Despite collecting stories dating from the 1960s, Neighbors and Other Stories possesses a remarkable immediacy, its stories achieve a timeless qualityDespite collecting stories dating from the 1960s, Neighbors and Other Stories possesses a remarkable immediacy, its stories achieve a timeless quality that makes them feel as though they were written nowadays. Set against the backdrop of the 50s and 60s, these stories explore race and racism during Jim Crow America. The seemingly humdrum settings in many of these stories belie their disconcerting nature. Several stories are quietly sinister, evoking an unease reminiscent of the work of Shirley Jackson and Nella Larsen.
Given their subject matter, these stories are often harrowing. Yet, Oliver maintains a distance almost that allows her to delve into the unsettling undercurrents of humanity. The title story, ‘Neighbor’, stands out as the most emotionally engaging piece in the collection. It takes place over the course of a single night, one filled with apprehension and danger for a Black family whose son is set to be one of the first Black students at a newly integrated school. Faced with threats from white nationalists, the parents grapple with guilt for potentially endangering their son or subjecting him to violence.
The following story explores a similar scenario, except this time it revolves around a Black college student. ‘Mint Juleps Not Served Here’ very much brought to mind Jackson’s work, as it is a perfectly unnerving story following the lengths to which a Black couple is willing to go to protect their son and themselves from the white gaze. While the story is characterized from the get-go by an uneasy atmosphere, the crescendo of disquiet accompanying the back-and-forth between the mother and a white stranger proved strikingly effective. In ‘Banago Kalt’ three American girls travel to Switzerland, and here the Black girl finds herself the object of curiosity, and feels both extremely alienated by the locals yet strangely hypnotized by their bizarre questions and behaviors. This story’s exploration of racism outside of America very much reminded me of Larson’s Quicksand. any stories also delve into the banality of marriage, focusing on women resentful or exhausted by the monotony of domestic life. From petty jealousies to outright hatred, Oliver doesn’t shy away from portraying the full spectrum of human emotions. Quite a few stories feature adults who are not in the least bit keen on children, and their coldness brought to mind the short stories by Taeko Kono (which, to be fair, are far more overt). Anxieties around being known, boxed in, preoccupy many of the characters, and I appreciated Oliver’s varied approach to this theme to be compelling. I also thought that unlike many other authors, Oliver is able to depict children who sound like actual children.
There were however a couple of stories that failed to register their presence, lessening the impact of the other stories in the collection. One story in particular, came across as little other than an exercise in style. I found it to be annoying and repetitive, its experimental nature a gimmick.
Still, this makes for a gripping collection, one that is permeated by ambivalence. Oliver’s social commentary is incisive, her storytelling simultaneously subtle and frank....more
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Books:
short-stories-and-novellas
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