by Téa ObrehtI always love the fiction issues that the New Yorker produces twice a year. As much as I enjoy the usual editions of the magazine, these are to be highly anticipated, as they almost always introduce me to a new writer whose work I enjoy.
In this issue, "The Tiger's Wife" is a spectacular first exposure to Téa Obreht. This story tells of a tiger that escapes from his cage during a bombing in Eastern Europe (presumably during the Second World War), and makes its way into a woods near a small village. The tiger ignites the populace of the village, including the narrator's young grandfather, and a deaf-mute teenager, who is married to the town butcher. The presence of the tiger is an exciting thing for the young boy. For the deaf-mute, trapped in her vicious marriage and her inability to communicate, it means much more.
I like that Obreht's story doesn't really end so much as peter out, as the narrator, writing in modern times, is unable to piece together the end of the story.
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