Onlookers: Stories

by Ann Beattie

Award-winning short story writer Ann Beattie returns with a brilliant collection of linked stories set in Charlottesville, Virginia, in a moment of unrest.

Onlookers is an astute new story collection about people living in the same Southern town whose lives intersect in surprising ways. Peaceful Charlottesville, Virginia, drew national attention when white nationalists held a rally there in 2017, a horrific event whose repercussions are still felt today. Confederate monuments such as General Robert E. Lee atop his horse were then still standing. The statues are a constant presence and a metaphoric refrain throughout this collection, though they represent different things to different characters. Some landmarks may have faded from consciousness but provoke fresh outrage when viewed through newly opened eyes.

In “Nearby,” an elderly man and his younger wife watch from their penthouse as protestors gather to oppose the once “heroic” explorers Lewis and Clark depicted towering over their native guide, Sacagawea. A lawyer in “In the Great Southern Tradition” deals with a crisis on Richmond’s Monument Avenue, while his sister and nephew plant tulip bulbs at her stately home.

These are stories of unexpected relationships and affiliations that affirm the value of friendship, even when it requires difficult compromises or unexpected risks. Beattie involves the reader in questions about the nature of community, as the characters grapple with complicated inheritances that are both historical and personal and the realities of their lives interact uneasily with the past.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 18, 2023

About the author

Ann Beattie (born September 8, 1947) is an American short story writer and novelist. She has received an award for excellence from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and a PEN/Bernard Malamud Award for excellence in the short story form. Her work has been compared to that of Alice Adams, J.D. Salinger, John Cheever, and John Updike. She holds an undergraduate degree from American University and a masters degree from the University of Connecticut.

Reviews

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of short stories, but when I saw this collection by Ann Beattie, I couldn’t pass it up. Onlookers is a compilation of linked stories that take place in Charlottesville, Virginia during the time of Covid and political distress when “any intelligent person has been driven half mad.” Readers may remember the white nationalist demonstration turned violent that occurred there in 2017. References to Charlottesville’s controversial statues and residents’ views permeate (but do not dominate) the stories. Rather, these are tales of a time, a place, a community, and some of the characters who inhabit it.

I loved Beattie’s wickedly clever and astute observations of life. There were many gems, but one of my favorite was that misinformation on social media has become the modern Paul Revere. It was a pleasure to read such literate pieces.

As you read the stories, try to remember the characters from each story, as relationships to them may appear in later tales.


Thanks to #netgalley and #scribner for the ARC.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ann Beattie is a master of the short form, and this book is no exception. The stories are all set in Charlottesville, the Virginia city now infamous for the white supremacist rally to protest the removal of Civil War statues and the injuries and death that followed when a hateful goon drove his car into counter-protestors. (Holy moly. It hardly seems possible that took place six years ago.) The stories are very loosely linked, with main characters from each story appearing as peripheral figures in another, but the lives drawn intersect in sometimes surprising ways. The rally itself seems like another character; while it only appears as an actual event in one story (if I recall correctly), it works as a touchstone in others, serving to illuminate the peaceful, left-liberal “bubble” that most of the characters believe Charlottesville to be. Those statues and monuments appear throughout the stories as a constant presence (even the book cover features an image of a Robert E. Lee statue being hoisted off its plinth), and though they mean different things to different characters, they all represent the complicated reality of living in the South, with its freighted and fraught inheritance.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Beattie was a favorite decades ago, and this collection reminds me of why. Set in Charlottesville post 2017, these linked stories portray a city that has experienced a change of perception thanks to the notorious riots of April of that year, and the protests regarding monuments honoring heroes on the Southern side of the Civil War. Each story could stand on its own, but read as a whole presents a comprehensive picture of life under COVID, in a small city, in the American south, as perceived by a member of the liberal faction.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The latest book by Ann Beattie is undoubtedly well-written, displaying her mastery of language and storytelling. However, I did encounter some difficulty keeping track of the numerous names, characters, and situations presented throughout the narrative, which occasionally led to a sense of confusion or disorientation.

