A Real Feast (so far)

For the second time I heard about the genius of Charles Baxter meaning the fluidity and naturalness of his language and dialogue is astounding. So, I pulled out of the reading pile a book I knew was hiding away, The Feast of Love, see image here. The cover is disgusting, schmaltzy, ugly, design-less, hollywood crap. It's downright offensive like chick-lit dropped in dog poo. All I wanted to do was rip the cover off before going any farther. Don't get me going. I'm sure whatever hollywouldn't did to it is nothing less than a massacring.

There's an introduction, which is required, but I want to talk about the first story. Yes I mean first chapter, but it's a lot like a story and some of these were written originally as stories. This certainly feels like one. You want a story that is as tight as a drum, try this. "Every relationship has at least one really good day." The narrator describes one in his past relationship. His girlfriend is terrified of dogs and so for a day's drive he takes her to the kennels of the ASPCA. She ends up naming them, saying these really are their names, and one by one the dogs all quiet. It says something about her and him, and wow what a slick little gem this story is. If you've not read it get out there and get reading. You can find the start of this on line here.
To borrow the line at the end of Carver's Cathedral, It's really something.