How is everyone sleeping on this collection? It's fantastic, I ripped through it in two days.

The Haunting of Hajji Hotak is a very interesting collection of stories, and now that I consider it some of these stories will indeed haunt me. I enjoyed the first and last few more than those in the middle - I have to admit that I spaced out for at least a quarter of the collection - and I particularly liked that several of the stories were connected. I’m not sure I would recommend this to anyone or read it again, but I am interested in reading more by the author. ( )

Collection of related short stories set in Afghanistan and the US mostly pertaining to war, terrorism, and migration. The first story is outstanding and my favorite of the bunch. It pertains to a young man playing a video game in which the avatars resemble his family members. I found the other stories uneven. Several include elements of magical realism. It is used, I presume, to help convey some of the more brutal content in a manner that does not overwhelm the reader. I liked it enough to read another book by this author. ( )

I liked the first several stories in this book, several of which are interconnected. Even the first one, which straddles the line of sci fi/fantasy/magical realism (while reading I wondered if it was exhaustion, mental illness, a dream, or sci fi). I really liked "Occupational Hazards", what a fascinating way to tell a man's life story--as modified resumé. It also gave information to better understand some of the other stories.

Then the stories moved firmly into the realm of magical realism, which is just not my thing. ( )