Opening Lines
As a general rule, Rule is a writer who loves to introduce a little irony into her stories right at the beginning. Maybe not always with the precise opening line, necessarily, but at least somewhere in the opening paragraph. And, then again, sometimes that opening line smacks one upside the head with its ironic dimensionality. Such is the case with the story “His Nor Hers.”
“The virtue of a reclusive husband is the illusion of freedom he may provide for his wife once the children are old enough for school and social lives of their own. Gillian’s husband did not like her to be out as many evenings as she was, raising money and/or enthusiasm for one good cause or another.”
“Mighty Mouse Fantasies”
The term “Mighty Mouse Fantasies” refers to the idea of having a secret identity a superhero who is only known by that façade. The real identity remains hidden from view and nobody ever really knows it. The ironic dimension of this concept sets up a direct observation overflowing with irony:
“I suppose only famous people are mistaken for themselves in public.”
Titles
Rule also enjoys putting a little bit of irony into her titles. Not that the irony is the only aspect of the title, but sometimes it is at least half the interest. For instance, “The Pruning of the Apple Trees” is a title obviously meant as symbolism. It is also more than a little ironic that apples are only mentioned three times in the story and pruning just once.
“Joy”
As far as ironic titles go in the collection, however, nothing quite tops the level of “Joy.” This is one of the longer stories in the collection and the length is necessary; it even a requisite. For the narrative exists for the purpose of undermining the title. To put it bluntly: there is very little joy in “Joy.
Anna and Harry
This collection contains more than twenty stories, most of which fit snugly into the author’s canon as observations of non-traditional domesticity and the view from outsiders. Ironically, a roughly 50-page stretch stretched out over six stories taking up basically the middle of the book is comprised of stories about an iconic nuclear family headed up by the mostly happily married Harry and Anna and their mostly well-adjusted kids.
