Karen Russell's collection gathers eight stories that mix the strange and the everyday. In the title story, two vampires try to sate their thirst on lemons in an Italian grove. Other stories follow Japanese women who are turned into silkworms in a silk factory, a pioneer family struggling to prove up a homestead claim, and a group of US presidents reincarnated as horses. Each story begins with a slightly absurd premise and then finds real emotion.
Readers who enjoy magical realism, dark humor, and imaginative short fiction will find plenty to like. It suits those who want inventive writing that is both funny and sad, and who prefer stories that surprise them.
Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2013
- Language
- EN
