Damned If I Do: Stories

I couldn't wait for this book, and I didn't have to. It arrived before I knew it.

I first heard the reading of Percival Everett's story, "The Appropriaton of Cultures" read by an actor on National Public Radio. I was immediately drawn to the clever irony and refreshing take on culture, race and social class. The story was funny and touching and drove home a point about these topics in a much stronger way than I'd ever come across. So I bought the collection of his short stories, Damned if I Do, and found much of the same, refreshing themes. Some of the stories were odd and it took a while for them to settle in, but others were just as powerful as the one I (continue to) like best, the one I heard on the radio. Everett was able to weave together the hobbies of fly fishing and horseback riding with the geography of the southwest mixed in with the quintessential American theme of race. Everett's voice is unique and uses humor to reveal who we all are or might yet be.

A man who fixes things, from bad plumbing to death itself; a talking fish; a boy who wants to meet a lion; a dispute with neighbors that takes an unexpected and deadly turn. These are some of the elements that go into this wonderful collection of stories. Author Percival Everett writes simple, elegant and compelling stories that challenge the conventions of reality. What is this stuff? Fantasy? Magical realism? Or, did some of these things really happen? Well, I can't tell you. You'll just have to read the book for yourself. Author Everett is absolutely brilliant in his use of language. At 204 pages you can read the whole collection in a day or two and you will find it hard to put down. There is some unevenness of quality. Once or twice the author gets a little too clever. But hey--who's perfect? These are gems of the storyteller's art and I recommend the book highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

This book showcases Everett's amazing ability to evade slacking into one style or formula. The characters-- the short- and far-sighted old friends who team up to hunt a mountain lion, the horse who's afraid of the dark, the man who can fix anything from a blender to a broken marriage-- are so enjoyable, and you're left eagerly wondering what the next story will have in store. One story sets out to literally illustrate how "meaning is molecular," while one slyly, brilliantly steals the confederate flag away from white supremicists. The one that has stuck with me for months, however, is The Last Heat of Summer. It is raw, trancelike, and powerful, and left me reeling afterwards.