SOURCE: Pols, Mary F. “‘Palace’ a Satisfying Quartet.” The Seattle Times (6 March 1994): F2.

In the following review, Pols commends the haunting novellas collected in The Palace Thief.

Ethan Canin is a publisher's dream. He's young (33), handsome, went to the best schools (Stanford, Harvard), and he has an interesting second career—medicine—giving him credibility beyond the coffeehouse.

Then there is his talent, which is considerable, and apparently not as fleeting as some had feared. His entrancing debut collection of stories, Emperor of the Air rode the bestseller list in 1988, but his first novel, Blue River, fared less well in sales and critical acclaim in 1991. Despite solid reviews, it faded quickly, raising questions about Canin's durability. The author kept his day job.

He now returns with The Palace Thief, four novellas that cling to the reader well after the book is closed. They are mostly about men, unhappy and...