Thank you to Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Alexander McCall Smith’s short story collection, Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind, in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a huge fan of Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and I was thrilled to have the chance to review his latest short story collection. In Piano and Flowers, Smith uses vintage photographs ( shown at the start of each story) as an inspiration for his fictional tales. The concept is interesting and a majority of the stories went a completely different direction than I anticipated.
I enjoyed the story about a woman living and working in London, who has an instant connection with a man that she meets. She gives him her address and when he fails to contact her, she leaves notes at an Egyptian statue that he mentioned as a spot he loves to visit. Time passes and she becomes engaged to a stable, yet far less exciting man, yet she never loses hope for the brief encounter that sparked so much passion. This beautiful story has a tone of longing and hope.
The other stand-out story involves a friendship between two boys that carries them through World War Two and adulthood. The opening of the story shows the boys at a hunting lodge that belongs to the family of the wealthier of the boys. We see the expectations that are placed on this child, yet the boy is very sensitive and uncertain. He is able to share this intimate aspect of his personality with his friend, the only person with whom he can truly let his guard down. It’s quite touching.
Overall, I was disappointed with the collection. A majority of the stories failed to hold my interest. I was considering why and I think it may have to do with the very thing that makes me love The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and its protagonist, Mma Ramotswe, which is a certain touch of sweetness that borders on unrealistic. Sure, Mama Ramotswe handles difficult cases and personal issues that are not trite, yet her stories usually end on an upbeat note, leaving readers happy. In Pianos and Flowers, Smith wraps up several of his stories in a similar manner, and in the short story format it felt rushed or too neatly resolved.
If you’re a fan of Smith’s you will want to read Pianos and Flowers, however, if you are new to his work, I would encourage you to start with one of his series. He is an excellent storyteller and master of creating memorable characters. I usually finish his stories feeling delighted, but I’m sad to report that Pianos and Flowers was not his best work.