Under the 82nd Airborne by Deborah Eisenberg (October 2017)
I
came back to Eisenberg’s short fiction after enjoying Transactions in a Foreign Currency. I found I
did not like Under the 82nd Airborne as much. However, I will recommend
‘The Robbery’ to anyone considering trying at least one story from this collection.
One
of my favorite aspects of reading fiction is being exposed to those sweeping
generalizations that are rooted in some aspect of reality yet have no real hope
of ever being confirmed as fact. These ‘true on average’ (!)
commentaries are often delivered by the types of characters I’ve come across in Eisenberg’s work - earnest yet inexperienced, these creations are likely to see the world differently once they realize how
wrong they are about one of their core beliefs.
The best
such idea in Under the 82nd Airborne was about America: a county full of people who love to talk, a country where the art of conversation is yet to take a
foothold. I also thought one character’s editorial on economics fit the
idea well: those with specific economic goals are always able to defend
indefensible practices.
In one story, a character notes
how nature is nothing except self-expression. Perhaps this is the
reason why people enjoy doing what they are good at. I'm still looking for an explanation as to why TOA continues on, however - so if you do have a theory, reader, please get in touch.
