Pianos and Flowers: Brief Encounters of the Romantic Kind - Alexander McCall Smith - ★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: Alexander McCall Smith
GENRE: Short Story Collection.
PUBLICATION DATE: November 7, 2019.
RATING: 3.75 stars.

The idea of this book is quite innovative. Take a vintage photograph and write a story based on the person you see in the image. Quite obviously, this is not as easy as it sounds. But Alexander McCall Smith does a pretty commendable job indeed. 

Of the fourteen short stories in the book, at least ten are immensely enjoyable. They reveal various aspects of human behaviour and contain a range of emotions. A couple of stories do seem forced and unduly stretched, but overall, it is not a bad bargain to read this book. 

I must confess that I was on the verge of marking this book as a DNF because the very first story falls in this category. But a flip through some of the later stories made me rethink my opinion. And now I'm glad I didn't abandon it unread. There are some real gems hidden in here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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