Thanks for sending an ARC.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like maybe I missed the point of this. The characters are dull and often downright annoying, and nothing really happens. Was it supposed to represent a snapshot of the people of Charlottesville? If so, it didn't do them any favors.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The captivating short-story collection is set against the backdrop of Charlottesville, Virginia, a town marked by history, controversy, and the removal of controversial historic monuments. These narratives, which at first seem dissimilar, intersect in surprising ways. A compelling exploration of memory, place, and the passage of time emerges. Through the author's vivid storytelling, readers encounter characters like Alice Ott, navigating the complexities of inheritance and love, all while drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll's iconic "Alice in Wonderland." "Nearby" is a story about an elderly man and his younger wife who watch from their penthouse as protestors gather to oppose the once "heroic" explorers Lewis and Clark, depicted towering over their native guide, Sacagawea. With intelligence and humor, the author shows how each character views the same world through a unique perspective, often with the statues in the background of their lives.

"Onlookers" is an enthralling collection that invites readers to witness the intricate interplay of history, memory, and human connection, offering a fresh perspective on the world through Ann's masterful storytelling.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve read an Ann Beattie book before but I think I may have read a story or two of hers in the New Yorker. After I read the first couple stories I wasn’t even sure I’d finish the book. I like a lot about her writing, but these stories are crammed with so many details and characters that I had a very hard time keeping track. But the writing is fun, sensitive, humane, with humor. As I went on I just let a lot of the details whiz by. I think this (ahem) strategy probably meant I was missing some stuff, but the more I relaxed about not following everything the more I enjoyed the basic flow and humanity of the stories.

[Emily Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me as a gift because I am from Charlottesville and my friend thought I'd appreciate a book set in my home town. It was a very sweet gift but a very odd book. I felt like someone commissioned this book with a special incentive that was something like, "I'll give you an extra dollar for every business, landmark or local location you mention." I felt like saying to the book, "Yeah, we get it, you've spent some time on these streets!" I mean, you know, I appreciate a local reference but I currently live in a city that shows up in a lot of books and any book that name drops six businesses on Broadway every two sentences is going to get dull quickly. And it will also quickly go out of date. Same goes for C-ville. And I'm not just saying that because I don't know all the businesses there anymore.

Also - I was so confused by all the people who lived in places with buzzers. What building is this that all these characters live in? I know I don't live there anymore but I don't think I've ever been to a building with a buzzer in Cville.

The conceit of all stories revolving around the statues and their removal got really old really fast and it's very odd, too - because every single character who talked about the statues was really cranky about them. The subtext of the whole book seemed to be, "Such a lot of woke people making a lot of noise." There was not a single character who wanted to get those statues out ASAP. There was not a single activist. There was no one who was grateful to see General Lee driven out of town. That is, there's no one in this book like anyone I know. Even all the shopping trips to Foods of All Nations could not make it feel like the actual experience of being in town. I found it all very odd.

And then there was the racism. See, all the stories were centered around white folks and then the final story sort of related to a Black man. And then...I don't even want to type it, it was so... unconsciously racist? The Black man works at a hospice center and a cartoonist has drawn a comic book of all the people in the hospice. She draws the Black man as a gorilla. And no one seems to know that this is a super racist thing to do. The character narrating this section "understands" why the cartoonist has done it (because of his posture) but no one is mad because it's racist. They're just mad because it seems mean to the workers and residents. It's like they have no idea that there is a long and terrible history of depicting Black folks as gorillas. And sure, I know there are a lot of unconscious liberal racists out there, even in Charlottesville, I've surely been one myself at some point - but this is just...so unconscious. Or - not? Maybe it's fully conscious and Ann Beattie is trying to call everyone in town clueless liberals. But I reallllllly don't think that's it. Like - no one knew. At all. Were there no sensitivity readers on this book? No editors?

I can't recommend it. I really can't.

