When I Was Mortal (Vintage International)

As I find most short stories, those of Marias are not as satisfying as his absorbing novels. My first reaction was: oh, these are tooooo short,, but after the first few there is more meat to the story and more of his delightful way of telling you a story while philosophizing 'on the side.' It's like a great big juicy hamburger with excellent trimmings and sides. The title story When I Was Mortal' is about ghosts......a phenomenon that holds no interest for me, but I was totally absorbed in the story and the 'lead' ghost. The stories that follow that leave you aching for more....and fortunately Marias is prolific......Can't wait to read more!

Weird, compelling stories.

My first time reading Marias. The moody yet sober voice from the first-person perspective is very enticing. I like the short stories by Italo Calvino, and now I have found another author whom I like equally.

Marias is a wonderful, perhaps great novelist. But his short stories are not his forte. They are inconsistent in their quality, their craft. Yet I would recommend reading them if you want to know Marias warts and all as well as because perhaps I just responded to them insufficiently.

This is an English translation from Spanish. The translation is quite good, but not as elegant as the Spanish. The stories are brief and end with surprises that make the reader ponder for days afterward.

Intriguing and resourceful, magical and surprising, the stories of Javier Marias only open your apetite for more. On to the next novel.

exceptionally good , 12 easy - to - read short storiesconjuring up nightmarish worldsstrange sinister forces are at worknothing is quite as it seemsthrilling twists + shattering unexpected endingsand the womenbecause with Javier Marias there's always women ( like the leggy girl on the cover )women are his fascination : wives + lovers , muses + mistresses , whores + porn stars , vamps + sirensonce again he lays bare their mysterious allurebut there's moreso much moreWhen I Was Mortal is a ghost story told by a … well .. a ghost so U get to find out about the after-life !the malign influence of Spain's dead dictator General Franco can also be feltnot least in Blood On A Spear which also explores the things we do for Love

This collection of beautifully translated short stories is a must for any Marias aficionado. Each tale encapsulates the essence of his style showing what he develops in his longer stories, a precise use of language that enhances the suspense which keeps one hooked in to the narrative throughout.

Really enjoyed this collection. Pure and clean prose, real and interesting characters and the pages came alive. Made me want to read one of his novels.