What better way to dive into the Halloween season than with a little tale that illuminates the monsters that lurk among us? First Love is an incredibly disturbing novella by author, Joyce Carol Oates that introduces us to one of the more vile characters I have encountered in literature: Jared (skillfully depicted above by artist Barry Moser). Jared is a young seminary student and sadist who spends the bulk of the novella physically and psychologically torturing his 11-year old cousin, Josie. The monsters that populate this tale and the constant presence of evil could give any horror novel a run for its money.
The Lupton Library does not have a circulating copy of the book, but we do hold two copies in the Special Collections. It’s a short read though (probably no more than an hour), so feel free to drop in and read it or just come by to see the original woodblock prints created for the book.