New Yorker Fiction Review #301: "The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz" by Michele Mari

 

Review of the short story from the May 29, 2023 issue of The New Yorker...

There's not much that can be said about "The Soccer Balls of Mr. Kurz" other than it's a cute short story about a group of boys at a boarding school in Italy in the 1960s. I probably wouldn't even be reviewing it right now except for the fact that I took the time to read it, so I figured why not at least write something about it. 

The details about Italian life in the 1960s are somewhat interesting, as well as the perspective: it is told from the close third-person perspective of one of the boys. Except that what Michele Mari manages to do -- and pretty well -- is imbue the narration with a grandiosity fitting of an adult. Since the story is about a 10 year old boy and his 10 year old boy problems -- namely that he and his friends keep losing soccer balls into the yard of a reclusive neighbor who never gives the balls back -- it has a funny and charming sort of effect. 

There is a cute (yes, cute) plot twist in the end that makes this short story worth reading if you are in the mood for a light, easy literary snack. Otherwise, I doubt I would ever find reason to revisit this short story and could not really recommend it.

Illustration by Guido Scarbottolo