chemistry and other stories by Tim Pears
This is a wonderful collection of short stories. It was a brilliant book it had me captivated from the very first line. This authors writing style is amazing he really creates a sense of atmosphere; that follows so well and keeps you reading. I finished this book in a day and a half as it kept me on the edge of my seat, he portrays his characters with such realism. I can't wait to read more from this author it was a pleasure to read. Thank you.

I love short stories with a passion. Tim Pears delivered a very solid collection here that shows us not just chemistry, feelings and passion but also a keen eye for nature.
The stories themselves were a mixed bunch. I believe around half of them touched and kept me invested while the other half fell a bit flat and felt somewhat superficial to me. But in all honesty it might be because I could not relate to the characters and as a result didn't much care what happened to them either.
With short stories one has to be master of writing because it doesn't really leave room for massive plots, grand character developments and such.
I also think that is a natural thing not to enjoy all short stories in a collection, because it caters to a wide audience with differing tastes.
My rating is 3.5

I usually don't read short stories but was intrigued by "Chemistry and Other Stories" by TIm Pears. It's a mixed bag - some stories resonated with me better than others. Definitely worth a read!

Tim Pears is a superb writer, producing crafted, lyrical novels with real relevance to modern life. They are beautifully judged for pace and plot, never wordy or obtuse, and always pulling you to read yet another few pages before you put the book down because you're so involved with his characters. This collection of short stories disappointed me; there were flashes of the writer I love, but all too rare.

A couple of stories really grabbed me, but for the most part I couldn't engage with the characters. Too many felt shallow and I couldn't care less what happened to them, which is the complete opposite of my experience of Pears' novels. Perhaps the short story format doesn't play to the author's strengths quite so well because there's less space with which to work?

This collection might be an effective introduction for those unfamiliar with Tim Pears. One or two of the stories have the qualities which have made his novels so successful, but "Chemistry and Other Stories" is too much of a curate's egg for me to wholeheartedly recommend it.

A lovely, funny, and fundamentally very interesting collection. I rattled through these stories so fast and really enjoyed them

Short stories are tricky,but I think Pears has done a great job here.
I flew through them.
I'll certainly be looking to see what else hes got for me to read.

Review to be posted at later date