“Stories from Quarantine” from the New York Times Magazine

Copyright 2020 by The New York Times Company. Published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, Inc., New York.

This is a compendium of 29 short stories involving, in some way, the COVID pandemic. It was originally published as The Decameron Project, a reference the Boccaccio’s classic Decameron which is a compendium of stories told by people quarantined by the Black Plague. The stories are well-written and some are interesting, but too many are vague or odd (e.g., the one where time stops just before an auto accident).

Many are just downright depressing. Not surprising, I suppose, since they all involve a very depressing pandemic.

I didn’t enjoy it. 3 out of 10.