Married but Looking, by Daniel S. Libman

The short story can be a difficult thing to master. I was skeptical about this collection, but about the third story in I realized I was really enjoying myself, and Anaïs Nin came to mind more than once, and I love Anaïs Nin. The stories are definitely out there; a man using an escort service after the death of his wife, a couple reevaluating their basic belief system after being relocated to a different country and stumbling upon head harvesters, a best man attending a wedding solo, failed vasectomies, attempted affairs—these are just some of the subjects in this collection of short stories that center around relationships and sexuality. As in Anaïs Nin’s Delta of Venus, from the mundane to the surreal each story in this collection is a well written and intense character study, the main character being most often a relationship or marriage. Be they a suburban father who desires to possess a Tantric prostitute, or a couple riding a tandem bike together to overcome perceived infidelities, Libman’s characters are very real in their everyday lives and flaws. Yet Libman's tales are anything but predictable, and they keep the reader hooked from one story to the next. With tones that vary from dark to light, these stories are cynical examinations of life and relationships that make up a truly enjoyable read.

Book 43 on my way to 52.