Lake Like a Mirror by Sok Fong Ho

In my attempt to read translated works as well as short stories, I chose this. It is written by a Malaysian Chinese author and shows a window into cultures that I had very little understanding of earlier.
As with most short story collections (even by the same author), the standard of stories usually varies wildly. This set was no different.
Each individual narrative differed in size as well as in the content or focus. The time and place had an effect on the experience as well.
A few bordered on magical realism, while others seemed to while just being social commentary. With each chapter, we observe a society that is weighed by how it is perceived and how its members act. I enjoyed some a lot more than others (There are only nine in the book).
I am not sure if I would recommend the whole book to anyone else, but it is an intriguing read in parts. I am glad I read it for the experience. The translation seemed to be well done because I expected something more choppy after looking at some of the other reviews. The stories have the abrupt quality built-in, so it worked out that way in the translation as well.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.