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Blogs by Gabriel Boutros
I recently read a great collection of short stories. 2/1/2014 12:21:03 PM
I don't usually buy short story collections, especially by authors I never heard of, but I was very happy to discover Among the Missing. Here is my review. Among the Missing is a collection of twelve simple tales about everyday people, most of whom are somehow broken on the inside. Their relations with their families and their friends don't really work like they should, and often, despite their best efforts, they don't succeed in getting through the day without causing pain to themselves or to those they love. In each one of these very different stories, we feel like we've just shown up in the middle of somebody's life; we watch them as they go about their daily affairs, and then we leave them, well aware that they'll never find whatever it is they want, and they'll never be completely happy. This knowledge makes us look at our own lives, because so many of these characters could easily be us, and this may lead us to wonder if we too are unable to find true happiness. Do we lie to ourselves, just so that we can get through the day? Do we lie to others just so we can get along with them?
Yet, at the same time, there is humour to be found in many of these stories. Not the raucous, laugh-out-loud kind, but a wistful kind of humour, which leaves you with a slightly sad smile. We see people experiencing sadness and regret over how things change; we see loss as a normal part of life; we see events, some dramatic, most mundane, but all which touch and change the people who live through them in ways they may not realize until years later. All in all, some truly accomplished story-telling.
This review originally appeared on Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1740PL0UXJD1M
