"Spoiled: Stories," by Caitlin Macy

Regular readers of this blog might remember that I am very interested in the topic of social class and how it affects everyone and everything. I often read nonfiction and fiction on the topic, and have written and published about it as well (as it connects to educational settings). I also like fiction by and about women. And I like fiction set in New York City. So, what was not to like about a book of short stories by Caitlin Macy titled “Spoiled” (Random House, 2009)? It was a bonus that the book’s epigraph is a quotation from Edith Wharton (whose works I have read often and with great pleasure and appreciation). “Spoiled” does, as the title suggests, feature young women who live in New York City and who have, in general, had material and other advantages. However, as we know, those advantages do not guarantee happiness or fulfillment. And sure enough, these characters often struggle and often misstep. Sometimes the author is quite sharp-penned in her revelations of the kinds of petty competitiveness that sometimes exist in the world of prosperous but often insecure (financially and otherwise) young women in their Manhattan setting, as illustrated in the story “Christy.” Sometimes they are out of their depth and almost arrogantly oblivious when they travel abroad, as in the ill-fated trip one young couple took to Morocco, portrayed in the story “Taroudant.” Class differences and the uneasiness caused by them come out in stories about the relationships of one woman with her nanny, and of another woman with her cleaning woman. Although many of the main characters are definitely “spoiled,” the author makes sure we see their complexities as well, and they are never defined only by their class statuses. The stories are well-written, with many telling details.