Book Review: "Evil Eye" by Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is perhaps a paradox for me. One side of this paradox is that she is a brilliant author and yet, the other side of it is that she is a strange and maybe slightly bigoted human being when it comes to literature especially. I think that there is perhaps a reason for that concerning the fact that she has sold so many books across the world and yet, I cannot understand it. However, she has still written some of my personal favourite fiction regarding the strange - including but not limited to books such as ‘The Corn Maiden’ and ‘The American Book of Martyrs’ (which was phenomenal by the way). Here, we look at four very weird novellas in which she shows us her stock character of a somewhat amicable man who turns out to be someone else entirely.

The title novella, Evil Eye, follows Mariana, a young woman who has recently married an older, distinguished intellectual, Austin Mohr. At first, their relationship appears to be one of quiet sophistication, but Mariana begins to feel unsettled when Austin’s first wife, Ines, re-enters his life. Ines, self-possessed and enigmatic, exerts an eerie influence over both Austin and Mariana, insisting on a private meeting with the younger woman. During their unsettling conversation, Ines implies that Mariana does not truly know the man she has married. A creeping sense of dread builds as Mariana begins to suspect that Austin harbours dark secrets, and when a shocking act of violence occurs, the psychological tension culminates in a moment of horrifying revelation that upends Mariana’s reality.

The novella: So Near Any Time Always centres on Lizbeth, a quiet, socially awkward teenager who lives with her single mother. When she encounters the charming, older Desmond Parrish, she is flattered by his attention and slowly drawn into his orbit. Desmond presents himself as considerate and affectionate, taking an interest in Lizbeth’s life and subtly isolating her from her friends. However, a disturbing undercurrent runs through their interactions—Desmond’s attentions are too insistent, too controlling. As Lizbeth’s discomfort grows, so does her realisation that Desmond is not merely a suitor but a predator with a disturbing obsession. The narrative builds to an unsettling climax as Lizbeth attempts to extricate herself from his grip, growing into a confrontation that forces her to recognise the full extent of his manipulations.

The Execution is a psychological thriller that follows Bart Hansen, a privileged young man who has grown up resenting his mother, a cold and severe woman who never showed him affection. When Bart, now an adult, reconnects with his mother after years of estrangement, his simmering resentment turns into something more sinister. In his mind, she has always controlled and belittled him, and he begins to fantasise about liberating himself through an act of ultimate defiance. However, the lines between his imagination and reality blur as his obsession intensifies, leading to an act of violence that is as much an assertion of power as it is a desperate bid for recognition. The novella’s chilling ambiguity leaves the reader questioning whether Bart is a victim of lifelong emotional neglect or the embodiment of cold-blooded revenge.

In The Flatbed, Cecilia, a university professor, is drawn into a fraught relationship with her student, an intense and brooding young man named Nial. Despite her misgivings, she finds herself intrigued by his intelligence and the dark charisma that sets him apart from her other students. When Nial begins to disclose disturbing details about his past, including his claim that he was involved in his mother’s death, Cecilia is caught between fear, fascination, and a desire to understand him. As their relationship becomes increasingly dangerous, Cecilia must navigate the fine line between professional ethics and personal safety. The tension builds to a harrowing conclusion, where the question of who holds power in their dynamic is ultimately turned on its head in a weird way that is clearly a part and parcel of many Joyce Carol Oates stories.

All in all, as we can see, the novellas in this text are each distinct and yet have the mark of a classic Joyce Carol Oates writing. I find that though this has not been the very best of her I’ve seen, it is still pretty remarkable in comparison to others of the same genre.