[Lorin (paperbackbish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Onlookers contains six short stories, all set in Charlottesville, Virginia during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the background, you understand that there are ongoing protests and attempts to remove various Confederate statues scattered throughout the historic town. The characters in each of the six stories are different, but there are connections to be gleaned if you're paying close attention. Charlottesville, after all, is a small town at heart.

I wouldn't call myself an avid short story reader, but I love picking up a collection every once in a while as a sort of "break" from longer fiction. Onlookers was a lovely read, though I did like certain stories better than others. My favorites were the first (Robbie and Ginny) and fourth (Aunt Alice) stories, with my least favorite being the second (Jonah and his family). I enjoyed them all to some extent though, and would happily pick up another Ann Beattie collection!

Thank you to Ann Beattie, Scribner, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of six lightly connected short stories set in Charlottesville, Virginia in the early days of COVID, Underlying all of them is a sense of unrest, unrest that start in 2017 when Charlottesville became a nightmare, The Confederate statutes that sparked the unrest appear in each of the stories- not a big thing but as a reference or a mention. Interestingly, there are several elderly characters who are coping with change and the shut down as well as reflecting on their pasts. Some of the characters appear across the stories but each story easily stands on its own. As always, Beattie is a master of language with lean beautiful phrasing that captures a scene or a person in just the right number of words. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Read these one at a time. Fans of Beattie will be pleased as will short story fans.

[Bill Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beattie's stories individually are quite readable, with their just a shade quirky characters, the slightly offbeat storylines, and the almost ho-hum epiphanies... but this collection suffers from too much sameness, and the interconnections of setting and characters, unfortunately, doesn't add much depth or breadth.

[BookTrib.com]

The town of Charlottesville comes alive with the Confederacy’s dark legacy history in Anne Beattie's gentle and engaging collection of stories, ONLOOKERS: STORIES.

[Perri · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, as a DMB fan who has been to C'ville around half a dozen times, I just have to warn fellow fans, there's no mention of the band, and the one mention of Miller's takes place in passing on page 273 (the book is 275 pages long).

Other than that, a good read, not a great read.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had been wondering how relations worked between neighbors in places like Charlottesville, Virginia, where the removal of public statues of Confederate figures like Robert E. Lee were up for debate over its removal. What are these people really like, who are they when they're not against something, but just kickin' back and chillin'? And what is it like to be the child of one of them right now, or to have been? This collection of stories offered an informative, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and even humorous array of such voices that helps us understand how it can, and did, happen here.

We meet recurring characters in a sprawling network of friends, family, and coworkers: Monica, Jeanette, Jonah, Case, and George Matts, to name a few. They all give their own view of Charlottesville and the neighbors who, besides voting for Trump and being rather ignorant of other ways of living, are otherwise nice, well-meaning people. Except for the narcissists, of course.

Particularly interesting to me was how young friends were shown to get pulled in to cultist groups like the Proud Boys or the Tiki Torchers. Superstitious young women and rabble-rousing young men whose parents are detached and swept up in their own problems or somehow mentally ill from generational trauma (thanks, capitalism), so their teens and young adult children were free to roam the streets or the internet and meet bad influences, getting up to white nationalist trouble.

Ann Beattie has a fast-paced style of writing that packs a lot into few words. It's very economical, which means you really have to read closely. It's easy to miss something small but crucial. Which is good—this is definitely not a book that will put you to sleep. It's an engaging ride, helping you through the dark times with a much needed sense of humor.

This book comes from such valuable perspectives, especially at this time of lawmakers making decisions for states that may not reflect the views of many communities there. It shows us the importance of remembering the diversity of views even within conservative towns; and it's an excellent opportunity to see these perspectives playing together in various situations based on true events and get a deeper understanding.

It's the hot gossip. The small-town family drama. The realness.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of short stories centered around the town of Charlottesville, Virginia following the tragic Unite the Right march during Trump's presidency. Each story is told from a different character's perspective and subsequent stories sometimes include previous characters. It's a fun concept when you realize the connections.

