Ah, short stories. This medium almost never fails to satisfy me. This particular collection marks Ebershoff’s second published work; his first, The Danish Girl, was a novel. I haven’t read that one but I might in the near future.
If Ebershoff is on trial and The Rose City is the only character witness, there are a couple of things you get to know about him, without question. He loves exploring the coming of age question, and he loves Boston and Pasadena as settings for his work. From this you might think that he’s in his comfort zone, and perhaps he is, but the coming-of-age angles he portrays here are remarkably fresh and well-written.
Like all short story collections, some stand out above others. “Charm Bracelet” portrays the promise of youth, the lure of strangers, and the hopes of being a kept wife, brilliantly juxtaposed with the potential stark and chilling reality of such a life.
“The Dress” contemplates the ramifications not just being ten years old and wearing a dress, but being freed from it at the hands of your father after getting yourself hopelessly knotted. Marvelously introspective.
“Regime” explores the coming of age of a boy who overcame his “fattest kid in class” label though regular 4-day fasts, basketball, and the steam room. The cyclic, anorexic-like hunger of his life becomes a metaphor for the sexual hunger that you know will soon follow.
“Trespass” is a fun tale of a boy’s first exploration of the gay world through the belongings and personal mail at the house where your buddy, a fairly typical nongay teenage boy, is housesitting. Here we witness the blossoming (if not the birth) of gay fantasy; Ebershoff does a great job with this.
The only story I didn’t care for is the title piece, which is the only one in which all the players are adults. In age, that is; Roland is an immature cretin with all of the attendant social characteristics. He’s attractive enough to get some initial attention but cannot keep it for long. His friends stay with him, though, caring and worrying for him. This story doesn’t fit well in the overall theme of the book, unless it is meant to portray the hazards of a coming-of-age that is too late. I’m not sure, and unfortunately, I didn’t feel enough of an attachment to this story to contemplate it further.
As is usual with well-written short stories, plots are kept simple to provide ample time to focus on the complex characters. Ebershoff does well to provide lively, likeable, realistic characters that are at home in their surroundings and their lives.
Indeed, I liked this book and would recommend it as a casual, quick, and entertaining read.