The impressive The Philosopher Stories, published a few months ago, is the third story collection from Canadian writer Jerry Levy. As with his 2020 collection, The Quantum Theory of Love and Madness, it’s released by the independent publisher Guernica Editions. Dissimilarity, this book might almost pass as a novel.
Segmented into twelve stories, it covers the ever-interesting ups and downs of Karl Pringle, an intelligent, socially awkward outsider “full of contradictions and insecurities, carrying around an entire Louis Vuitton set of heavy baggage.” A voracious reader, aspiring writer, philosopher, and guru, he’s also a slovenly layabout incapable of holding down a job.
His life takes a downward spiral when he’s thrown out of college for assaulting his professor, and a succession of poor decisions and disappointments push him further into the abyss. But then he’s thrown a lifeline when he meets the joyful and inquisitive Solange, a French woman in her thirties looking for love. Suddenly, there’s hope and a world of possibilities. But Levy’s narrative never goes in the direction you imagine it will, and maybe that’s just as well.
Articulate and original, The Philosopher Stories is an imaginative, thought-provoking pleasure that’s filled with equal parts humor and pathos. It begins with childhood, education, and upbringing, following a chronological pattern while covering all sorts of unexpected scenarios. Excellent pieces like “Edna” and “Rejection” offer vivid snapshots of vagrancy, scams, and living off the land, while “The Story Thief” addresses plagiarism and its repercussions. Mental health, miscarriage, and anger management are just some of the other topics explored.
You can pick up a copy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher. For more about Jerry Levy, visit his website here. You can also read my review of his previous story collection here.
