I really enjoyed reading this collection, and it reinforced my faith in David Leavitt as a writer. The first novella, The Term Paper Artist, is one of those stories that's held up by its premise. It has an interesting take on gay for pay. These guys are gay for research papers. Once the premise has been explored, the story is allowed to slowly wind down. I wouldn't call this a fault. I think that's just the story taking its natural shape.The high points of The Wooden Anniversary are the inexplicable happenings as well as the nearly inexplicable human behavior in the story. Though what is a surprising development to the characters is easily guessed by the reader, the story's last revelation cannot be guessed by any sane person, and that's what makes is awesome.For me, Saturn Street held the most promise so I went into it with high expectations. I worried me a little as the story seemed to become mired. The protagonist's feelings were shrinking and blurring under constant self examination. A nice, surreal porn moment near the end came to the rescue and set things right. I fully expected this story might wind down like the first one, but instead right at the end the story grabs hold emotionally and solidifies into something with real impact. Though they are good separately, the three novellas taken together make for a highly rewarding reading experience.
