The Last Animal is a collection of ten short stories that deal with human nature and in some ways our relationship to the animals around us. I barely managed to read the first four short stories (125 pgs out of 278) before deciding to give up on the rest.
I really enjoyed Geni’s novel, The Lightkeepers, but The Last Animal is everything I dislike about literary short fiction. It is flat, predictable, the tone is mostly monotonous, and the stories deal with the most tedious of everyday conflicts. Geni’s writing is still good and I will gladly pursue her future novels but these stories were a chore to get through.
For those who enjoy literary fiction, I have no doubt they will enjoy this collection. But as someone who struggles with short stories and reading books that deal with nothing but the everyday grainy noise of life, this is a nightmare to get through. I know I seem harsh but it is what it is.
Thoughts on the first 4 stories I managed to finished:
◗ Terror Birds – 3✨ | A nine-year-old Jack runs away from home while his mother tries to search for reasons why. A predictable story for the most part but the way Jack dealt with the situation was less predictable.
◗ Dharma at the Gate – 2✨ | Lucy is in a mentally abusive relationship struggling to fight for her future. I thought the connection between Lucy and Dharma needed just a little something more. I also thought the dharma bit was highly predictable (and basic), but then again I’m Indian.
◗ Captivity – 3✨ | A woman moves in with her mother after a series of unfortunate events and recounts the events of her brother’s disappearance. I liked this story more than the first two primarily because I’ve recently developed a fascination with Octopi intelligence. Again, the connection between the animals that don’t communicate and we who do just feels so obvious.
◗ Silence – 1✨ | A man with a tumor is fascinated with the concept of flight. Least likable and least relatable story that ultimately made me give up on this collection. The story is dry and thoroughly unimaginative.
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