4 out of 4 stars
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The Day of the Tiger And Other Stories, by William Peskett, is a compilation of wonderfully inventive short stories that are primarily set in Thailand and are all incredibly different in style. Despite the commonality of Thailand, each story is unique and told by narrators that differ in gender, ethnicity, social status, and even species.
The namesake of the compilation, “The Day of the Tiger,” will draw readers into discussions of slavery, morality, and animal and human rights without coming across as too dark or heavy. On the other hand, “The Sea Isle of Itsara,” reads like the stories of the great author and poet, Jorge Luis Borges, because of its haunting narrative prose and full descriptive scenes. Often, William Peskett’s stories have an air of mystery that creeps up on readers as the plotline proceeds. With eleven stories in all, The Day of the Tiger and Other Stories provides countless hours of reading and thought-provoking ideas.
Readers who enjoy short stories for their variety and mystery will truly appreciate this book. William Peskett constructed stories where the protagonists are diverse and whose actions are believable. One of the strongest aspects of this book is that the author is able to get readers to sympathize with the main character of each story, despite their sometimes thieving, compulsive, or fear-driven behavior. “Planter’s Punch,” for example, is so gripping that before you know it, you’ll be cheering as the antagonist, a plantation owner in rural Thailand, punches his arrogant dinner guest over drinks. Anytime an author is able to get readers to recognize and appreciate the humanity within corrupt or untrustworthy people (as Peskett himself has done in this work) I feel that the author has truly made a literary impact.
The Day of the Tiger And Other Stories has little to no flaws and it is written incredibly well. Peskett’s writing will surely draw readers into his microcosm worlds of everything from high-stakes bribery to transgender struggles. None of the stories are too long or too short, and each one has just the right balance of humor and seriousness. More importantly, the stories within this collection are memorable, particularly because the author so expertly depicts the main characters of each story.
Overall, I rate this books 4 out of 4 stars because I was surprised and thrilled by most of the stories within. I thoroughly enjoyed the rich details that William Peskett wove into each storyline and the way in which he kept me, as a reader, wondering where the story would go. I will definitely be reading more from this author and I highly recommend reading The Day of the Tiger And Other Stories.
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The Day of the Tiger
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