RaveOn the SeawallIf you’re in the cult already, there’s a chance you’ll experience a tinge of disappointment when you open The Pelican Child and discover that all of the stories have appeared previously, mostly in The New Yorker. By the time an advanced reader copy came into my possession, I’d read all but two of the stories. My disappointment proved to be short-lived, however, and foolish. Williams’ stories rarely give themselves up entirely on the first read — they tend to remain disturbing and irreducible upon second, third and thirtieth reading. There is no place like the Joy Williams story.
Blake Butler
MixedLos Angeles Review of BooksIntensely detailed and imbued with intimacy ... Butler references his rage throughout, but passively dismisses Brodak’s complaints about his inattentiveness.
