I have read many collections of short stories. It is a form that I usually enjoy. I wonder why the author was unable to include a few that were uplifting or lighter. My overall impression was well written but depressing. ( )

Richard Bausch’s collection of stories, LIVING IN THE WEATHER OF THE WORLD is filled with intriguing characters placed in rather mundane situations that turn awkward. The book’s strange title refers to how people are forced to cope with vicissitudes where they have little control much like the weather. All of these characters are deeply flawed and thus quite believable. Most are male, but Bausch includes a few females too. The narratives are deceptively simple, but often surprising and remarkably insightful. Much like the minimalist artists who eschew overt symbolism and emotional content, Bausch’s stories leave things unsaid but much implied.

Despite some humor and a lot of irony, the stories focus on dark subjects (misery, violence, and despair). The characters cope with divorce, spousal death, and infidelity. The violence is sometimes overt, but more often psychological.

There is much to like about the 14 stories in the collection, but three seemed to stand out:

“Walking Distance” is about Joe Koren, a Memphis cop who feels he is blessed with an ideal marriage only to find out that his wife, Ella, does not agree. She admits that the relationship is not working for her after a mundane episode involving toilet paper. Joe copes by going for a walk, but remembers to bring his service revolver. Clearly Bausch is not impressed by Chekhov’s sage advice to playwrights: "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there." This gun is not fired in the story but does play a central role because Joe is waylaid by an incompetent “bandit.” Joe responds much like Crocodile Dundee did with his big knife (“That’s not a knife. This is a knife.”). In the hands of a less skilled writer or a less experienced cop, this situation could easily have ended predictably. But Bausch plays it for the humor instead, giving the reader a less predictable, but more satisfying outcome.

“The Bridge to China” is another example of Bausch’s penchant for obscure titles. A divorced mother of two grown boys would defuse uncomfortable questions when her boys were young by vague references to “China.” She takes up her son’s suggestion to try online dating only to find herself in one of those “China” situations. Her dinner date is clearly a basket case because of the death of his wife. She is not ready for another stint of motherhood, especially with an adult male. Once again Bausch mines an uncomfortable situation for the humor rather than the underlying pain.

In “The Hotel Macabre” an older couple are enjoying a honeymoon to celebrate their marriage. Unfortunately, the husband’s sister is experiencing a crisis in her life, so he makes the mistake of inviting her to join them. After all, they are not just a couple of kids. However, one quickly learns that only a loving sibling would even consider such a thing. The sister turns out to be a self-involved drama queen. She is so dysfunctional that she almost runs away with the story, but Bausch pulls back from going down that trail. The husband is placed in the uncomfortable position of mediating between his sister and his bride and one knows that this will not end well. But in fact—remarkably— it does.

This collection is contains many examples of nuanced plots, excellent character development and much food for thought ( )