COLLECTED SHORT STORIES

by Bernadette Miller ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Miller presents an anthology of short stories set in New York City, the land of both great possibility and loneliness.

This volume collects nearly two dozen short stories thematically connected by the setting of their action: a gritty New York City, not yet made into the Epcot-Center version of itself that debuted during the Giuliani years. The metropolis figures so prominently in some of the stories it almost counts as a second protagonist; in “Hanging On,” Rissa Kabelensky, a “poor, middle-aged, and incredibly ugly” woman, despairs of her lonesomeness, especially when her lover, Paul, abandons her. A sensitive poet, she considers suicide to finally end her torment, but is stayed by the greatness of New York City, and all its glimmering attractions—the city and its allure all but save her life. Unfortunately, the same story furnishes an example of the author’s flat, even insipid prose. Here Rissa considers her last conversation with Paul, and the prospect of killing herself: “Oh, Ramirez might feel hurt at her suicide, like her friends. But they’d all get along without her. After a while, except for an occasional remark, she’d be forgotten. There was no use trying to find excuses. By forty, there weren’t any more. Better to get it over with!” The emotional range of the stories is impressively broad, but the pain of singlehood, and the power of art to provide a balm for it, are recurring leitmotifs. In “A Tailor’s Heart,” Jenny tries desperately to reconnect with her estranged grandfather, Abe, but he can barely muster a minute of free time from his ceaseless labor, which he uses to distract himself from the pain of solitude. To better understand the family with which she maintains little connection, Jenny composes short stories that nostalgically recall the better times, a tender expression of heartache deftly portrayed by the author.

For the most part, Miller adopts a fairly traditional structure for her stories, but there is some narrative experimentation as well: In “Traveler,” Steve Wilson, a divorcee, quits his “prestigious managerial job” and fantasizes in a local pub about being anything but himself. “An old man has bought me at the liquor store. What? Can I really bet a bottle of wine? Is that how I end up? Ironic, perhaps, but morbid.” This is one of the collection’s strongest stories, conveyed with impressive originality and comedic playfulness. That light, humorous touch mixes deftly with aching sadness in “The Dreamer,” as well; Mickey is the dreamer in question, an exasperatingly idealistic man incapable of navigating the world of practical affairs, always lost in hazy reverie. After losing everything of value due to his impracticality, he imagines how wonderful it would be to live the life of a pigeon, unburdened by the cares of man, able to fly above it all and glide through the spectacular vistas of New York. However, the author’s prose is more often than not a barrier to an enjoyment of her stories.

A collection of stories that vividly depict New York City stymied by some mundane writing.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Manuscript

Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2023

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

LITERARY FICTION | SHORT STORIES | GENERAL FICTION