"Such Fun"
James Salter
told in omniscient, then close 3rd
From: Last Night Originally appeared in Esquire
from 4/14
At first, this seems like a slight story about three friends on a girls' night out. But of course, we know better, it's Salter. You're still not ready for the punch in the gut ending from the one friend, Jane, who plays the role of conservative wet blankets to the fun, party girls Leslie and Kathrin:
Leslie and Kathrin had been roommates in college and friends ever since. They had htichhiked through Europe together, getting as far as Turkey, sleeping in the same bed a lot of the nights and, except once, not fooling around with men, or, as it happened that times, boys. Kathrin had long hair combed back dark from a handsome brow and a brilliant smile. She could easily have been a model. There was not much more to her than met the eye, but that had always been enough. Leslie had majored in music but hadn't don anything with it. She had a wonderful way on the telephone, as if she'd known you for years.
The story begins in distant third with the descriptions and then dips into all the girls' heads at least once, but he stays mostly with Jane. It didn't bother me that much since until you get Jane's reveal it really the story of the three of them being out together, and that dynamic. This a great story for re-reading, as you can go back and look at Jane's actions all night with a new eye. We jump to the head of cabbie after Jane's reveal, and personally I really did find that necessary. But I think that's just his thing in this volume; I don't believe we've followed just one person's story yet in the ones I've read. The next one is first POV, so maybe that one.