The Frangipani Hotel

Wow! This is something different. Not just because this is my first review of a work of fiction – that’s not really important. I do not usually read this kind of book, so I hope my reviewing is fair. These are brilliant stories, with a strong sense of setting, yet at the same time they are universal. I had a clear picture in my mind not only of the location but also the characters and their behavior. The closest style I can compare it to is magical realism, but I am far from an expert on any of this. I don’t want to say too much about the contents of the book. The stories are succinct, and capture so much in a little space; there is no excess. The twists and turns the plots take are perhaps the most impressive aspect. These are not exactly ghosts stories in the “traditional” sense – not the wailing bed sheet, but something much less defined, and therefore much more sinister. A few of the stories feel like the protagonist is caught in a deal with a devil, the danger of having one’s soul and/or life stolen.