13 Comments
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Michael Goodwin Hilton's avatar

Pure delight! Somewhere between Salinger and Cheever, but also firmly on its own turf. What a gift for literary culture to have this gem back in circulation.

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Tim Wright's avatar

I loved the ending. Great illustration of character, and I wish he had written more stories. On the other hand, Mr Talese still has time if he wants to pen more short stories.

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John Joss's avatar

Let us hope, Tim. I also hope he reads your comment. Many writers--I claim to be one--have squirreled away endless amounts of stuff that never sees the light of day.

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Caz Hart's avatar

Perfect.

Extraordinary that his only piece of fiction was written 60 years ago. It is timeless.

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Camila Hamel's avatar

Brilliant.

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Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

“Getting Even” is the taxi receipt you keep because the ride was that good.

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Wim's avatar

You guys are really on a roll lately - such a great idea to reprint this story.

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Joseph A. Hawke's avatar

Great story, well told, perfect ending!

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John Joss's avatar

Diabolically evil. Terrifyingly insightful. Elegantly written. Effectively ended.

Not a dull line in it.

Talese mastered the form. Wish he'd done more.

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Leslie Goodman-Malamuth's avatar

A yellow Karmann-Ghia screeched to stop, in a cloud of dust. Yellow bouffant hair, yellow boucle mini-suit, black spike heels. “Mrs. King is going through a divorce. The fourth grade must be very kind to her this year,” Miss Gerling the principal told me, meaningfully.

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Joseph A. Hawke's avatar

What’s this from? It captures!

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Bill Pierce's avatar

I’m glad I never had a ride in the back of the author’s hack.

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Judith Victoria's avatar

predicted incels

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