Adoration and Affliction: Novellas and Short Stories

In Adoration and Affliction by Robert Scott Leyse, love and obsession walk a thin line. Each story explores how desire can quickly turn dark, from unwanted attention at a glamorous party to office flirtations gone wrong. Sixteen-year-old Nicoletta refuses to be a victim when her parents’ friend crosses the line, choosing her own path to justice. In another tale, Penelope’s body draws unwanted attention, leading to misunderstandings with dire consequences. Tales explore the unsettling side of infatuation, offering the possibility of romance, only to twist into something more disturbing. Men’s unhealthy fixations and women’s clever responses drive the tension, revealing the dangers of seeing women as objects. How can one not be dazzled by “Abrupt Awakening,” where coming of age involves revenge for a young girl, or “The Rooms I Will Not Enter,” which explores the effect of loss on a man?

Each of these tales stands out in its originality and uniqueness, each exploring an existential theme, each driving you fast towards a nerve-jerking twist you won’t see coming. I savored each of the stories, and while I enjoyed the characterization in others, the narrative voice gripped me in some, while the sheer cleverness of the plotting kept me invested in others. Robert Scott Leyse is a gifted storyteller with the unique ability to captivate you in a brief moment. Each story felt like downing a cookie — you relish it and then the aftertaste makes you want more. Adoration and Affliction is a gorgeous collection for fans of short stories, and the author’s economy of words and sparse prose make the stories more character-driven, focused, and uniquely enticing.