The New Yorker: “Art Appreciation” by Fiona McFarlane

2013_05_13_p323May 13, 2013: “Art Appreciation” by Fiona McFarlane

Henry, the main character of this story, is described in the Q&A with Fiona McFarlane as both a “nondescript everyman” and “unambitious and narcissistic.” Yep. That sounds about right. He works in insurance, he says he’s ambitious, but in truth his ambition severely circumscribed. He figures he’s set for life when his mother wins a modest sum in the lottery. He gambles on dog races and the ponies, but since he mostly wins he figures that’s okay. He doesn’t drink, at least.

He’s sleeping with Kath—a woman who apparently doesn’t think much of herself—when he meets and is attracted to Ellie, a woman who works in his office. Ellie is the one with real ambition—she’s taking an art appreciation class and had hopes of college and betterment that her family’s financial woes set back.

The real conflict here is that he wants Ellie to drop the art appreciation class. (He stops going to the dog track for a while and figures she should spend that time with him.) She, of course, wants to continue. But he’s a jerk . . . And then Kath comes back into the picture.

This is a very slow story. Good, in its way. It moves forward and doesn’t dwell in the past. It just moves forward a little too slowly.

About the author

I am the author of three novels--THE LAST BIRD OF PARADISE, OLIVER'S TRAVELS, and THE SHAMAN OF TURTLE VALLEY--and three story collections--IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY, HOUSE OF THE ANCIENTS AND OTHER STORIES, and WHAT THE ZHANG BOYS KNOW, winner of the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. I am also the co-founder and former editor of Prime Number Magazine and the editor of the award-winning anthology series EVERYWHERE STORIES: SHORT FICTION FROM A SMALL PLANET.

Comments

  1. I liked the story very much and was trying to find out about the author without much luck. I wish her well.

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