Some Trick


Some Trick: Thirteen Stories, published in 2018, is a short story collection by American writer Helen DeWitt.

Contents

  • "Brutto"
  • "My Heart Belongs to Bertie"
  • "On the Town"
  • "Remember Me"
  • "Climbers"
  • "Improvisation Is the Heart of Music"
  • "Famous Last Words"
  • "The French Style of Mlle Matsumoto"
  • "Stolen Luck"
  • "In Which Nick Buys a Harley"
  • "Trevor"
  • "Plantinga"
  • "Entourage"

Reception

Some Trick was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers [Weekly]. Kirkus noted that many of the stories illuminate "the backside or underside of creative work" and commended DeWitt's combination of "wide-ranging intellect" with humor and deeply human characters. Publishers Weekly highlighted DeWitt's portrayals of "misunderstood genius" and her "disdain for those who seek to profit off of genius," and praised the collection's "astounding prose" and "thought-provoking stories." The book also received reviews from The Atlantic, Frieze, Harper's Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Millions, The New York Times, NPR, The Paris Review, and SFGate.