A review by diyashasen
The Lonely Stories: 22 Celebrated Writers on the Joys & Struggles of Being Alone by Natalie Eve Garrett

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Agh, this was somehow a wonderful and horrible anthology to read these past few months. A lot of the authors wrote these short stories (or more aptly mini 'memoirs') while stuck at home and the writing (and even the narratives) range from middling to mind-blowing. But hot damn, this collection as a whole was a punch to the stomach. Depending on your mood, the authors' observations will either catapult you into the realm of existential dread or their musings will serve as a reminder that feelings of loneliness (and dreading loneliness) are universal.

My favourite stories included: Ward by Imani Perry, 75 x 2 by Maile Meloy, Letting Go by Maya Shanbhag Lang, and the best of them all... Trading Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Thank you to Catapult, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
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