Review: The Ghost Variations

 

First of all, Mr. Brockmeier's writing is gorgeous. What we have with The Ghost Variations are 100 very short stories (two to three pages each) that are both literary and about ghosts. It's nice to see two genres blend together--paranormal + literary.

They are mainly sad, though, yet beautiful. Many of the living seek fulfilment they'll never find. Often, the ghosts seek the same thinisg and never find what they're looking for. Why do we need stories of quiet desperation? The characters' longing makes me want to get up and do something with my life before it's too late. 

All of the stories are highly imaginative.  I feel like I'm a creative person, but while reading these 100 tales I so often thought, "How did he think of this?" For instance, in one story a man dies two ways at one time--he has a heart attack at the same time he's chomped by an alligator.  He becomes two half ghosts instead of one whole ghost, both with different ideas of what to do in the afterlife. Almost all have some sort of surprise.

By the way, even if the tales are sad and a little scary, the illustrations are darling. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Pantheon Books for a copy of this ebook in return for an honest review.