Jeffrey Eugenides’s
bestselling novels have shown him to be an astute observer of the crises of
adolescence, self-discovery, family love, and what it means to be American in
our times. The stories in “Fresh Complaint” explore equally rich―and
intriguing―territory. Ranging from the bitingly reproductive antics of
“Baster” to the dreamy, moving account of a young traveler’s search for
enlightenment in “Air Mail” (selected by Annie Proulx for Best American
Short Stories), this collection presents characters in the midst of
personal and national emergencies. We meet a failed poet who, envious of other
people’s wealth during the real-estate bubble, becomes an embezzler; a
clavichordist whose dreams of art founder under the obligations of marriage and
fatherhood; and, in “Fresh Complaint,” a high school student whose wish to
escape the strictures of her immigrant family lead her to a drastic decision
that upends the life of a middle-aged British physicist. Narratively
compelling, beautifully written, and packed with a density of ideas despite
their fluid grace, these stories chart the development and maturation of a
major American writer.
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