In 2004, Alice Munro published Runaway, a collection of stories that are, for the most part, unrelated. However, three of the stories—“Chance,” “Soon” and “Silence”—form a trio or perhaps a trilogy (there is as yet no established term for this new form). They deal with the same characters, albeit at vastly different times in their lives, as we watch the growth and decline of the relationship between the protagonist, Juliet, and Eric, a married man and then a widower; later, we see the bizarre estrangement between Juliet and their daughter, Penelope.
The trio provides Munro with an opportunity to explore the gap between the romance of youth and the banality of experience. Like so much of her fiction, the stories in Runaway contrast the feelings, dreams and priorities of the young with the compromises and settled lives of the old. From story to story, we jump ahead many years at a time, moving from the chance encounter between Juliet and Eric to...
Allan Weiss is a short-story writer living in Toronto. He is a professor of English and humanities at York University, specializing in fantastic literature. His story cycle Living Room appeared in 2001 (Bohème Press). His website is <www.allanweiss.com>.
Advertisement
Advertisement