Via NYRB Classics, also the May 2024 selection of the their Book Club
The author of this collection described it variously as a novel, a noveletta, etc, seemingly unsettled on its exact nature.
Individually the stories offer a slice of life: rich, concise impressions of a place and time. It makes for effortless reading: writing that’s a pleasure to read for its own sake, with the subject matter just a nice bonus.
Most (or maybe some) stories reveal a small detail to flesh out something prior, or to lay the groundwork for some future revelation.
The result is a book that reads simultaneously like a short story collection (fragmented) and a novel (interwoven). It’s intelligent, graceful, enjoyable, and I highly recommend.