Squishy

by Arjun Basu

Arjun Basu’s fiction collection is a wry and consistently provocative book which exposes the realities beneath social conventions. Squishy Do you still love me? Do you want fries with that? Do I look fat? Life is full of small moments that define us, tangents that lead us to unexpected places, bad decisions and no decisions with repercussions you couldn’t possibly predict. This is the world of Squishy, where subtle truths emerge from just beneath our seeming contentment and happiness, our layered social obligations. An aspiring actress fast approaching her best before date, a world weary travel writer, a disgraced ballplayer suffering the lingering effects of a wardrobe malfunction – all characters aware of life’s promise and impossibility, all tempted by something just beyond, something surely delicious. Full of sharp urbane dialogue and characters that always manage to act in a way that celebrates their humanity, this is a confident, stunning debut collection from a powerful and original voice.

Genres: Canada

131 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

My first book, Squishy, was published in 2008 and my first novel, Waiting for the Man, was published in 2014. My next novel, The Reeds, is out in fall 2024. I'm on Twitter, Mastodon and BlueSky as @arjunbasu. My website is www.arjunbasu.com.

Reviews

[Arjun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it. And I'm pretty happy with it. Not that it matters. It's done. So it's not my book anymore....

[Jeff Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just funny and sad and nicely written. I like how some of the stories read like a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" first-person cringe-fest, then the next will be third person about some baseball player who accidentally reveals his dick on his rookie baseball card. I guess it's a chock full of beautifully written cringes. And I love the cover art.