#34 Transparency: Stories. Frances Hwang. Short Fiction. 3.5 Stars

These stories were haunting and beautiful overall, and while they did not link together directly as some collections do they had a similar tone and flavor that gave the collection a cohesiveness that was enjoyable. As usual with short fiction I was moved by some pieces more than others, but unlike many collections I read all of the stories were strong.

The Old Gentleman, Blue Hour, Transparency, and Sonata for the Left Hand were my favorites, but I can’t quite pinpoint why as they were written with the same beautiful ease as the other. I suppose I just connected a little more to the characters or what they were going through in these pieces than the others. I did feel that Hwang’s longer pieces were her stronger works, Remedies, The Modern Age, and Giving a Clock were for me the weaker of the bunch and also by far the shortest works.

Ironically enough the two last pieces in the collection, Intruders and Garden City, I enjoyed immensely, but they ended abruptly for me and left me wanting in a kind of desperate way. Perhaps this is what Hwang intended, but I confess to being disappointed considering how satisfied I felt with my favorites in the collection. In fact I feel and felt most connected to the character Susan in Intruders and was moved by this story above all others, but ultimately I felt a bit let down, but considering the nature of the piece, perhaps that is what Hwang wanted in me.

Overall a strong collection, that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys short fiction. 3.5 stars.