Imaginary Museums
Author: Nicolette Polek
Publisher: Soft Skull Press
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Cover Description
In this collection of compact fictions, Nicolette Polek transports us to a gently unsettling realm inhabited by disheveled landlords, a fugitive bride, a seamstress who forgets what people look like, and two rival falconers from neighboring towns. They find themselves in bathhouses, sports bars, grocery stores, and forests in search of exits, pink tennis balls, licorice, and independence. Yet all of her beautifully strange characters are possessed by a familiar and human longing for connection: to their homes, families, God, and themselves.
TL;DR Review
Imaginary Museums is perfect for this moment in history: relatively escapist, actually digestible, and well written. These stories were so good they made me feel like writing.
For you if: You like short stories that are very well written and only a tiny bit weird.
Full Review
Thank you to Soft Skull Press for gifting me a finished copy of this book for review!
“The flight attendant is plump and comfortable like a babysitter, or a sausage, and she tottles down the aisle to make an announcement. The turbulence on the small aircraft gives Biba a bellyache. She wants an Ambien and a kiss.
Over the speakers, the flight attendant whispers, ‘We are lost.’”
Wow. Imaginary Museums was such a great collection of stories, and I’m so glad I read it. Nicolette Polek’s writing is strong, bold, precise, and a little haunting — exactly what short stories need, in my opinion.
Each of the stories in this collection is quite short, ranging from only a few paragraphs to a few pages. To pack such a strong punch into so few words is always impressive, but Polek also manages to do it without making them so weird that you have no idea what just happened. Don’t get me wrong, they’re a little weird, but in a way that doesn’t lose you in the process.
This combination — a little weird, quick to read, easy to follow, super impactful — made Imaginary Museums a perfect choice to read during the distracted stress of “social distancing.” The whole book will take you only a few short hours.
Ultimately, Polek’s stories were so creative and well-written that they made me feel like writing. In fact, after I finished reading the collection, I signed up for my next online writing class. And if that’s not a testament, I don’t know what is.
I initially dog-eared six of the 27 stories to mark them as favorites. When I was flipping back through the book to write this review, though, I found myself thinking, oh yeah, that was a good one, over and over. Still, my favorite six were:
“The Rope Barrier,” in which a woman spends her life carrying around a literal rope barrier to shield herself from that which she perceives as dangerous
“The Dance,” in which a husband and wife are discussing (you might say dancing around) whether to go out for the evening
“The Nearby Place,” in which an old man is being wheeled toward something spectacular … or is he?
“Thursdays at the Waterhouse,” in which a man’s clothing keeps getting stolen while he’s at the spa
“Field Notes,” in which a woman goes on a hike and the trail signs seem to speak directly to her
“Love Language,” in which an airplane’s pilot does not recognize his surroundings
Do yourself a favor and read this one. I can’t wait to see what Polek does next.
Trigger Warnings
None
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