Play Book Tag discussion

I've had this collection of McCrumb's short stories for some time now sitting on my shelf--forgotten really. I am kind of kicking myself for waiting this long to enjoy this collection, especially since I have enjoyed a few of her novels in the past.

Like her novels, the short stories collected here in Foggy Mountain Breakdown and Other Stories showcase McCrumb's ability to craft characters that feel like they could literaly walk off the page and stand before you. Her ear for dialog is quite spot on, particuarly that of her characters in the stories set in the hills of Appalachia.

In many ways, McCrumb's writing and her characters remind of me of Flannery O'Connor's writing and her characters; they are often quirky, dark, and intriguing, and they highlight some of the basest elements of human nature. However, the characters are appealing rather than repulsive even with their darkest tendencies revealed.

Perhaps McCrumb reminds me of O'Connor because they are both Southern women writers. McCrumb, however, is not poor immitation of O'Connor; she brings her own strength and execellent ear for dialog to these stories.