Here is what I love about the pieces in this book: they are designed to surprise the reader. The stories build to not just one revelation, but often several. And they are sneaky. The last sentence of the last story made me gasp out loud. Because it was written with a light touch and an entertaining bent, I read it quickly. Now, going back more carefully, I can see the excellent architecture, the design which was invisible initially. Critics call this book “superb” and a “knockout.” It is that rare book that is even more pleasurable the second time through.
Towles, Amor. Table for Two: Fictions. Viking, 2022, p. 397.