Short Story Wednesday: Graham Greene

“Graham Greene” by Percival Everette is a literary mystery story published in the 2015 Spring issue of Callaloo (Volume 38, Number 2). (Audio / Text (free subscription))

The first thing I love about this story is the way Percival plays with the stereotypical white opinion that people of colour all look the same. I can imagine him wanting to write a story that emphasizes this trope, carefully weaving an entire story to point it out, and then turn it on its head. I’m sure the result was just a side effect of whatever really inspires him, but that’s how well developed this theme is in the piece.

The second thing I love about this story is a SPOILER. I love that the story doesn’t end with a happy reunion, but instead the reality of not being able to do something impossible. It ties in beautifully with the scene where the woman at the store comments that he must feel guilty about something, because you can tell that even though his quest was impossible, he will always feel he didn’t do enough.

Each Wednesday, I review my favourite published story I’ve read during the past week. If you’d like to join me by reviewing a short story on your blog each Wednesday, email me the link to your post, and I’ll share it below. I learned of Short Story Wednesday from Patricia Abbot’s blog.