Vampires in the Lemon Grove

I only read the first story (the title story) in this collection. I actually picked it up at the library and started reading (sampling) on page 3 or 4, and decided to read it. A few minutes later I realized it was a book of short stories, and I thought, so much the better. I’ll read this one and decide whether to read more.

I liked the story, but it didn’t really end in any sort of satisfying way. Mostly it left me with a ton of questions.

There are four exceptional stories here with ambiguous, less-than-satisfying conclusions. And then there are a few more stories that are okay. Almost every entry in the collection, though, has an original and authentic voice, very well crafted atmosphere, and an approach to familiar subjects that is entirely new. There are images from a few stories (Vampires, Reeling, New Veterans, and Graveless Doll) that are haunting and likely to stay with me for a while.

Love it.

I'd rate this a 3.5 stars if I could. Hit-and-miss magical realism along the same lines as Swamplandia, yet much, much creepier (in a good way), this collection of short stories is a quick read that's worth picking up just for "Reeling for the Empire," my favorite story in the book. They're all interesting and thought-provoking, and could lead to some good book club discussions about redemption and betrayal, the line between imagination and reality, and what it means to be a monster -- I'm going to suggest it for my own club's next book.