Joseph Epstein's "My Brother Eli"

Here's one worth reading.

I "googled" and found two different reviewers with a similar opinion of Joseph Epstein's "My Brother Eli." In reviewing Best American Stories 2007, one writer called it "by far the best [story] up to this point" (disclaimer: "this point" is the sixth story), and "It made me wish for a whole novel about these characters."

The other book blogger, over at Wordpress, considered it one of "three stories that in this standout collection, IMHO really soared" (also referring to the 2007 collection).

Well, I'll spare you the "IMHO" and instead offer the uncompromising and ridiculous ego of the direct command: read it! As Rushdie once said of a Pynchon novel, "Gulp it down. It beats getting drunk." At least, that's what I remember reading on the back cover of the book.

Joe, if you're out there, we're gonna make you rich. Or drunk. Or read. Or something . . .