ARC Review: Cardiff, By the Sea

 

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

Cardiff, By the Sea is a collection of four new Joyce Carol Oates novellas. While classified as suspense on the cover, there is absolutely an element of horror to these as well, a discomforting creeping sense of dread in each story.

Oates once again expertly explores the complicated and complex realities of life as a woman, whether it is a young woman's fear of her changing body and the effect it has on the men around her, or the authority a male professor can wield over a female student. Oates also plays with the effect of the past on the present, especially how the past still has the power to haunt and hurt.

I love Oates' writing, but I wasn't as in love with this collection as I had hoped I would be. Every story was strong and gripping, but then the endings left me feeling unsatisfied or confused. The story "Miao Dao" is the only one that was full of twists and turns and still managed to leave me feeling like I understood. This uncertainity may very well be the point of the collection, or I may just be the only one who was left confused, but I definitely prefer other Oates' stories I have read. This is absolutely an incredibly well written read, just not my favorite.