I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.
Whenever I review short stories, I start off with the disclaimer that I don’t usually read short stories. But recently, I’ve been delving into more of them, so I was pleased to be able to review The Archivists: Stories by Daphne Kalotay.
This is a thoughtful collection of stories dealing with life-changing events and moments in largely realistic contemporary settings. (There is a hint of the magical or surreal in a few, but mostly, they are realistic.) The stories have varied settings and do not interlink, but deal with everything from reactions to the pandemic to a second date where one must eat egg in aspic.
The characters are deftly portrayed and I found myself emotionally invested in each of the stories despite the brevity. They are beautifully written, dealing primarily with complex relationships. They are moving rather than depressing.
The book is recommended for short story fans and for those who dip into the literary form only occasionally.
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