Friday, July 17, 2009

On the Other Hand

I just read "On the Other Hand" by Michael Czyzniejewski in Best of the Web 2009 (originally appeared in Waccamaw), and I think it might be my favorite thing I've ever read by him, including all the stories in "Elephants in our Bedroom." Two mens' hands are accidentally switched after a car accident, and the one who is not our narrator becomes a bit wackjobish and stalkeresque. This setup would probably be enough to power the story through to its conclusion, but then Czyniejweski moves in an unexpected direction in the story's final pages, and the story becomes something even broader, deeper and stranger having to do with identity, intimacy and fear. Has anyone read this?

1 comment:

Molly Gaudry said...

Yes, it is amazing. The creep factor is incredible.