Fresh Complaint is a short story collection by Jeffrey Eugenides, author of Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides. 

i haven’t read Eugenides’ other works, but after stumbling across this collection, i think i must. Eugenides weaves a tapestry of American struggles and revelations, and he makes the point that these two things—enlightenment and strife—are twins circling around each other in the lives of normal people. in Fresh Complaint, he brings an edge to mundane situations, especially through his skill with creating dynamic characters. Fresh Complaint feels real, yet separated from reality in a way that strikes a chord in me. 

yes, i want to sing this collection’s praises— but i must admit that at times it got a little tedious. the stories, though all unique and interesting in their own rights, can get a bit grating. oh, another down-on-his-luck middle aged married man. oh, another sexually conflicted woman. some of the stories were less memorable than others (as is always the case with story collections), but i’m tempted to say that if these stories were cut, or if Fresh Complaint was a little shorter in general, the collection as a whole would have felt a bit more punchy. 

favorite stories: Air Mail, Capricious Gardens, Fresh Complaint