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Customer Reviews of The Hunters

Artistry of Words
Wonderful introduction to an author who will surely make her mark in contemporary literature. Messud utilizes the pen to paper as would a painter use their brush to a canvas. In both short novels----or novellas, Messud engages the reader into the full depth of a story in the shortness of 100 pages each. Unlike other reviewers, I was not prejudiced by having read The Last Life first and so disappointed with these stories. (although it sits next to me as I write because I can't wait to see more of her work). In A Simple Plan, we learn the whole life of Maria to who and what she has become today from her plight as a child. The Hunters story immediately strikes the reader without ever revealing the gender of the first person narrative. The most engaging part of both of these stories is that the language makes them come alive, almost dance off the page. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of her work.

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Very good, but....
Not as good as "The Last Life", which is so far Claire Messud's masterpiece. I love her fuid, romantic language that effortlessly transports you to her worlds, and it works well in these two novellas; however, there is an emotional hole in these stories that was not present in her other work. I did not feel a connection to any of the characters as I did in her previous full-length books and I don't know if it's because the stories did not have a middle "arc" or perhaps Messud is at her best when she is allowed to draw her characters out over several chapters. I enjoyed the stories for what they were but they left no lasting impression on me the way Sagesse from "Last Life" did, nor did they offer any new observations on the human psyche that she hasn't already explored. Still, even Messud's disappointments are never fully "disappointing" and I would recommend this book for a satisfying weekend read.

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Novellas Are Hard
and especially so in Claire Messud's case when "The Last Life" was so deliciously rendered, so unforgettably film like and full of nostalgia without ever being sentimental. In contrast, I found these novellas too tight and with too little room for the reader to daydream on them. But this is highly subjective. I read one professional review that praised the first, damned the second work--there are 2 novellas here. Another reviewer, highly respected saw it just the other way around. But for myself, I missed the last novel and felt these experimental works may lead to a greater next novel, not another novella, which I do not believe is Ms. Messud's best genre.