a better angel

i read a great short fiction piece in the new yorker this week. it's called "A Better Angel" by Chris Adrian and the writing style is just beautiful. and funny without being obvious and trying to hard. just by being a great character piece that gets you involved enough with the characters that you know when its funny - nobody has to hit you over the head with it. i love that. here's a little bit of it - one of many brilliant little bits -

"the angel was done up that day in the dress and skin of a chinese girl - sometimes her form obliged my fancy, though i knew i could not control it, having tried to make her take on the shape of a dog or a corncob by staring at her and concentrating until she told me to stop it."

love it!

that said, sometimes the new yorker misses - i am still trying to get through their fiction piece from the week before - hoping, praying, it will pay off. it has yet to - and i've maybe lost interest by now.

anyway, Chris Adrian apparently has a novel "The Children's Hospital" coming out in the fall. i intend fully to check it out - so should you. also of note is that Amazon lists another book by Adrian called "Gob's Grief" - but something about it sounds like maybe it's not the same guy. can't be sure though. anyone know for sure?