Book Review
Title: Principle of Interchange and Other Stories
Author: P. V. LeForge
Publisher: Paperback Rack Books
Date: April 1, 1990
ISBN: 978-0962487804
A collection of sixteen stories, Principle of Interchange holds its share of surprises, mostly pleasant surprises. The subject matter varies widely: from an impoverished girl in Bombay who becomes a prophetic hero, to a downtrodden writer in Alaska who mainly corresponds with comic book publishers, to a troubled married couple in rural China where the woman’s mother-in-law keeps trying to kill her. Some stories are third-person, some first-person. The point of view works well in each case, and the imaginative plots provide compelling reading experiences.
The most important quality to me is how well written a book is. This volume is very well written from beginning to end. There are subtle changes of style supporting the substance of the stories, and this is done very effectively. LeForge clearly takes his craft seriously, because the sentences are æsthetically pleasing and seem effortless (which takes enormous effort).
To me, the most excellent stories were “Bowl of Sunshine,” “Abe Mott,” “Railroad Days,” “In Canton,” and “Vandals.” That is not to speak less of the others—the front-to-back experience was a true literary pleasure, and a lot of fun to read. On a personal note, I enjoyed the references to places in Tallahassee, Florida in “Railroad Days” as I had lived in that city several decades ago.
Don’t let the flowery book cover mislead you, the writing is strong, disciplined, well crafted, smooth, and clean. It is not flowery. I happily recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.