Flannery O'Connor is perhaps one of the most brilliant writers of a generation. A native of Georgia, she grew up immersed in the tenants of sacramental theology, which play a great role in her short stories and novels.
This collection in particular is very near and dear to my heart. Who can resist a Flannery story? The best part of all her writings are the endings. You never see them coming. You really don't. Some of her stories can be wildly funny, like "Good Country People," and melancholic, like "The River." Others, like "Parker's Back" (check out the double entendre of the title) are reverent and thoughtful. Whatever your taste, Flannery has a story for you.
My personal favorite in this collection is "Parker's Back." Sacramental theological ideas like the incarnation of Christ and the sanctity of marriage play a large role here. The story is about Obadiah Elihue, a man with many tattoos who has married a woman named Sarah Ruth, a severe, crotchety woman whose face is described like an "onion skin." Obadiah has no idea why he married Sarah Ruth. One day he has an epiphany, and gets a special tattoo he thinks she'll like on his back. (I would tell you the end, but Flannery would turn in her grave.) I love this story because of the humorous elements and its very serious commentary on human nature.
