Brevity- Mr. Palomar in His Garden

My favorite story was Mr. Palomar in his garden. Although the individual stories were short, they all seemed very complete. Their relationship to one another was also very interesting. Instead of just a collection of moments, the stories came together to create a larger picture. Mr. and Mrs. Palomar are defined by their activity in their garden. Because they experience things there and converse about these events, the reader is able to gain insight about their characters without having to be told specifically who they are. Also, the use of allegory helps in this. Sometimes, the allegory is even pointed out, emphasising it's importance in the stories.

The stream of consciousness form of this collection fits the subject matter well. Mr. Palomar is often sidetracked, thinking eventually about things that aren't directly present. The garden is always his anchor. When his mind wanders, he remembers where he is and becomes distracted by another thing in the real space. Also, the introduction of animals and plants as characters emphasizes how important the garden is to Mr. and Mrs. Palomar.