Rating:
5/5 Bursts of Unease
Give me the short version:
What heads did you never expect to see the inside of? Alright. Welcome aboard.
I didn't know much about JR Hamantaschen of the restless reputation before I started reading but I must say I'm not surprised.
Mr Hamantaschen inhabits a breathtaking array of humanity under duress with the ease others might use changing coats. He will take you along flapping helplessly in his wake and it's not always a comfortable ride. It shouldn't be. But it is a fascinating one. I love a collection where every story demands a respectful pause to taste and turn over what you just read, digest or expel. These are not words to burn through greedily. The uncanny and mundane jostle for dominance, the realisation creeping in that your hope is not universal; others stand on a thinner crust.
Favourite bit:
"There were worse people in the world than him. He was good, he tried, he was here, he consoled himself. He slept."