I somehow never got around to reading any of Joyce Carol Oates’ books, until Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. which I’m close to finishing. I want more. Any recommendations?
A Bloodsmoor Romance is blurbed as “Little Women as written by Stephen King.” I think it represents Oates’s scalpel-sharp humor the best of all her books that I’ve read.
I would recommend against reading Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang - and even more strongly against viewing the 1996 film version of it - as I found it repetitive and not wholly convincing. I thought On Boxing was interesting and I’m not even a fan of boxing. Pretty sure I’ve read some okay short stories by her as well, but I do not recall them at the moment and have no idea what collection they might have come from.
Them is often mentioned as one of her best, but I’m not a big fan. I haven’t read a lot by JCO, but I certainly enjoyed We Were the Mulvaneys and Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart more. I keep meaning to get to Blonde.