My Horse and Other Stories

by Stacey Levine

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1557131244
• ISBN13: 9781557131249
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: Sun & Moon
• Length: 149 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.8" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Seriously, buy and read her books. NOW!

Stacey Levine's collection, My Horse and Other Stories, and her novel Dra-, are among the most stunningly bizarre and pleasing works of fiction that I have ever read and I count them among only a handful of books that I frequently pick up and begin reading for writerly inspiration, as they defy categorization and never lose their capacity to surprise and amaze. Anyone who seeks writing in the tradition of Kafka and Kobo Abe will absolutely love these books. Publishers Weekly mentions "sacrificing internal logic," but a more accurate description might be either "redefining" it or "not succumbing" to it. If internal logic is tone and voice, then Stacey Levine's work introduces even the most jaded reader to something completely new. As a reviewer once wrote (apparently I am not supposed to refer to reviewers on this page), her writing is often both "simultaneously funny and disturbing," and combined with her rapturous lyricism, the effect is cathartic and out-of-body, even when the writing is explicitly exposing "the oppressive mechanisms" of the body itself, as the reviewer so aptly described it. Even the darkest and most disturbing passages cannot be called "gruesome" (as PW put it) because they are controlled so expertly by Levine's masterful tone that there is always a kind of strange otherworldly beauty that shines through, and humor, uproarious humor that suddenly wells up, making one want to immediately share it with whoever is around, including strangers, for these are among the most laugh-out-loud funny books I have ever read. Even in the darkest most blackly poetic scenes there is a kind of disturbingly giddy humor that makes one want to climb out of one's skin for joy. On the other hand, if what is meant by "internal logic" is the trite conventionality and expectation that continues to hold morbid sway over the dominating and overspent traditions of realism (yes, I am beginning to sound full of myself, sorry) than this is exactly the sort of writing that Levine refuses to succumb to, and that is what makes her writing so great: not tired routine and sleepwork, but high heavenly art. Seriously, buy and read her books. NOW!

A Smart and Sensitive Look at Power and Oppression

On the surface, this book offers startlingly beautiful language and heart-stopping imagery. But its offerings merely begin there. Levine, a master of metaphor and tone, uses these 18 surreal parables to critique power dynamics and to expose the oppressive mechanisms of family, relationships, body and gender. Often simultaneously funny and disturbing, these stories will resonate years after a first reading. Her expert use of the surreal is often called Kafka-esque, an overused and misused literary cliche that, for once, fits the bill. Her keen grasp and expression of humanity's politics precisely suits the Kafka legacy. Her expert use of language and imagery remind us that writing really is an art.

A Smart and Sensitive Look at Power and Oppression

On the surface, this book offers startlingly beautiful language and heart-stopping imagery. But its offerings merely begin there. Levine, a master of metaphor and tone, uses these 18 surreal parables to critique power dynamics and to expose the oppressive mechanisms of family, relationships, body and gender. Often simultaneously funny and disturbing, these stories will resonate years after a first reading. Her expert use of the surreal is often called Kafka-esque, an overused and misused literary cliche that, for once, fits the bill. Her keen grasp and expression of humanity's politics precisely suits Kafka's legacy while her expert use of language and imagery remind us that writing really is an art.