The Ricochet Reviewer: Books, Movies, and Comics

The Best American Short Stories 1988 edited by Mark Helprin series editor: Shannon Ravenel I can't agree with guest editor Mark Helprin on all of his choices in this edition of the venerable anthology series (such as Robert Lacy's "The Natural Father"), but there is certainly some excellent reading here.  Mark Helprin For my money, the highlights are "Entrechat," by Edith Milton and "The Water-Faucet Vision," by Gish Jen. Gish Jen

by Stephen King This is a fine collection of four novellas from Stephen King.  Stephen King The best, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" and "The Body," have both been adapted as films that can justifiably be regarded as modern classics ("The Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand by Me," respectively).  These two stories are also early examples of King stepping outside the genre boundaries within which he had become such a literary megastar.  Of the remaining stories, "Apt Pupil" is also a good tale and much more in line with King's usual frightening fare.  "The Breathing Method" is an odd duck, an interesting misfire.  The meat of the story makes for a suitably creepy episode, and the framing story, which features a group of old men who tell each other scary stories in an otherworldly mansion, whetted my appetite for more information about this setting.  However, the two parts of the story bear little relation to each ot...

by Eric Ambler A writer of detective fiction becomes fascinated by the sketchy details surrounding the life of a real criminal and decides to learn the truth for himself as a professional, intellectual exercise.  He will learn far more than he bargained for.  Though it builds slowly, lacking a real sense of danger for much of its length, Eric Ambler's fine writing and deft character work held my interest, as did his abilities as a guide through Europe on the eve of World War II. Eric Ambler "Dimitrios' Mask" (Korean) "Double-Faced Devil" (Chinese) "Mask for Dimitrios" (Serbian) "The Mask of Dimitrios" (Dutch) "Dimitrios' Mask" (Danish) "Coffin for Dimitrios" (Persian) "Dimitrios Mask" (Polish) "In the Coffin for Dimitrios" (Romanian) "The Masks of Dimitrios" (German) "A Coffin for Dimitrios of Izmir" (Turkish) "The Mask of Dimitrios" (Greek) "The Mask of Dimitr...