Book Review: The Body of the Soul

(Borrowed from my husband who bought it on Amazon) This was a short book of stories, so I figured I could polish it off before moving on to other longer works. Russian author Ulitskaya offers fascinating portraits of citizens caught between their intellect and their passions. An older woman wants to commit suicide, but then marries the reluctant doctor prescribing the pills to do the job. A stuffed toy dog takes on significance for a deprived family. A librarian gradually loses her command of vocabulary. Hints of magic realism as one character transforms into a butterfly and a coroner receives a visit from the afterlife. Enjoyable and thought-provoking in spite of their brevity. (only 150 pages).