Description

Diana Geacar’s short stories show the strain of daily life. People feel alone and fail to reach each other. They feel worn down and trapped by a sense of failure. Love, life as a couple, and motherhood offer no escape. The tales strip away ideal views of all three.

This book suits readers who like spare, bleak literary fiction. Some tales focus on small moments in daily life. Others look back at the teen years in harsh, real terms. They show no fond longing for those years. Some take the form of parables, tales that make a point. These have faint roots in the style of Kafka. The drama stems from lives that feel trapped by routine. It does not come from grand events.

Geacar brings her spare style from verse to prose. She used this style in her three earlier books of poems. Depression, neurosis, distress, and anger set the mood. Dark images show both pain and a need for closeness. Beneath the bleak tone lies a wish for human warmth. This may come through shared feelings or through touch. The book forms part of the Avanpost series.