nursing home that fails to live up to the promises of its brochure. Her son never visits, and she has an unrequited crush on a distinguished old man in another wing. Even the nursing home dog leaves her for another resident who offers better snacks. McCorkle is a justly beloved author, in part because of her ability to deal a straight hand without bitterness. Though she does not hold back when it comes to capturing the cruelty in life, she doesn't sell short its moments of tenderness, either.

Jill McCorkle has long been one of my favorite writers--the novel "Ferris Beach" and short story collection "Crash Diet" are two of my all-time favorite books. Her writing has a down-to-earth, true quality. Oftentimes, I find myself either identifying with her characters, or at least having known people very much like them. Not only does she have a gift for writing humor (some of the funniest lines I have ever read), but she can just as easily break your heart with a turn of phrase. Although her characters are usually from the South, I don't find myself thinking of them as "Southern characters", but simply PEOPLE. The characters in her latest collection, "Creatures of Habit", are no exception. Not all the stories are humorous--in some (the opening story, "Billy Goats", "Cats", and the closer, "Fish", for instance) the tone is more poignant and melancholy. However, the stories "Hominids", "Snakes", and "Toads" are hilarious. Using the theme of humans' co-existence with (and likeness to) particular animals, these stories explore such subjects across the entire spectrum of human experience, such as marriage, loneliness, death, childhood, family, and aging.If you are a fan of Jill McCorkle, you will not be disappointed. If you are new to her writing, this is a wonderful place to start, and representative of some of her best work.