Tiny Clubs

by Geoff Wyss

What Leela knew about film stars was that they were startled in bed with unexpected partners and then discussed the incidents on TV, which made her imagine them as people turned inside out, people naked down through the layers of their skin. "Sorry to disappoint you," she said, "but film stars will be returning to this life as mosquitoes."
How can you not love a novel with a character saying that? Geoff Wyss' Tiny Clubs does just so while taking us to Bombay, along with twelve opthalmologists who are - mostly - on a charitable mission to operate on cataracts for India's abundant poor. Along the way you'll meet Tasti Kapoor, a famous film star of Bollywood, plus a large cast of supporting characters having the mix of motives you might expect from one of the world's poorest cities. And you'll find out why one of those twelve charitable opthalmologists might not be quite so charitable after all.

Hardcover

First published August 30, 2007

About the author

Geoff Wyss’s book of short stories, How, won the Ohio State Fiction Prize. His novel, Tiny Clubs, was published in 2007. Wyss's fiction has appeared in New Stories from the South 2006 and 2009, Tin House, Glimmer Train, Image, and many others. He lives in New Orleans and can be reached at geoffwyss@hotmail.com

Reviews

[Catrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining book. Some parts were better than others, and some parts were just hard to understand. The overall concept was original and interesting. I would have liked to read more about the eye procedures, and the people getting them. I felt the book jumped around a bit too much, which made it hard to understand what was going on with who. I would read more of Geoff Wyss's work, because he is unique as an author, and he gives plenty of personality to his characters, making them come alive.