I was happy to see Egyptian writer Alaa Al Aswany's new short story collection, Friendly Fire, recently released by Harper Perennial. A few years ago, I saw the movie version of his novel The Yacoubian Building and loved it. Like the novel, it portrays the lives of the residents of an elegant old apartment building in Cairo from the 1930s to present day. The building is the common thread that ties the stories together. Aswany is a master at capturing that one telling personal moment that says so much about relationships, ambition, cultural and religious differences, and societal changes.

I was able to sample one of the new short stories, "The Kitchen Boy," at 52 Stories, a Harper Perennial Web site that features short stories from their list. "The Kitchen Boy" follows a brilliant young medical student's initiation into the politics of the workplace. Here, Aswany's satirical tone is delicious.

Also on the site, you'll find Lydia Peelle's "Phantom Pain," from her collection Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing, which was released last August. This gripping story about a mythical creature-panther, cougar, mountain lion?—roaming in the woods and an aging diabetic taxidermist is impossible to put down. Flannery O'Connor comes to mind when reading this one. (Note: The National Book Foundation just named Peelle as one of their "5 Under 35" fiction writers in recognition of her book.)

There are dozens of short stories from different collections on the site, which undoubtedly are meant to entice readers to buy the books. In the case of these two stories, I can only say, the site succeeds.

• Los Angeles Times review of the movie The Yacoubian Building

• The New York Times review of The Yacoubian Building

• The Yacoubian Building: First Chapter

• The New York Times review of Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing

--Elfrieda Abbe, publisher

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