The weakest of the species

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES. By Joyce Carol Oates. Quercus, €14.70

What is it, about five minutes since Joyce Carol Oates last published a work of fiction? The lauded American author and Princeton university professor is 68-yearsold, but age has done nothing to arrest her incredible pace.

If anything, the queen of productivity seems only to have speeded up over the years. Since 2000, Oates has published five novels, two novellas, three short story collections, four books for young adults and two essay collections. ...