HitchDawk

I have several erotica collections, and this is my favorite: bold, unpredictable, and dealing with very, very risky territory (let me give you a hint: the theme is "youth"). From beginning (a retelling of the Genesis myth) to end (a delectable feminist's nightmare), this volume packs more controversy than you thought you would be able to find in a single volume. It made me a fan of the Best American Erotica series. You will be aroused and shocked-and shocked to be aroused. Go straight to Dennis Cooper's excerpt from The Sluts and Trebor Healey's "The Pancake Circus" and you will understand what pushing the limits means.

This is not a simple retelling of he Iliad, but an original contribution to the homeric poem. Miller's Song makes Achilles a lot more sympathetic than in the original poem and brings Patroclus to the foreground. The language is terse and beautiful, the metaphors appropriate to the setting, and the characterizations vivid and realistic. Although the author makes substantial contributions to the story of the war at Troy, adding a prequel and a touching, satisfying finale, the original material is handled with such care and reverence that it reads like a love letter to Homer. Absolutely beautiful.

A touching, tactful, and entertaining novel. The plot is very simple, and it revolves around a 13-year old, his family, his dog, and a friend. The narrator does a fantastic job; I especially liked his rendering of the mother, which kept me entertained through the first half of the novel, where little seems to happen. The essays at the end of the story helped me locate the novel in its context. I wish I could have read this as a teenager, and reading it now pleased the teenage inside of me immensely.