By
– January 9, 2012
These twenty-seven tales of love have at least one thing in common: their lack of predictable happy endings. The tone of these stories is somewhat detached; many of the characters are not referred to by name until well into the tale, creating a feeling of separation and aloofness. The relationships in these stories, whether new or rekindled, never flow in a straight line, indicating that love is a balance between two people that is not easily achieved and may never come to pass.
Biller’s style is direct and unsentimental, in the same way that the relationships he depicts are neither warm nor romantic. Thus the reader is not surprised when the relationships fail, but then again, there is always hope that the next story will contain the one that will succeed.
Lisa Ginsburgh, a resident of Riverwoods, IL, belongs to two book clubs and enjoys reading about the Jewish experience.
