I bought a copy of this book while living in Prague. The book got lost on the trans-Atlantic move back to the United States, but the images stayed with me. This is an extremely good collection of short stories with the central theme of Prague. Katrovas' writing is atmospherically accurate; a dead-on portrayal of Americans in Prague (the new Left Bank of the 1990s) and of quirky Czech characters. I'd recommend this book to travellers, expatriates and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted short story.

My first visit to NOLA. Stopped at Faulkner House, a bookstore in the French Quarter and asked for a fiction book that takes place in NOLA. I bought Mystic Pig on their recommendation and I am delighted.
The story is told by two narratives, a 40-something FQ restauranteur and a 12-year-old boy who is very bright. The two narratives happen at the same time but only cross paths at two points. Yet both narrators are on paths of self-discovery, deeply affected by the death of a poet, known to each, who becomes the catalyst for both.
Along the way, the city and some of its recipes moves the tale forward. The cooking was a delight. The descriptions of how NOLA works knitted together the atmosphere of NOLA that I experienced when I was there.
This is a special read that you won't want to put down 'til the end, wish that it would go on, and will want to take with you on your next visit to NOLA... ENJOY!

I was initially enthralled with Katrovas' style of writing and before I knew it, I was enthralled with the story itself. As Nat's secret life unfolded painfully and deliciously bit-by-bit, I was lost to the prose and to the story and to the city and to the recipes. As the story progressed, it became a page turner, a pathetic and beautiful mystery that I had to see to fruition before I slept. Finish I did and fell asleep thinking of the many different levels on which this book worked on me. And shortly thereafter, I was dreaming of gushes of water and huge crawfish coming out of my vaccuum cleaner hose and I know there is a connection but I don't know what. I will discover what next time I read "the Mystic Pig", for I shall reread it. There is more to discover in this book than can be discovered in one reading, I think. Mr. Katrovas, as far as I am concerned, you are a welcome new voice to fiction.

I ONCE HEARD A SONG BY CHUCK BERRY HE SANG A SONG ABOUT A CHOCOLATE BROWN CADDILAC WELL INEVER HAVESEEN A CHOCOLATE BROWNCADILLAC BUT I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANS WWHEN HE SINGSIT.WHEN KATROVASWRITES IN HIS UNIQUEWAYHE CARRIESUS TO PLACESTHAT ARE FOREIGN TO US BUT IN A WAY THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HES TALKING ABOUT.IT MAKES YOU FEEL AS IF HE IS SHAREING A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET WITH A FREIND. YOU WANT TO HERE MORE.