Between Camelots, by David Harris Ebenbach

My friend Trish loaned me this book with the caveat that the first story, which she had heard on NPR, was great, so she bought the book--but the rest of the stories? Not so great. Of course, she is right!

I read most of them (a few might fall under the category of "having been perused") and my overall disappointment in them is that they don't feel complete, nor are they effective "slice of life" snippets, either--most read like someone just clicked the off button too soon, or maybe they didn't click the off button when they should've, because not much conversationally is happening that's worth listening to.

The first story, "Misdirections," is sad and whole and metaphorical. I can totally relate to the have-a-heart mice traps thing, too. Plus it's a great example of how a complete story can be told well in one page.

The rest of the stories flip-flop perspectives, which I think is ambitious and brave. But it takes a little too much shifting for my brain to jump from the point of view of the old mom to the point of view to the young male teacher, and I rather started to crave a more neutral, undefined narrator who would let me ascertain the whole scene and not just one character's perception of it. Of course, since I didn't read this very carefully, I'm sure there are some stories like that and I just sleepily glossed over them a bit (I think I can remember one or two).

So, overall, some interesting stories but nothing too momentous.