Babylon and Other Stories
by Alix Ohlin
Published by Vintage
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Reviewed by Yuka Mizushima
Babylon and Other Stories is a collection of short stories. The characters are realizing a universal truth: that life is full of change and, unfortunately, suffering. Sometimes this is delivered quietly, such as a medical check up and other times it is abrupt—the end of a relationship. Some of the issues that are raised are commitment, abuse and identity. However, there is also hope, love and humor in these stories.
This collection explores different relationships: parent to child, siblings, spouse, friends, etc. Like the city of Babel with its different languages, each character has a distinct voice and a story to share. The characters are engaging and each story has great pacing. We meet Natalie and her husband Nick. They are trying to be supportive of Nick’s mother’s fourth wedding. There’s Kyle who is getting ready to play tennis with his father’s old nemesis. And Aggie who is trying to come to terms with her dad’s decision to leave his family so that he can be with his girlfriend.
One of my favorite stories was “Transcription.” Carl came to live with his Uncle Walter after Carl’s mom died. Now Carl is older and the roles have been reversed. Walter didn’t like the retirement home and Carl has brought Walter to live with him. Carl works from home as a medical transcriber and he is used to being detached when typing medical reports. He struggles to balance emotions and objectivity as he decides on the type of care that Walter needs and wants.
Ohlin teaches at Lafayette College and she is a true wordsmith, I found myself repeating phrases. Some examples: “Her mother was in her element in the shopping mall; she responded to the filtered light and Muzak like some kind of specialized plant.” (p.54) and “Henry’s hearing disappeared slowly, over a year, each day turning fainter and blurrier, like a repeated photocopy.” (p.109).
Armchair Interviews says: Reading Ohlin’s collection of short stories is like eating potato chips. It’s hard to stop at just one!