I first read one of McCormack's stories in Alberto Manguel's Black Water 2. It had a style that I really liked, so I sought out more of the author's work, and I came across this collection of short stories (some aren't so short, actually.) Each is brilliant in its own way, making it one of the best collections I have ever read by a single author. McCormack's imagination is astounding. As I was listening to the audiobook, I kept thinking that this is what you might get if you crossed Franz Kafka and Monty Python. The plots are original, the "weird" elements are memorable, and the writing is superb. These stories manage to be horrifying and hysterically funny--sometimes at the same time. They may be disturbing to some readers in their descriptions of horrors and sex acts, but just plunge ahead and you'll be rewarded. McCormack's imagination is such that each story often has multiple other stories within it, and these small vignettes, such as the ones about the inhabitants of the title story's vaults, are a wonder to behold. If you are fan of fiction that goes beyond the usual boundaries, don't hesitate a moment to get this book.

The audiobook version is also superb, once I spent a couple of minutes getting used to the narrator's accent. It is appropriate, however, since McCormack is a Scotsman who moved to Canada. ( )