I enjoyed all the viewpoints even though some of the characters "rambled" at times. My favorite chapter is the initial story with unexpected, isolated living arrangement of the son's fiance staying with his father at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Their relationship was charming.

[Joyce Hamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confronting Shattered Certainties

I always believed short stories are difficult to write. The author has to introduce the characters, setting, problem or plot and have some resolution at the end.  In a few pages, the short story writer is asked to paint a picture for the reader which may be linked to another short story either before or after the writings.
 
Not an easy task.  Ann Beattie is a pro and she doesn’t make it look easy. The “Onlookers” tells us about Charlottesville, Virginia, a southern city in a swing state that became a symbol of white supremacy, “Unite the Right.” This march, lit by tiki torches, with a “Jews will not replace us” mantra.  President Donald Trump stated there were “very fine people on both sides.” Since the march centered around anti-Semitism and white supremacy, it was difficult for the citizens of the city.  It is the beginning of Covid quarantines.  This takes places as Charlottesville is having a population growth, old and new money and American race relations are at a dangerous pinnacle and there is a plan to remove statutes of Confederate generals. A young woman was purposely killed, iIt was a tragic night for this country, but we seem to have them quite often now.
 
Charlottesville had been a content, liberal city in the South. This book is a compendium of short stories with many characters: writers, teachers, doctors, lawyers, rich and poor, brilliant and challenged.  Each story could standalone but there are many encounters depicting the traditions, grief, typical characters. Many surprised me creating more interesting and enlightening chapter. Older liberals thrive but they are careful, sometimes hiding their enjoyment after attaining some prosperity.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this pre-published book. All opinions expressed are my own.

[James Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are lot of great short story she/her writers out there. Think Lydia Davis, Joyce Carol Oates, Carol Shields to name a few but we can also nerver forget the great Ann Beattie, She has an incredible career as a short story writer and is a novelist. Her stories always try to show the human side of each character and never tries to use a stereotype to move a story along. Her latest collection takes place during COVID and take place in the city of Charlottesville. There are six different stand alone stories but some of the characters pop up in other stories. Beattie talks about what happens to us when we are all locked in our homes and in our own minds. What type of people we become and what we believe in and who we choose to believe. Their are discussions about class, religion, politics and all the stuff that came to the forefront of our minds during COVID. It's a beautiful collection for fans of Beattie. This is not a criticism but for new fans I maybe would start at her earlier works. You'll see how she progresses as a short story writer and you will see how she always moves with the times and captures who we are as humans. Would also be a great book for book clubs that like to discuss issues of the day.

Thank you to #Scribner and #netgalley for the ARC.

[David Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you start to read Ann Beattie’s collection of stories ONLOOKERS and become frustrated, don’t give up.

As far along as page 95, after the long opening story and a shorter second one, I was keeping my distance and asking myself “Aren’t we entitled to make a distinction between a writer conveying complexity and narrative that’s simply haphazard?” Then I came to the third story, “Nearby, ” and for the rest of the collection Beattie had me under her spell, a spell that includes — arguably thematically — the haphazard, along with the wildly improbable. For anyone who’s lived at all consciously in America for the past decade or so, is anything too bizarre to be believable?

The interrelated stories all take place in Charlottesville, Virginia, where an infamous white supremacist rally was held in 2017 and where containing controversy surrounds the removal of Confederate statuary from public places.

A home for the aging named Solace House figures in several stories, along with its residents, visitors and workers. Still with her tongue in her cheek, Beattie names a hot spot club frequented by young people Entropy.

I was initially puzzled by a paragraph in “Nearby” in which a character realizes that she gave an auto repair worker an inadequate tip. “Two dollars had been too little to leave to the tip jar, but she’d had to choose between that or a ten-dollar bill.” Coming several pages after the event, it’s almost as if something got out of place in the printing process. Then it dawns on you that Beattie has set this up so that the thought comes to you just as suddenly as it did to the character. Now watch out for wherever the mind might jump to next.

