12. Montreal Stories - Mavis Gallant

I had heard good things about Mavis Gallant, particularly about her collection of short stories entitled Paris Stories so I thought I would pick up this collection. I have nothing against her writing per se. It is clean and concise and contains beautiful imagery. However, and as much as I hate to make a sweeping generalization, I think I am not really a short story girl. This book made me remember the class on short stories that I took and another book of short stories that we read for book club and yeah. I have, as yet, not encountered a short story to fall in love with. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one out there, just that I haven't found it yet.

Short stories make me think of highly character driven books like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn which are all about a character and the daily activities that lead to their growth or some kind of revelation. I don't like those books either. Mostly because I don't get how they get from event a to point b. It seems as bizarre to me as saying that watching a beautiful sunrise will suddenly clarify the meaning of life. I know that it supposedly happens. But I live in a world that seems a lot more complicated than that. Or maybe I just overthink things and make them overcomplicated. It is hard to say.

I just found, with these stories, that I didn't relate to the characters; that I didn't get the social references; that I just didn't get it. And maybe that says more about my levels of awareness than anything else. I fully admit that. But that doesn't change the fact that this book just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe once I get to be more worldly I will find some understanding. Who knows when that will actually happen.