DESCENT in FIVE (motions) – Review by Sheila Murphy
After reading the first few selections in this book, I had to wrench myself away to meet work obligations, then returned prematurely, I confess, to savor its riches. If classification need be addressed, the book situates itself in the category of speculative fiction. This exceedingly smart, surprising collection captures the attention of the reader immediately as Tobey Hiller unleashes her gift for crafting such irresistible openings as, “He is a man in frequent disagreement with his equipment . . .”; “She opened the oven door. One of the Cornish hens she was roasting flew out, brushing her arm with its seared flesh . . .” and “He had his mother’s prejudices and his father’s shoulders.”
Each welcome piece prompts a grateful smile or sigh of recognition that someone “gets it” and encapsulates what you may have suspected was true and now share as a welcome, startling literary marvel. One aspect of particular interest to this reader is Hiller’s fluency in depicting intimacy with a tender realism, as shown in “Midnight Chips,” the story of a miniature celebration with honesty and concluding with the just-right ending. This piece could only have been conceived by someone who feels and conveys the delicious reality that happens between people who know and live a supreme closeness.
Also very much to my taste is the fact that humor is a mainstay throughout this book as Hiller reveals deep and hilarious insight into what the characters are likely telling themselves. The brainy elegance and imaginative elements in “The Wrong Mice,” the fabulist rendering of “Kitchen Incident,” and Hiller’s perfectly nailing with unexpected breadth the dimensions happening in “Yada Yada,” open up a new reality in individual psyches and relationships.
“An Essay on Time” performs exquisite, far-reaching discovery in a fusion of essay and poem. “In the Small of the Year” achieves something I have never seen done this well in any work concerning the death of a parent. Further, “How the Moon Grew Various” closes the volume with creative depth that illuminates with a wisdom that transcends story. More importantly, however, each of the texts demonstrates a distinctive command of the language in support of brilliant thinking. Tobey Hiller’s gift in the realm of innovative fiction hails from a baseline of remarkable intellect and inspiring sensitivity crafted poetically to create an irresistible and luxurious read.
Sheila E. Murphy
