I feel like some authors really over-do that to the point where I think to myself, “Okay? Who cares?”, but Diski does it differently. I like how she turns the most mundane aspects of existence into something more meaningful and philosophical. A lot of her characters' thoughts (which also blends with her own) mirrored my own thoughts, so that’s another reason why I think these stories were satisfying to read. I just felt very captivated by Diski’s writing.

Even so, the strange content didn’t really matter to me. I say strange because there are a lot of unsettling moments which makes me know that this collection will be embedded into my memory for quite some time. Each story is so unique and dives deep into a world with an unusual but interesting narrative that is so satisfying and pleasing to read in a strange way. My absolute favorites are: ‘The Vanishing Princess or The Origin of Cubism’, ‘Housewife’, ‘Strictempo’, ‘Short Circuit’, and ‘On the Existence of Mount Rushmore and Other Improbabilities.’ While I found those five more enjoyable than the rest, every essay has left such a lasting impression. So, so creative written by an author with a very distinctive voice. 'The Vanishing Princess' is such a satisfying collection of essays, each written with such weirdly beautiful prose. I wonder how my life would be if I hadn’t randomly picked out so many of my favorite books.) (You know, sometimes it’s so crazy to me how I’ll pick up a random book at the library, and it turns out to be an incredible read. I can’t believe I almost gave up trying to find something to read before I left to go home. I’m really glad to have discovered her book, overlooked and disguised between the thicker ones in my local library. This is my first experience with Jenny Diski, and I am not disappointed at all. This is Diski's only collection of short stories and, perhaps, it is because these were all she wanted to publish, so she put them all in one place. A theme, a recognizable purpose to a collection, can set one apart. They're all good and interesting- there truly was not a single story in the twelve that was bad or unwarranted- but ultimately it was a collection of stories for the sake of having a bunch of them in one place, or so it seemed. The stories are varied in subject matter and style and theme.

Diski is well-known for her sheer talent and quality, and this book only underscores that. Though new to me, I found it was easy to wade into her stories, following her characters and choices, as though she were a writer I'd reach much more of, whose style and devices I recognized. I've never read any fiction from her before this, and as I began reading this short story collection I was happily surprised at how familiar her writing seemed. I don't think that anything I have to say in that regard will add to what you can already read in the many reviews of her writing in tons of publications.

The Vanishing Princess by Jenny Diski