In Other Rooms, Other Wonders -- Take 2

Here is something I never thought I'd say: "Yay for short stories! I have, historically, not been a fan of short stories, which a couple of exceptions (Tobias Wolff, Ernest Hemingway). I now have to add this collection to my list of exceptions.

One thing that always amazes me about good short stories is how much the author can convey about a character, often in just a few pages. Some of these stories are significantly longer than others, but even the short ones do well at this.

Mueenuddin's writing is good. It's not great and flowery and "notice-me-now!"; neither is it noticeably bad. I found it to be totally neutral, and as such it fades into the background. The characters really take center stage, not the author.

Another great thing about this book is the cultural shift. All the stories are set in Pakistan, a place I have never been. But I sort of feel like I have now. And I have seen the cities and farms through the eyes of the servants and the wealthy, the wives and the husbands, the elderly and the young -- quite an array of viewpoints and experiences. (Note: if you're not interested in submerging your mind in another culture, don't waste your time with these stories. They'll just make you crazy.)

Short stories in general, as it turns out, are nice because they are short. (Who knew?!?) You can finish one, and really be finished. You know how you get that sense of accomplishment when you finish a book? Well, with short stories you get that more often (though maybe not to such an extent); regardless, you get to start over fresh with a new story when you're ready. It's like a little breathe-and-reboot break for your brain. There are wonderful things that can be done with the longer form of the novel, but sometimes they seem just a little too long, and it's nice to switch to something short and neat occasionally. These stories do the trick just beautifully.