Alphabet Garden

Strangely, this attempt to combat European homogenization only proves how far it has already come. Were it not for the country classifications at the start of each story, many of the settings would not be identifiable by nation. Although most of the stories are heavily cerebral, they are sandwiched between two simpler stories, both featuring talkative prostitutes: Britain's Michele Roberts's adaptable female prostitute (``I'm Annunciata in Italy, Joan in England, Danielle in France, Dolores in Spain, Hildegarde in Germany, and so on'') tells stories to a customer, while Greece's Menis Koumandareas's well-groomed male prostitute opens up to a barber named Euripides. Among the best selections are two fables (by Holland's Atte Jongstra and Italy's Paola Capriolo) of the search for wisdom and holiness. Protagonists of stories by Norway's Kjell Askildsen and Ireland's Brian Leyden both muse about their positions within their families. Sweden's Ana Valdes and Spain's Javier Marias also offer worthwhile contributions, but this handful doesn't save the collection from seeming scattershot. Stories range from harshly realist to surreal, from direct to cryptic, and while there are some motifs linking one story to the next, they don't really hang together as a group. (Oct.)