Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko
Ogawa
I have to admit that I am not a huge
fan of short stories, but there are short story collections on every best of
2013 list I've seen. It seems like 2013
will be the year of the short story. So
I’m trying to learn to like the form, and I found a winner in this one.
Alone, each story is an interesting
glimpse into a life; together, these stories weave an intricate web of
connections between events and people that can’t be seen unless glimpsed from a
distance. As the title states, these are
dark stories. All of them leave you
feeling a little unbalanced or uncomfortable.
(Especially the story about the woman commissioning a bag to hold her
heart since she was born with her heart on the outside.) Decidedly Japanese, lending an otherworldly
feel of a different perspective and culture to the oddness going on, these
stories are for those who want something different that can be enjoyed in one
sitting.
