Becoming Someone

Some Good, Some Not So Enjoyable--But Lots of Options I read some place that long-form fiction is about characters, and short stories are about themes relevant to the human condition. This author has put 42 of her short stories that could all be said to be on the same theme, stated in the title, in one collection. I like the fact that the author organized these stories logically, as if imagining someone in the dark figuring out that they could not go back or forward so had to choose a new path to get to the light. In fact, those five concepts actually are section headings. Some stories are disturbing, like the shocking first one of the book, “Madonna and Child.” They range in length, from drabbles to several pages. I'll admit that I was put off by the profanity in some stories, as I just do not think it has a place in fiction. All in all, I found myself slightly disappointed by this collection as I did not feel like some were true to good short story form. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.