Second read 10.2018, 5/5
My opinions on individual stories had changed, but mostly for the better. My absolute favorite one (perhaps the best short story I've ever read) is The Man Who Bridged the Mist, which made me cry in the end, not because it's sad, but because it was just that brilliant. The topics discussed in the collection fit my interests quite perfectly and they are utterly unique, intelligent and beautiful - what else could you possibly wish for.

First read 9.2016, 4.5/5
I was blown away by Johnson´s magical stories. The extraordinary nature phenomena, peculiar animals and completely foreign worlds surprised me time after time and it´s incredible how much Johnson was able to include in these short stories. None of them felt too short even if they were only a few pages long. Many of the tales made me think of the big questions of our own world, like our relation to nature and animals. Others were simply beautiful pieces of literature and some I couldn´t understand at all. This collection definitely needs a reread (or rereads more like it), because few of the stories I just didn´t get, which is why I couldn´t give this a full five star rating. But there were only a few, and I was still able to appreciate their writing and atmosphere - and I´m really looking forward to thinking about them some more with a reread quite soon. In a way it´s a good thing that you have to give some stories time and consideration. My favourite pieces were Schrödinger´s Cathouse, At the Mouth of the River of Bees, Wolf Trapping, The Cat Who Walked a Thousand Miles and The Man Who Bridged the Mist, but they definitely aren´t the only ones that left a lasting impression on me.