Beattie’s characters struggle daily to cope with or understand everything around them. Here’s Monica, in “Monica, Headed Home”: “The expression everyone used now: We’ve got your back. Even American Express said they had your back. What was that supposed to mean? That somebody was sneaking up on you, but AmEx would save you?”

Fraternity boys have been stealing urns from Solace House. “In this location, if you were confused about why something strange happened, the likeliest answer was to look toward the nearest fraternity, then try to imagine the use the boys made of the things they stole.” I would submit that you have there, with emphasis on “in this location,” the way Beattie sees the world and puts together her fiction.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is tough to critique Ann Beattie. She can really set a stage and her character portrayals are detailed and compelling. And she makes you think. Here she sets forth 6 linked short stories which place their characters in Charlottesville, Virginia during the COVID 19 pandemic and just after that horrific march.

It took me a while to get the characters straight. I had the most difficulty with the second story with its very privileged characters. I tend to relate better with people who need help rather than those who are in a position to offer help. The first story about Ginny and Robbie took a few turns I did not anticipate-- I don't see Ginny and Darcy working out, although Ginny will clearly land on her feet.

I started reading Ann Beattie in the 1980's through her novel, Chilly Scenes of Winter. While I don't often read short story collections, she is one of the authors I will make an exception for.

I will likely ponder these characters for a while.

As always, I listened on audio. Allison Ryan did quite well in capturing the mood and affect of the
many characters here. Her male voices sound at times a touch too deep, but it is a minor quibble.

[Josh Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Ann Beattie’s latest collection, the lives of characters intersect in a small town in Charlottesville, the infamous site of the Unite the Right rally in 2017.

The aftermath of the events surrounding that rally lurk in the background of the stories, which are really about the disconnect people feel from their friends, family and co-workers, made more pronounced at the height of the covid outbreak.

And yet, these same people, who are isolated, sick, or struggling to keep it together, find solace in the most unexpected people and places. That Solace House, an assisted-living facility that uses alternative medicine, is featured in many of the stories and serves as the setting for the final piece in this collection likely comes as no accident under the masterful pen of the author.

To say I enjoyed these stories - inevitably overlaid with a tinge of sadness - may not be the most apt description. But Beattie has presented most honestly the good, the bad and the ugly of bare-faced human nature in her always candid and unadorned prose, and for that, this collection made its indelible mark on me.

[Marcia Shirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm probably being a bit hard on the author because I believe she is a very good writer. In this short story collection, all of the stories are set in Charlottesville, VA in the fall of 2017. The Unite the Right rally that happened in August is a common subject of discussion. Both the city's response and then-President Trump's response are often mentioned. The characters are introduced in the first few stories and their lives begin to overlap in the latter ones. This is a technique that I enjoy following when I am reading a collection of short stories. What turned me off here was that I simply could not care about the issues of the characters. They were self-absorbed, much more concerned about themselves than anyone else, and really had no interest whatsoever in the larger issues that came to light in Charlottesville that year. To be honest, I forced myself to finish the book hoping a character might grow emotionally before the end No one did, though, so I might just as well have given up sooner.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

These somewhat-connected stories are set in Charlottesville, VA in the aftermath of the 2017 White Supremacist riot and during COVID. The privileged characters that inhabit them are mostly unlikeable and feel almost entirely one-dimensional.

I was interested in reading this book since the setting is a familiar one to me from multiple visits during business trips of the 80s and 90s, and what happened there in 2017 was especially shocking in that cultured, liberal environment.

That being said, I have never been a fan of Ann Beattie, but I thought after so many years I might change my opinion. I had always found her writing to feel very detached and cold, filled with people who don't seem to connect, but now I get the feeling that that is reflective of her worldview, and I find that very sad.

