THE PIECES OF A FAN

An unusual good group of short stories, with more of plot than of mood and atmosphere. It is a relief to get away from the now-hackneyed method of a fragment suspended in time and space. These stories offer wide variety in plot, setting and character. For the essential flavor, scan the story of the famous pianist who ruined his hands to master a glissando at the close of a Chopin study that another musician had achieved. There's a nice twist to each story; there is entertainment in everyone. Occasionally, one recognizes, reluctantly, an echo of Galsworthy. But in the final analysis, the stories are original, well done and with a nice foundation of irony.