About book Letting Loose The Hounds: Stories (1997)
Very engrossing stories. Several have exciting plots, but not all; some stories are more about giving voice to a character and seeing that character's world through a more mundane episode, which is just as engrossing. Though most of these stories take place in the American southwest, each has a distinct setting and narrator that keep the book fresh throughout. Brady Udall is a masterful writer of heartfelt stories. I highly recommend this book. The title story is a killer. I like the way it starts without saying exactly what situation the character is in or how he came to be that way. I also like that he can't talk, which creates a lot of tension in the story. "Snake" is good also, perhaps a bit too pat, because everything is telegraphed, although it does deliver the payoff. "Midnight Raid" is another powerful story full of surprising details and a great ending. Although beautifully written—in that prize-winning kind of way—I ultimately didn't buy "The Opposite of Loneliness." I didn't buy the ending, just wasn't convinced that the character could feel that way, even for that brief moment in time, and even if it were meant to be ironic, the irony wasn't deserved after the setup. I liked "Junk Court" too, particularly the way he fused the sports story with a life story, and especially the way the ending moves in several directions at the same time.
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Funny collection of stories. Not my favorite Udall book, but entertaining.
—Hasn
