I purchased this book on the strength of the opening story, which I read as an excerpt online. It's absolutely stunning. Set in a Turkish girl's school that has been demolished by a kitchen explosion in the middle of the night, it is a conversation among those buried in the rubble awaiting rescue, those who have died, and those who are in the midst of crossing over. The girls try to comfort one another as they wait, recall their happier memories, and recount their dreams for a future that may no longer exist. Unfortunately, most of the other stories in the collection don't come close to this one. A coed stops eating and talking while others try to assign a motive to her actions. A man's collection of supposedly pornographic paintings is discussed, including his memories of the artists, models, and former owners. An older girl bonds with a "little sister." The history of a series of Trojan War museums. Only the last story, "The Gathering of Desire," stands out. A young Quaker, recently widowed, is encouraged by her children to challenge a mechanical chess player. The narrative shifts between her and the hidden man who controls The Turk, both of them expressing regrets and desires. On the strength of the opening and closing stories, I rated this collection as four stars, but the stories in between are not particularly memorable. ( )

The Trojan War Museum: and Other Stories from Ayse Papatya Bucak absolutely took me by surprise. One of the best story collections of recent years and easily holds its own against classics.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I chose this book. The blurb sounded interesting and I like short stories a lot. The very first story floored me. I couldn't get it out of my mind and had to wait until the next day to read the next story. My fear was that the rest of the collection was bound to disappoint since the first story set the bar so high. I was wrong. I think the first story is my favorite but the others were all in the ballpark.

I expect some variance in how I feel about the different stories in a collection. This holds true for essay collections as well. Even though all written by the same hand there are always at least one or two I just couldn't get into. Well, this collection is the exception. Yes, the variance was still there, but the range was not from good to bad but from wow to very good.

To contextualize my feelings about collections in general, let me just explain my views about reading them (short story or essay). While most such books can be a quick read, I prefer to spread them out. I may read several other novels and nonfiction works while reading one short story collection. The exception is when I get one for review purposes. Then I shorten that time, though I try not to read two stories at one sitting. I like to think about what was written as well as what I felt. Having said that, I had to give myself time between some of these stories because they were impactful on more than one level. The character's plight of course, but the role of both personal and cultural or collective history as well. Then the thin line between what is real and what isn't, both in the stories and in my own world.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the short story form. These are not all simple linear stories but neither are they convoluted or confusing. They do, however, demand some thought and attention, but they reward you for giving it. This will particularly appeal to readers who enjoy the interplay between real life and abstract thought.

Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads. ( )