Pricksongs and Descants

Robert Coover's "Pricksongs and Descants," originally published in 1969, is a foundational collection that showcases the author's virtuosic command of language and narrative experimentation. This groundbreaking work cemented Coover's reputation as a writer of remarkable power and brilliance, notably pioneering his distinctive riffs on classic fairy tales and traditional bedtime stories. Within these 'riotously word-drunk' fictional romps, familiar narratives are fractured and reassembled, often leading characters—and readers—into unsettling, darkly humorous, and profoundly psychological territory. We encounter children following breadcrumbs to a perpetually deferred sinister end, a husband's delayed embrace revealing a tragic domestic scene, and a babysitter's evening transforming into a kaleidoscope of interwoven, dangerous erotic fantasies. The collection culminates in a provocative reimagining of the immaculate conception, challenging conventional beliefs with Coover's characteristic wit and intellectual rigor. A cornerstone of his stellar career, "Pricksongs and Descants" remains a brilliant and challenging work by a major American writer.