In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, by Daniyal Mueenuddin

This collection of short stories set in Pakistan’s cities and rural villages make up Mueenuddin’s first book, a fact that perhaps influenced my reaction. I thought the book very good for a first effort, though perhaps not good enough to be a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, both of which distinctions are trumpeted on the cover. It’s not the first time my opinion has differed from that of prize judges and surely won’t be the last.

The characters in these eight...