Vampires in the Lemon Grove
(2013) by Karen Russell
The
eight stories that make up Vampires
in the Lemon Grove
are at times beautiful, strange, haunting, and hilarious. Here,
Russell has created compelling mini-worlds populated by human and
non-human characters who struggle with desire, regret, terror, and...well, you get the picture. Reminiscent at times of Stephen King
and Ray Bradbury (who explored the
comingling of "reality" and "fantasy"), Russell's
stories are eclectic enough to make me wonder how many hours of
research went into writing them because the level of detail and
knowledge is outrageous.
But
what are these stories about??
Well...
- an old, weary vampire for whom blood just doesn't have that...you know...tang...
- young Japanese women who are turned into human silkworms but rebel against their forced servitude...
- seagulls that collect scraps from peoples' lives, which changes those lives...
- death personified stalking pioneer families on the prairie in 19th century America...
- U. S. presidents reincarnated as horses but with their memories and personalities intact...
- Antarctic tailgating...(I know!)
- living, changing tattoos that reshape war memories...
- a boy who changes from a loner and victim into a scarecrow and his former tormentor who creates his memorial...
Whether told in the first- or third-person, each of these stories is
focalized through a single, unique consciousness. We are invited to
imagine the world in new ways, which is one of the main reasons for
reading in the first place, am I right? Russell's prose is expert
enough to be transparent, so that the narrative voice itself is front
and center. You'd better believe I'm gonna grab some more Russell
books!
The stories are odd and offbeat but oh my---the writing shimmers. The title story, while an excellent piece of writing, paled in comparison to the final two stories (especially the tattoo story). I intend to read more by Ms. Russell; you will NOT be sorry you bought this book.
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