A review by sarsar450
The Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek

5.0

This haunting collection of stories was expertly written by Dybek, whose affection and authentic pulse on versions of Chicago both past and present pervades each story. I’m a sucker for a short story collection but even more for a collection that continuously folds into itself. “Nighthawks” was my favorite with “Pet Milk” a close second. Each story had a peripheral view that felt simultaneously foreign and familiar - the late night bus rider, the window collector, the Chopin eavesdropper. Often, Dybek writes a narrator who is a curious observer and this was a pleasure to read. Deeply anchored in Chicago while not particularly anchored in one decade or another - disorienting in a refreshing way. Recommend for any Chicago dweller - native or new!