In Search of the Bluebird: Melancholy Stories on Love and Terror, by author Franco D’Rivera, presents an eclectic and original assortment of imaginative portraits of the absurd, centered on the zeitgeist of the human condition in a reality side-stepped, fighting the iron grip of constrictions. In one story a man finds himself in love with a world that is terrified of him. In another, a man discovers the world only after living an entire life in isolation; then there is a lighthearted tale of schizophrenia and parenthood. D’Rivera has written a rare collection of stories showing the perspectives of the people who make up these odd and poignant portraits. This debut collection is populated by fascinating, multidimensional characters and filled with stark and realistic settings. Written in literary and polished prose, In Search of the Bluebird brings a new and original voice to the literary short-story form and offers up a thoroughly entertaining read that will please city dwellers or anyone who just loves a great short story well told.