Book Review: CARDIFF, BY THE SEA by Joyce Carol Oates

CARDIFF, BY THE SEA by Joyce Carol Oates (Mysterious Press, October 2020) Hardcover, 404 pages. ISBN # 0802157998/ 9780802157887 

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . . .

Joyce Carol Oates, the "grand mistress of ghoulishness" (Publishers Weekly), showcases her mastery in four deeply disturbing novellas that will leave the reader both quaking and pining for more.

 In the titular novella, an academic in Pennsylvania discovers a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine from someone she has never heard of. Mia, the protagonist of "Miao Dao," is a pubescent girl overcome with loneliness, who befriends a feral cat that becomes her protector from the increasingly aggressive males that surround her.

A brilliant but shy college sophomore realizes that she is pregnant in "Phan-tomwise: 1972." Distraught, she allows a distinguished visiting professor to take her under his wing, though it quickly becomes evident that he is interested in more than an academic mentorship. Lastly, "The Surviving Child" is Stefan, who was spared when his mother, a famous poet, killed his sister and herself. Stefan's father remarries, but his young wife is haunted by dead poet's voice dancing in the wind, an inexplicably befouled well, and a compulsive draw to the same garage that took two lives.

In these psychologically daring, chillingly suspenseful pieces, Joyce Carol Oates writes about women facing threats past and present. 

My Four-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

    Joyce Carol Oates has been on my authors-to-read list for many years. I'm glad that I finally broke the ice with this powerful collection of four novellas. The stories here were so disturbing, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a long Oates novel. However, this was a good introduction that helped prepare me for any future readings.

     I've heard that Oates writes in several different styles, kind of made-to-order to fit a particular story. The writing style (mainly straightforward and blunt) in these four novellas may be so similar because they are linked by one sad theme: women who are either neglected, taken advantage of, or controlled. I enjoyed them all. Each one prompted reflection as well as sadness.

     The primary characters in all four novellas are women, all fully realized and complex -- and all troubled. Oates knows how to introduce psychological themes very well. She knows how to depict inner trauma and anxiety. 

     "Cardiff, By The Sea" has a twist at the end that I did not see coming. The secondary characters were so eccentric and odd that I was sure the answers to the mystery the main character was trying to solve would lead to one or more of them. They do know more than they reveal, but suppressed memories are at the heart of the story. Unsettling.

     "Miao Dao" deals with feral cats and the close relationship the main character has to them. However, the story is more about the changes in her family life, and how a young girl copes with depression and feelings of isolation amidst resistance to change. The ending twist is also disturbing.

     "PHAN-tomwise 1972" is an example of college professors taking advantage of their young female students in the worst possible ways - - making them feel insignificant through their condescending and controlling behavior toward them. Depressing.

     "The Surviving Child" is a first-class mystery dealing with close relationships and how families will respond to tragedy and loss, featuring yet another controlling and unappreciated male/father figure. Suspenseful.