for the collection has been mostly positive. Lauren Groff, writing for The New York Times, states that the book "is a collection worthy of being read slowly and, like very good and very bitter chocolate, savored." Michael Schaub, writing for NPR, states the collection is "brilliant" and that "great literature isn't about making the reader comfortable; it's about coming to terms with the truth, whether it's beautiful or ugly." Don Waters, writing for SFGate, states that the book is "audacious" and "These six long, fearless stories explore dangerous territories" Connie Ogle, writing for the Miami Herald, states that the stories are "distinct and unique, each a perfect marvel of subtlety and precision, each devastating in its own way." Ted Weesner Jr., writing for The Boston Globe, offers that "Fortune Smiles" and "Hurricanes Anonymous" "would be fine examples of solid stories in most any other collection, but here they exert less power. This stems, it would seem, from the fact that both are written in the third person and in situations where the author feels more alive than the characters." Awards and honors 2015 National Book Award for Fiction 2015 The Story Prize 2014 Sunday Times Short Story Award (for "Nirvana") References 2015 short story collections American short story collections National Book Award for Fiction winning works Random House books