What if your next existential breakthrough came not from a TED talk or a therapist—but from a dream about amphibians with no mouths and a perfect grasp of English? Grandi’s Dreams and Metamorphoses is a literary collection that floats effortlessly between dreamy urban fiction, surreal speculative vignettes, and a kind of hopeful nihilism. It’s like if Black Mirror and Calvin and Hobbes went on a backpacking trip and had an existential crisis halfway through Argentina.

This book is a tapestry of short stories that feel stitched together by the logic of memory and imagination rather than plot or theme. It’s not about what happens—it’s about how it feels to happen.

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Emotional Mathematics: The Algebra of Being

Grandi’s protagonists—nearly all of them some flavour of confused, alienated, or newly-mutated—aren’t heroes. They’re you, after a sleepless night. Or someone you almost were in another life. They build doomed villages, reflect on trees that may or may not remember them, fall in love with glowing alien creatures, and wake up in medical rooms that may also be metaphors.

But the surprising heart of this book is that it cares deeply about humanity. It sees our flaws as beautiful and tragic. One character, believing himself a literal sewer freak, covers his monstrousness in donated clothing to try and blend in. Another becomes a cat in the middle of lockdown and can’t get back to bed. These aren’t gimmicks—they’re metaphors that scratch the itch we all have: how to reconcile our inner chaos with the desire to be loved, understood, or at least tolerated.

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Philosophy in a Spacesuit

The prose in Dreams and Metamorphoses is unfussy but luminous. It doesn’t shout—it radiates. There are moments of gently dropped profundity, like this exchange between a man and an alien:
“You’re not going to hurt me, are you?”
“Why would we do that?”

It’s the kind of book where meaning accumulates like fog rather than arriving like thunder. It trusts the reader to pick up pieces, even when they’re slippery or don’t quite fit together on the first try.

If you’ve ever read Borges and wished he hugged more people, or Kafka but hoped he occasionally laughed, this collection might scratch that literary craving.

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A Soft Glove Over a Rusty Nail

This isn’t a children’s book, but it’s not not for children. There’s a sense of wonder and emotional truth that would resonate with anyone who remembers what it’s like to see the world anew—or unsee it. The themes—alienation, transformation, connection—are dealt with in imaginative, family-appropriate ways. The language is occasionally sharp but never cruel, and the surrealism is clever rather than disturbing.

It doesn’t romanticise pain, but it doesn’t shy away from it either. In fact, the stories suggest that pain is where the good stuff hides. If you’re willing to look.

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5 out of 5 Stars – And Why It Deserves It

Grandi delivers a quietly stunning, emotionally precise, and utterly original collection that understands the human mind better than most psychology textbooks. While there’s no single unifying plot, the ideas build on each other like chords in a jazz solo—unpredictable, a little dissonant, and entirely satisfying.

It’s hard to imagine someone not taking something from this book—an image, a phrase, a metaphor that lingers. And in a world saturated with noise, anything that echoes instead of shouts deserves full marks.

Content Warning: This book contains surrealist and existential themes, light language (e.g. “crap,” “bastard”), and emotionally intense moments involving identity, isolation, transformation, and loss. It includes mild references to psychological distress, pandemic anxiety, and social alienation. No explicit violence, sexual content, or adult material is present. Suitable for older teens and adults with some maturity. Family friendly with discretion.

The Bookish Reader’s Pick

This book has been honoured with The Bookish Reader’s Pick title, a prestigious category of The Bookish Awards. This recognition celebrates books that have deeply resonated with readers, capturing their hearts and minds through compelling storytelling, memorable characters, and meaningful themes. Chosen by passionate book lovers, this award highlights the power of literature to inspire, entertain, and leave a lasting impact.

From the Author

About the Author

Fabio Grandi, originally from London, England, has a background in book publishing and language education. He currently resides in Lyon, France, where he shares his home with a cat named Zelda.