Book Review - "The Pen Prostitute Short Stories Volume 1"

Are you looking for a new book? Are you trying to build up your empathy muscles by reading some good non-fiction? Here's my review of "The Pen Prostitute Short Stories Volume I" by Cybele Tamulonis.

In short, these stories make the concept of 'bad things happening to good people' into a dance; a piece of art that I very much enjoyed being led through. The author is fond of the macabre and of the last second twist. Her writing draws you in fast and hits you hard, as I believe good short stories should do.

I finished the book pretty quickly, and I immediately concluded that the story, "Happy" was my favorite. Not just my favorite, but also the most accessible for me. As I mentioned before, I'm more of an optimist in general and I don't like hearing bad news, and as the title suggests that particular one had a clearly happy ending.

Another of the stories that I found myself emotionally invested in was "The Accidental Dentist". This one I think reflects pretty well on her writing style; she will pull you in one direction while pushing you in another, back and forth during the story. I followed the heart of the dentist while feeling the story of his assistant, hearing their shared life.

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Each of her short stories reminded me of having a really good dessert - let's say I'm out to dinner, and I've ordered a slice of chocolate cake. When it arrives I take my first warm and chewy bite; I get the strong sweet notes of exactly what I was expecting - as each story did deliver a good feeling and an immediate connection with the characters.

Then I'm assaulted by the unexpected flavors - sour cherries, bitter clove, or of hints of spicy chili. I don't know if I like it or not but I keep going because I'm drawn into it. The mix of sweet and spicy and sour and tangy words and cake have taken over my thoughts and my spoon and before I know it, I'm done. Only after the plate is clean do I look back on the experience; I think about the mix of elements in the story and wonder how I managed to read it all so quickly and so easily. It was great, I think.

And yet...there's a slight bitter aftertaste. Something that reminds me that not all is right in the world.

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If you like character stories with reminders of the cruelty of humanity, then this book may be for you. Let's hope she keeps it up with Volume II.

Janet