Most short story collections are usually a grab-bag; some good, some bad, some obviously just included to fill out the page count.

Why the Long Face? is the exception to the rule. Maclean's collection of short stories vary in their style, subject matter, prose, and impact, yet every story shines as a perfect example of what a short story should be. MacLean's stories convey the emotions of the characters, the longing and suffering, confusion and contemplation, with elegance and skill. The world these stories take place in is eerie, bizarre, almost surrealistic, and yet all too familiar.

Short stories are an art form in themselves. MacLean's Why the Long Face? is truly a work of art. ( )

Ron MacLean works along the borders of experimental fiction in many of the stories in this collection. Reality comes and goes. That’s not bad – there’s a freshness in these stories, a sense of something a little different that perks up the ears.

Relationships, outlandish situations, and a few normal people are treated with subtle humor and even respect.

In Mile Marker 283, a long-haul trucker tends to sleep without warning and is afraid that she’ll “come unmoored.” Dr. Bliss and the Library of Toast is the strangely heartwarming story of a man starting over in a new place and his friend, the town’s “Mafioso Mayor.”

MacLean explores the mystery of love and everyday life, albeit from the edges. It’s not always easy to swallow, but as the narrator of Aerialist – a concerned father – says, “sometimes you have to give yourself over to mystery.” ( )

An uneven, weird-for-weirdness-sake collection of short stories. I never quite managed to finish the entire thing, thanks to the off-putting nature of most if not all of the stories. The best are mediocre; the worst (Las Vegas Wedding, I'm looking at you), unreadable. ( )

Overall, I think it is fair to say that this was a mixed bag. Some of the stories were quite engaging, but others just weren't. On the whole, I enjoyed it, but I'd only recommend it to someone who's into quirky fiction. ( )

I'm a bit wary of non-genre short story collections -- they're often full of self-absorbed postmodernism, stories that seem to have been written for their own sake rather than to entertain or enlighten. I was surprised, then, to discover how much I loved this collection. The stories are by turns funny, luminous, and even frightening. Thanks, Mr. MacLean, for surprising me. ( )