I have a friend at work who was very large with child, and I gave her a copy of "The Barrens and Others" as a pregnancy gift. I like giving to the mother; I figure everyone else will give gifts for the child.
At any rate, she had a long labor, 17 hours, which resulted in a C-section. Mom and very big baby boy are doing well.
Mom said that while she was...well...laboring, she read snatches of "The Barrens." She loved it and found it a wonderful distraction. She is now reading "The Barrens" while breast feeding. She's still loving it but wonders if all the shivers she experiences while reading are having an effect on the child.
Either way, she's not stopping.
She is now an FPW convert. She loves the clarity of Paul's writing and the smooth flowing narrative, not to mention the thrills and chills. She's hot to trot for the next book. Short stories are best for her at this time.
Other than "The Barrens," I don't think any of FPW's short stories are in print now, are they? Any suggestions?