[Susan Emmet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've long loved Beattie's short stories, but this collection of six left me a a bit confused.
Set in Charlottesville, VA during the COVID years, the sense of photographic realism is stunning. However, I became confused by overlapping characters and the presence of only white people until the last story (which actually was my favorite).
At any rate, Beattie's trademark detailing is noted. And I loved Alice Ott and the links to "Alice in Wonderland." "The Bubble" was disturbing. I am left with Brianna's caricatures of people she knows and how harsh her view of them are, as well as the twisted power of social media. Quite powerful.
But, again, I am left confused as to purpose and theme.
Might well be my aging brain?
Be your own judge of the anthology. It is worth reading.

[Sharon M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Scribner Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this collection of short stories by Ann Beattie. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars rounded up!

This is a collection of short stories set in Charlottesville, VA, during the early days of Covid. There are some connected characters but all describe unrest. There's the actual incident that happened in 2017 with the car attack on protestors, and the controversy of the Confederate statues. Then there's all the unrest and change that resulted from Covid on city residents, which is certainly relatable. The writing is wonderful but I never felt completely engrossed in the stories, probably mostly due to the fact that I'm not always a fan of short stories.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When George Matts learned the meaning of the word quandary, he knew he'd been in one."

Ann Beattie's characters are always unapologetically quirky, and here they are assembled in the quirky college town where she lives, which could be as strange as any small town. Her stories are not as compact as they once were but if you let yourself sink in they are still rewarding. At first distracting, her stream-of-consciousness passages masterfully capture how our thoughts actually jump around. She excels at setting the circus in front of us, then closing with a tussle happening off to the side, revealing it was the main action all along. Oh, those small punches of heartache.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very difficult to understand the nuances of this book. Understand the word "Onlookers" just had a hard time figuring out is the author only using characters of a certain social status - predominately white and most main characters were socially and economically well off. Given the timing and setting of the 2017 event in Charlottesville and the removal of Southern statues there were no major characters from the other social or racial representation. Had to read 2.5 times to see what I was missing. While I enjoyed reading about familiar places it did not capture the essence of the community, nor the full impact of the events...seemed more surface.

[Dona's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

🥳Happy Pub Week!🎉 July 22 2023.

Thank you to the author Ann Beatty, publishers Scribner, and as always NetGalley, for an advance audio copy of ONLOOKERS.

Rating: 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 / 5 first queer loves
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: June 28 2023, July 6 2023
Format: Audiobook, Libby
Read this if you like:
🪶 Litfic
📜 Short stories
📿 Cohesive collections
🐘🫏 Politics
👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family drama

READ MY REVIEW ON THE DONA'S BOOKS BLOG!

http://donasbooks.blogspot.com/2023/0...

[Kathy Cowie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, a few admissions first. I didn't read anything about this before requesting it on NetGalley; I wanted it because it was a new book by Ann Beattie. Of course, as you should. Second, I have been reading a lot of short stories lately, and analyzing them with George Saunders in his Story Club, which I cannot recommend enough. So, I thought I was becoming a pretty careful reader. But then I started reading, and I'm almost embarrassed to admit how far along I was into these stories—about the pandemic, the monuments, and the protests they inspired —before I realized they were linked. Wait, wasn't he in that other story? In my defense, I was fully absorbed. And even though I am not typically a re-reader of books, I may take another read through this one at some point. Something in me tells me that it is destined to be an Olive Kitteridge-like classic.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of linked stories about a group of people living in Charlottesville, VA during the pandemic. The political events center on the town removing the statue of General Lee and his horse from a local park that has been renamed to accommodate new thinking. I loved the setting; I am familiar with Charlottesville and recognized many of the sites the author mentioned. The characters were for the most part sympathetic. I enjoyed reading these stories.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a short story fan and I would have enjoyed these stories even if I wasn't a fan of Charlottesville, VA where these stories are set. Being a fan of Charlottesville, it was super fun to read references to places I've visited and follow the interconnected stories of interesting people during unsettled times after the white nationalist demonstration in 2017 and the Covid pandemic. Sometimes the connections among stories are very subtle Enjoyable read.