Short story collections by one author seem to rather hit or miss for me. So was this one. But, i feel these three stories more than make up for some of them. I'm also not sure if I would enjoy this more in say ten or fifteen years. Some of these stories did strike a chord with me. Things like regret, disappointment, relationships with long friends that sometimes just eventually break down, but also things like re-awakenings and new looks at life.

"The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water"

"Climbing to the Window, Pretending to Dance"

"Up the Mountain Coming Down Slowly"

Like many short story collections, I found this somewhat uneven. There are brilliant stories and beautiful turns of phrase. There’s also some stories where it’s difficult to grasp where Eggers is trying to go - if anywhere, and turns of phrase/writing style that is too artful to enjoy.

Ah Dave... I love this man's writing. I don't think I've ever read any of his short stories before and they are just as strange, varied and profound as his novels. His lyrical, casual and yet exacting writing style invites me in closer and then he succeeds in taking me somewhere I've never been before... into absurd conversations with parents, into a dog's joyous mind, into a man's cruel yet understandable desire; all people struggling to find themselves. This is always a pleasing journey for me to take with Dave Eggers at the helm.