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William Boyd is the award-winning author of eight novels, three short story collections, and twelve screenplays. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. Clearly, Boyd has talent and has been recognized for his accomplishments. His latest collection of short stories, however, doesn't live up to his usual fare. Instead, some of the stories fall short of their original intentions and fail to leave a lasting impression on the reader after the story has concluded. Despite the occasional richly envisaged character, brilliant plot twist, or light-bulb moment shared between Boyd and his audience, FASCINATION reads like a loosely linked set of character studies and nebulous idea sketches in desperate need of fine-tuning, plot development, and meaty endings.
In most of the fourteen stories that Boyd has included in his latest anthology, explorations on love and all of its relentless effects are peppered throughout the pages. Bawdy flirtations are offset by blatant sexual infidelities. Blind trust is thrown up against secret betrayal. Need, desire, shame and humiliation are all emotions Boyd's characters feel as they slog through their daily existences, and more than a few of these characters are in danger of being destroyed --- or at least affected --- by some form (or product) of passion. By glaringly investigating acts of flagrant behavior and breaking down noble, everyday human feelings into complex situations and clandestine encounters, Boyd has capitalized on a dynamite formula in literature that would normally guarantee an unadulterated, bewildering, yet ultimately satisfying read straight through to the last line.
In some of FASCINATION's offerings, Boyd does manage to deliver what he promises. In "The Women on the Beach with a Dog," Boyd creates a Chekhovian drama between two strangers --- one male, one female, both committed to other people. They meet, as the title suggests, on a beach with a dog and immediately develop an attraction to each other. The spark ignites, of course, and thus the affair begins and carries on until it stalls when talk of husbands, wives, and other obligations arises. In spite of it all, the two irrationally attempt to parry their respective obstacles and it is here that the story ends, with the question of what to do with each other now that real life and real responsibilities have clouded the picture. Do they try to stay together and meet in secret once a year? Do they deny their feelings and terminate the affair? Boyd supplies no ending to the story and doesn't need to as that unrequited, unfinished feeling is precisely the point. Readers are left feeling as the characters must feel --- Boyd's successfully captured moment.
In "Adult Video," Boyd presents the first half of what perceptive readers will realize is a two-part tale of a young writer (Edward) and his dance with infidelity while on the brink of proposing to his soon-to-be wife. In a series of vignettes set apart from each other by various VCR command headings (play, pause, slow motion, freeze frame, and so on), events from Edward's life flip back and forth from the past (rewind) to the present (play) to the future (fast-forward) and finally, back to the present again (freeze frame), with a few moments of reflection in-between (pause). While this stylized gimmick could be seen as a little too clever for some readers' tastes, Boyd's decision to use it is ultimately a good one because it allows him to cover the most ground in the shortest amount of space. At the story's conclusion, we are left with a full understanding of the most significant moments (and choices) in Edward's life because we have successfully digested (and bought) Boyd's scattered formula.
Unfortunately, Boyd's ingenuity only travels so far until it peters out. "Beulah Berlin, an A-Z" reads like a college writing class assignment, with each paragraph beginning in chronological order with a letter in the alphabet and ending with a word or letter that, in turn, appears at the beginning of the following paragraph. This sounds interesting, if only we could ignore the fact that the paragraphs themselves don't appear to be thematically connected for any reason … and if they are, we aren't made to care. "Notebook No. 9" is laid out in journal form as a film director obsessively chronicles not only his passion for directing, but also his love for the starring lady. Unlike the record of a character's most intimate musings, these entries come across as bland logs of daily events and the final words of the story, "The notebook concludes here", reeks of the dreaded finale cop-out. "Incandescence" is a maddening journey into a man's psyche as he visits his ex-girlfriend's family estate for the weekend. Told from each character's perspective, the plot progresses and thickens as various jealousies and regrets are played out on the faces and in the actions of each participant. Quickly, this once-simple yarn becomes muddled and confusing as the characters vie for the readers' attention --- a surefire case of too many cooks spoiling the stew.
Taken as a whole, William Boyd's FASCINATION surely will entertain for the time being. Pregnant glimpses of scandalous affairs are promised and delivered, as are the required cursory musings on life's Big Issues. But if you're searching for something that accentuates William Boyd's ingenious flair for writing a compelling narrative packed with full characters and profound, lasting impressions, I would suggest picking up ANY HUMAN HEART --- now that is fascinating literature.
--- Reviewed by Alexis Burling
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