Devotion

An unusual triptych: a story—an unsettling one of loneliness and obsession—bracketed by an enigmatic prelude and a coda. The prelude stands alone as an essay on creativity and the pursuit of ideals; but many of the references in it are incomprehensible without having first read the story. This is, I believe, deliberate: Smith tantalizes us with snippets of her inspiration, we then see what her mind has wrought with those, and then, having finished, we shut the book, ponder a few moments, and start it again at the beginning. Be sure to allocate time for two readings: you will appreciate it.