Paperback Edition
ISBN: 9781952177057
Publication Date: 6-06-2023

Translated by Tiffany Tsao

Longlisted for the International Booker Prize, Happy Stories, Mostly introduces “one of the most important Indonesian writers today” (Litro Magazine). These twelve short stories ask what it means to be almost happy—to nearly find joy, to sort-of be accepted, but to never fully grasp one's desire. Joy shimmers on the horizon, just out of reach.

An employee navigates their new workplace, a department of Heaven devoted to archiving unanswered prayers; a tourist in Vietnam seeks solace following her son’s suicide; a young student befriends a classmate obsessed with verifying the existence of a mythical hundred-foot-tall man. A tragicomic collection that probes the miraculous, melancholy nature of survival amid loneliness, Happy Stories, Mostly considers an oblique approach to human life: In the words of one of the stories’ narrators, “I work in the dark. Like mushrooms. I don’t need light to thrive.”

Longlisted for the 2023 NBCC Barrios Book in Translation Prize

Longlisted for the 2023 ALTA National Translation Award in Prose

Finalist for the 2023 Cercador Prize for Literature in Translation

“A remarkable collection of speculative and absurdist fiction.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Pasaribu is one of the most important Indonesian writers today.” —Litro Magazine

“A perfect mix of surreal micro-fiction and thought-provoking narratives, Happy Stories, Mostly will stick with you for a long time.” —Bustle

“[Pasaribu] has found a way to construct something new out of tales of loss.” —The New York Times

“Immersive stories that make the impossible feel true.” —Words Without Borders

“A beautiful collection that refuses to shy away from the often complex and difficult queer experience… Parasibu’s is a promising new voice.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Happy Stories, Mostly navigates queer suffering with a deep supply of tenderness and humour – and with empathy for all its characters.” —Exberliner Magazine

“An enticing collection, where the smallest pedestrian acts—such as finding a secret journal or getting a cubicle to work in—have the power to force characters to question their internalized biases.” —Asymptote Journal

“As a collection of stories that shine a spotlight on contemporary queer Indonesian life, the works within leave a deep, ruminating impression.” —International Examiner

“Exquisite… Tsao’s affinity for Pasaribu’s personality, literary tone, and rhythm beautifully illuminates Pasaribu’s ingenuity as an author.” —Asia Media International

“Cerebral, playful, abrasive yet tender—there are not enough adjectives to describe Happy Stories, Mostly. Every page crackles with energy in Tiffany Tsao’s brilliant translation. Norman Erikson Pasaribu takes risks big and small, and somehow, magically, lands them all.” —YZ Chin, author of Edge Case