Book Review: Disruptions by Steve Millhauser

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In turn, imaginative and fantastical, thought-provoking, humorous and unsettling Disruptions by Steve Millhauser is a remarkable collection of short stories varying in theme, length, and subject matter – a testimonial to the author’s magnificent range and versatility. The collection comprises a total of eighteen stories some new as well as several that have been previously published.

Among my favorites in the collection ( 5⭐ ) are : After the Beheading examines the aftermath of life in a town after the public beheading (guillotine) of a killer. Guided Tour takes us on a very realistic trip around an old city whose fame has its roots in a popular fairy tale. The Summer of Ladders follows the residents of a town as their obsession with ladders in the summer results in an almost competitive quest to climb to the highest altitude that results in dire consequences for some. The Little People studies the dynamics between humans and a community of tiny people who live in their midst. In The Column Dwellers of Our Town the top of the columns in the city provide sanctuary to those looking to live out their lives in solitude. In Theater of Shadows a unique show performance in a new theater in town inspires the residents to drastically change their way of life. In Green we follow a community whose idea of beatification of their neighborhoods involves the removal of all greenery. 

My ratings for the remaining stories

4⭐-Late , A Tired Town, A Common Predicament and The Circle of Punishment

3.5⭐- The Fight , A Haunted House Story , Thank You for Your Patience, Kafka in High School 1959, The Change and He Takes, She Takes.

3⭐- One Summer Night

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this superbly penned collection of stories. This is my first time reading Steven Millhauser and it surely won’t be my last.