T. C. Boyle missed his calling as a stand-up comedian — or perhaps a first-rate dramatic actor. Because when Boyle reads, you listen. Hearing the award-winning novelist perform his latest collection of short stories, Wild Child, brings out the lyrical quality of Boyle’s writing. His timing is perfect. So is his tone. Boyle’s staccato, precise voice perfectly captures the rhythm of his writing and the often manic, possessed nature of many characters in Wild Child.

That sense of urgency comes through clearly in the stunning title story, which stands out as one of the best short stories of the decade. The long, multi-part story could easily be considered a novella on par with Herman Melville’s Billy Budd or Bartleby, the Scrivener. Boyle’s fictional tale describes in vivid detail the true story of Victor, the Wild Boy of Aveyron, who was discovered living in the woods in France in 1797. Boyle imagines what the boy’s life must have been like and the Herculean efforts of Dr. Jean-Marc Gaspard itard to assimilate Victor back into society. Like itard, Boyle approaches his subject with a clinical yet tender eye. Boyle manages to be sensitive towards his characters without being sentimental.

Boyle displays this same unsentimental sensitivity in the other stories of Wild Child, showcasing his uncanny ability to paint portraits so real, the imaginary characters and sometimes far-fetched scenarios feel completely plausible. Other stories that stand out in this stellar collection include “La Concita”, about one man’s heroic efforts to deliver a donated liver to a hospital; “Sin Dolor”, about a Mexican child who feels no pain; and “Admiral”, about a couple’s efforts to perfectly recreate the same environment for their cloned dog, right down to hiring the same woman to dog-sit the new animal. Humorous, insightful, nostalgic, slightly absurd — these 14 stories illustrate Boyle at his best. —Ken Ross