I have been a fan of Joyce Carol Oates since I first found her writing. She always draws me in, and having read some truly great works of hers my expectations are always high. I was hoping to like Pursuit more that I did. The writing is good, as I would expect, but I just didn’t feel as drawn in and connected to the story as I would have liked to be.

4 stars--I can't say I really LIKED reading this book, but wow it was effective. Warnings for sexual assault and domestic abuse.

Joyce Carol Oates is my favorite non-horror horror writer. She really knows how to make me suffer for her characters. Reading her books, for me, is to experience that sinking-gut feeling the whole way through.

This is a short, brutal little book about some really horrible things. But it's not gratuitous violence, and its strength is in how much it makes you feel for the characters. The ending isn't really happy, but has a strong element of hope. Really devastating and well done.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Wow. This was intense. It’s such a short book, practically a novella, yet it packs a potent emotional punch, pretty much as you would expect from a tale of a relationship gone very very wrong. Skeletons, though not in the proverbial closet, but still…skeletons, skeletal remains haunt a new bride, tearing away at her until she steps into the traffic. She survives, but the question is will she be able to properly recover, not just physically, but also mentally. And then the readers are taken into the past to witness a devastating tragedy that was her parents’ marriage. PTSD driven paranoia, jealousy and violence of a man returning from war as he fails to reenter his family life, eventually spiraling into a genuinely horrific event. The story is told in a sort of steam of consciousness narration, it completely immerses the readers into its nightmarish reality. In fact, Abby’s (the young bride’s) story pales in comparison with her mother’s, but the two work well in tandem to provide a sort of…well, not happy per se, but at least a semi optimistic resolution so that the sins of her father don’t have to extoll such a heavy cost for so long. Really quite a powerhouse of a story. This one should definitely be read in one sitting. Uncharacteristically I didn’t manage to do that, because, you know, life, but really set aside some time and don’t out this down until it’s over, maintain the narrative momentum and all that. Very good read. Recommended for fans of dark psychological fiction. Thanks Netgalley.

Wow! Twisty and compelling, this stream-of-consciousness tale opens with a wedding, a horrific accident, nightmares of skeletons in a field, and implications of abuse. The reader doesn't have to wait long to find out where the nightmares have come from. A satisfying story all around.

Joyce Carol Oates is masterful, regardless of the genre she’s writing in. This is no less true of suspense and mystery.

I loved the way Oates used poetic prose and sharp dialogue to craft this story. Suspenseful and lovely writing.

In a stream of consciousness voice we learn why a young newlywed steps off a bus into traffic. She tells us about a childhood and a dream she thought she had outgrown. And she tells us about her parents, and madness. All in inimitable Joyce Carol Oates style.

Abby is consumed by secrets ... dreams of walking through a field littered with skeletons. A solitary young woman, she marries a equally young, very religious boy who loves her completely. The day after her wedding - a day she should be celebrating - she deliberately walks in front of a bus and is critcally injured. Thus begins her journey -one that is painful and haunting.

The Pursuit by Joyce Carol Oates is, indeed, a haunting title. As I read, I was at first put off a bit by the fact that there was no real dialogue. But soon, I forgot about all that. Using a stream of consciousness technique, Oates takes the reader on a harrowing journey of remembrance - back to Abby's childhood - back to memories of her parents' disintegrating marriage, spousal abuse, and madness.

A real page turner, The Pursuit is my first Joyce Carol Oates title - but it won't be my last. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy dark fiction rooted in reality.