Who Do You Love: Stories

It is appalling that a writer of Jean Thompson's talent needs to have her book nominated for the National Book Award before a store like Borders will carry more than one copy of her work. It is appalling as well, that said store will only carry copies of the work that was nominated, not her other two short story collections or two novels. I read her original collection of short stories, "The Gasoline Wars," about ten years ago and was extremely impressed. I wasn't even aware of the three published works in between that and this newest collection."Who Do You Love" is a fantastic collection of stories dealing with sad individuals, at difficult times in their lives, reacting to various stages of their latest love interests. The collection takes us through various landscapes, from the northwest rainy Oregon all the way to the grubby southeast states. The individuals vary from young to old; the only constants being the state of sadness, and the fact that the reader cares about them.It is Thompson's use of language that is most impressive. There are times where she goes above and beyond what you would expect in her character dialogues or descriptions. There is a specific point that you find yourself believing most writers would have stopped, but she goes on and does so successfully. Only a confident writer would go this far. As an observer, she obviously has a tremendous ear. You find yourself re-reading full sections of her work just in appreciation of her art. She is by no means a minimalist but she does not waste a word. The stories have an intelligence to them and while melancholy in nature, there is a stunning use of wit as well. Search out her work and put it on your shelf next to the Huddle's and Bell's and others who have mastered this craft.5 stars.

Though Jean Thompson was nominated for the National Book Award last year (and should have won, in my opinion), it is almost bewildering to me that her work is not as well-known as some of her contemporaries. This collection is a masterpiece by a writer whose sensibility blends dark and gritty subject matter with sublime language -- a bit like Alice Munro in tone, though at once both more stylized and more viscerally felt, unlikely as that may seem. The opening piece, "All Shall Love Me and Despair" (which was included in the 1996 Best American Short Stories) is as gorgeous as the Oregon coast that is its setting, as unsettling as its compassionate depiction of the character Scout's battles with heroin addiction, and as heartfelt as the woman, Annie, who tries to love him. Another fine piece is the story "Mercy," a close character portrait of a nightshift police officer and his relationship or lack thereof with a tough, unforgiving woman whose reckless son dies in a car accident. The 15 stories collected in this book date as far back as 1988 and represent a substantial body of work that deserves great acclaim and attention. I can't say enough about Thomspson's stories. They are simply marvelous.

Recently nominated for the National Book Award for fiction, this collection deserves its honors. I was blown away. Thompson's strength is her ability to choose details from the palette of life and apply them carefully to a story's canvas. From these pieces emerge fully fleshed people caught in moments of heartache and then moving on. Never "telling" us anything, she shows it all through wonderful language. This diverse collection shows her range--no two stories sound alike. I consider that an achievement, considering these stories were written over a period of several years. She's a writer who doesn't go back to the same well, but moves on. That's great.

I read this book with the greatest admiration and pleasure. The astounding precision of language, the intelligence, the marvelous wit all combine to make Jean Thompson one of the best writers publising today. Finally, a book worth reading.

Jean Thompson's Who Do You Love is an incredible collection of short stories featuring lives in various states of repair. Her turn of phrase is absolutely remarkable--I found myself re-reading paragraphs just to savor the stunning expression. The reader cares about every character. This collection is a real work of art--if I worked in a bookstore, I would press this book into the hands of every intelligent customer who loves Alice Hoffman, Elizabeth Berg, Barbara Kingsolver, and Flannery O'Connor. Thank you, Jean Thompson!