The short stories in "Unified Field Theory" capture characters in
the middle of their lives as things fall apart. Jobs, marriages,
and hopes disintegrate under people while they seek strategies and
explanations. Some look for something larger than themselves, while
others get in their cars and drive as if motion alone might offer a
solution.
In "When the Hoot Owl Moves Its Nest," a surveyor blames the
wreck of his marriage on his inability to interpret old-fashioned
signs. In "If You Meet Buddha by the Road," a bicyclist seeks
peace, and perhaps finds it, in Buddhism, while his ex-wife grieves
for her lost youth. In the title story, a warehouseman seeks to
overcome resignation through his misconception of particle physics:
"We all hold that plane up there by an act of collective
concentration. Each and every one of us looks into the sky as we
drive along in our cars, go to the bank, mow the grass; and, with
our looks, little by little, we help that airplane make its
way."
Frank Soos's stories do not move toward epiphany. The men and
women in "Unified Field Theory" have moments of emotional or
intellectual recognition, but their lives are too complex for these
moments to suggest long-term alterations. Plots double back on
themselves, portraits are enriched through layers of detail, and
readers achieve a growing understanding of each character's
possibilities and limitations. The stories suggest a way of
thoughtfully and emotionally participating in other people's
worlds.
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