The Torturer's Apprentice: Stories

This is not a book of horror related stories. Actually, the thrust of the stories vary wildly about different subjects and people. Nothing here bowled me over, but I was continuously impressed with the author's mastery of the language and the form. It would be impossible to go into more detail without destroying the plots because many stories are a couple of pages. But it is worth your time to give it a read.

Reading John Biguenet is truly a humbling experience. His magnificent command of language allows him to send his readers gliding smoothly, almost effortlessly, through story after story and yet, his narratives ultimately have a sledge hammer impact. You realize that the characters have become all too real as you accompany them on their journeys of awakening to the sharp, often bitter, realities of life. I can only echo reviewer Parker King's comparison of Biguenet to Somerset Maugham, for its aptness is quite undeniable. Both Biguenet and Maugham are easily accessible to readers with a calm, quiet style that belies the stunning aftershock that their stories imprint indelibly on each reader's psyche. As your tongue will constantly return to the jagged edges of a broken tooth, so too will your mind return to these stories, these characters, these scenarios and actions that seem so commonplace, yet so foreign. Stories such as "Rose," "Never Come Up," and the self-titled "The Torturer's Apprentice" seem to have gained the most attention, but each story in this wonderful collection is a jewel just waiting to be caressed and treasured for its own worth. From the lingering destructiveness of "I Am Not A Jew" to the shape-shifting surrender of "Do Me" to the blatant hopefulness of my personal favorite, "The Open Curtain," Biguenet has shared with his readers the blinding wonder of common worlds and everyday events. I bow to his genius and eagerly await more from this extraordinary talent. You owe it to yourself to savor this treat of a book!

The notes on the jacket of this slim but impressive volume let the reader know that this is John Biguenet's first book of fiction -- I certainly hope it's not his last. These stories are incredible -- small miracles of creation, blossoming before the reader's eyes to reveal incredible depths for works so short.Without accusing the author of being in the shadow of other writers, I am reminded in some places of the best works by Fuentes, Garcia-Marquez, Calvino and other authors who have shown themselves to be masters at creating a world on the printed page. Biguenet is capable of the same feats of creation, but in his own unique style -- it's wonderful to see a 'new' American author working on this level.His characters live and breathe -- the worlds in which they live are there for us to experience by feel, smell, taste, touch and sound -- and the thoughts and emotions of the inhabitants of these created worlds are ours to know as well.Every single work in this volume is a gem --- any of them alone would be worth the price of this book. If Mr. Biguenet can write short stories like this, I wonder what kind of novel he could write...? But only if he isn't tempted to give up work on the short form -- short story writers of this calibre are rare in today's America. I look forward to reading more of his carefully crafted writing.

This is an outstanding collection. Somehow I am reminded of Isaac Bashevis Singer in the parable-like stories such as "A Plague of Toads", "A Vulgar Soul", and "Gregory's Fate"; and yet other stories in the collection, such as the domestic tales "Lunch With My Daughter", "Fatherhood", and "An Open Curtain" are reminiscent of Irwin Shaw or even John Cheever. But make no mistake, Biguenet is his own man and for my money this is the best story collection published so far in 2001.

The stories in The Torturer's Apprentice are beautifully written and well-crafted. Biguenet has the ability to draw the reader into his unique and thought- provoking universe; allowing each tale to reveal uncharted emotional territory. Although a quick read, readers will find themselves pondering the questions raised by the author long reading the last word.

This is a lovely collection of finely crafted stories, each different from the next in tone, pace, place, and length. Characters are richly drawn, with unique and true voices which I find lingering long after I put the book down. Images linger, too: Lola framed in her lover's window, a rose-red sunset observed with indelible clarity at the moment of awful discovery, the fading image of a Jewish infant on a grave marker in a dark German cemetery, talking heads on pikes? Great images--I think the storyteller has more than a dash of the poet in him. Given the considerable range of these stories I found it hard to read this book straight through, as one would a novel. I enjoyed pausing to reflect, consider, and shift gears. But I couldn't leave it alone for long.