101 very short—short as in one or two paragraphs—stories about dysfunctional relationships, including several where the hook is stalkerish. I didn't realise that when I picked it up to read it on the bus—a friend gave it to me years ago and I've been trying to read some of my unread books. ( )

http://www.clickthecity.com/arts/?p=2784

I wuz there. ( )

I read this in about 30 minutes and loved every minute of it! The stories range from sad to darkly hilarious. A nice take on how distorted relationships can get if we are not careful to remember our own individuality. ( )

One hundred one short stories, each one hundred one words long, all in the first person with a narrator and his girlfriend. Collectively they amount to an anthropology of modern relationships, capturing the full range of emotions from funny to romantic to sad. But as the stories progress they are increasingly bizarre, dark, and off centered, a trajectory that is mirrored in the increasingly bizarrely named girlfriends.

I read a few stories a day, each one takes less than a minute and reads like a prose poem, and I plan to dip into them again in the future. ( )

I always think of this as the book to read when you're breaking up with someone (or they're breaking up with you). It somehow makes it hurt a little less. Yes the stories are about love but with the odd exception they don't tend to fall into the typical portrayal of love. The stories are tiny but perfectly formed and probably best enjoyed if you have a black sense of humour and are a little on the cynical side. His narrators tend to be at a loss about the whole thing and often miss the point. Even knowing what the punchline is Pieces makes me laugh every single time. My other favourite is the last story which seems to have wandered in from some other much sweeter book. ( )