CAN'T AND WON'T Stories

Narrator Janet Metzger takes on the challenge of Davis's unique short story collection and creates an interesting listening experience. This collection of 122 stories ranges from one-liners taking mere seconds to some longer works lasting several minutes--one is just shy of an hour. Metzger's delivery is sure and steady. She captures the author's sense of examining the routines and absurdities of daily life through stream-of-consciousness points of view. Her tone remains serious, steady, and consistent whether she is recounting a dream, sharing an anecdote built on something from Flaubert's letters, or imagining what is going through the minds of grazing cows. Davis's quirky short stories aren't for everyone, but Metzger's consistent narration will draw in listeners willing to take the journey. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]