To choose a “best” list from this 21-story collection is a daunting task, as each of them stand on their own merit. Particularly disturbing are “Perfect,” in which a boy longs for the simpler days when he didn’t have a baby sister; “The Pond,” a graphic depiction of going through the ice on a frozen pond; “Cold,” a cannibalistic nightmare where horror is served with sticky sweetness; and “Hackin’ at the Peach,” which involves the gruesome tonsillectomy of baseball great Ty Cobb. Others from the collection that leave a lasting impact are “The Harlequin and the Train,” “Dole as Ribbit,” “The Jar,” and “4’33.”
Compositions for the Young and Old is stylishly written, so much so that it lulls the reader into a false sense of security. Just when he thinks the story will end on a tame high-note, Tremblay leaps from behind the curtain. These are stories that one is not likely to forget. Likewise, it is with gleeful abandon that Tremblay takes the reader on this journey through human aging and terror. An absolutely enjoyable read.
Compositions for the Young and Old
By Paul G. Tremblay
House of Dominion Press, 2004
209 pages
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