Eggers is a master of point of view; you adhere to his protagonist, even if you have little or nothing in common with him, and even when you’re not entirely on his side.
Shields has composed a portrait of the complicated author and the darknesses that drove Williams to write, to overcompensate, to philander, to mansplain.
Énard’s language lingers in these scenes, writing around the activity of the artist rather than indulging in encomia of genius. “It’s work, above all.”
Power is careful not to over-sentimentalize. Not once does he break the delicate combination of breezy and desperate that constitutes much of his work.
The stories are full of wisdom and warnings. Pearls on a Branch is unique in emphasizing women as the creators, audience, and protagonists of such tales.