By Alexander Lurikov
Gray Cadence Publishing House, $10.00, 109 pages
Ah, the joys of reading short stories. Unlike novels, the beauty of the short story is the low level of risk involved. Your time investment is minimal but the return can be immeasurable; especially when you find an author as enjoyable as Alexander Lurikov. While reading Lurikov’s lyrical prose I was taken back to my high school English classes – remembering how much I enjoyed reading stories by James, Wharton and Gilman and a slew of others. There’s a level of intensity found in short stories, Lurikov’s included, that is lacking in most other longer forms of prose. This intensity is what makes them so unforgettable; their staying power is beyond compare, etched in your memory forever. Diary of a Discontent and the three other stories in this collection are much like that. Don’t let the title scare you off, obviously it’s not all rainbows and butterflies but neither is it overly dark or depressing. It was impossible for this reviewer to read just one story and put the book down. All of the stories in this collection were quite compelling, forcing the reader to devour them in just one sitting despite the intention to read just one.
Reading Diary of a Discontent, was like going on a weekend get-a-way, a short yet pleasurable experience that will be savored for a long time to come. And like weekend get-a-ways you can’t help but fantasize about the next one.
Reviewed by Kimberly Logan-Elwell
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