Well written short stories in O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find

I enjoyed A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor, for several reasons. It is a book of short stories, and being published in 1955, is a little “newer” than what I’ve been reading lately, and a little more accessible. Having said that, all of the stories inside hold deep meanings that can be missed if you blow through the novel quickly.

The book contains 10 relatively short stories, the first being the title of the novel. They deal a lot with morality, religion, and human nature (O’Connor was a devout Catholic). A common thread seen in several stories is a good samaritan betrayed by an evil person with ill intentions, however even here, we sometimes get the idea the samaritan isn’t as good as advertised.

The only part that really bothered me is O’Connor’s writing is pretty heavily racist. It is easy to see why, as she was raised in the deep south in the early 20th century, but it is hard to read some passages. Lots of “n” words thrown around in conversations, but it does show a glimpse of that time in that place. If you can look past that, and I know not everyone can or would want to, it is a well written novel with plenty to keep you pondering after you finish it.