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beledit's review
5.0
I rarely read short stories, and although I love literary fiction I don't read much of it these days because I am so constantly disappointed that I've kind of given up. (For the past decade or two we've been in the golden age of television, not written fiction, and I find a lot of the so-called literary fiction being published today to be pompous, pretentious and overhyped.) So I don't think I would have noticed these stories if I had not received a copy (disclaimer: from the author, in exchange for an honest review).
To my surprise, I was bowled over by these stories. They are each quite perfect, each in a totally different way. With just a few words, you are sucked into the story. They are vivid, surprising, funny, touching. But they are not gentle: there is violence at the core of several stories, sometimes overt and sometimes barely hinted at.
The stories are structured as delicately as a house of cards, conjuring the characters, scene, the situation and the emotions word by careful word: I found myself almost holding my breath. Another reviewer (Richard, on amazon.co.uk) wrote that "Each story hums with tension and pace." Exactly.
I wish I had the skill to explain it better. Stop reading this review and just buy the book. You won't regret it. They are clever, beautifully realised and at the same time totally accessible.
To my surprise, I was bowled over by these stories. They are each quite perfect, each in a totally different way. With just a few words, you are sucked into the story. They are vivid, surprising, funny, touching. But they are not gentle: there is violence at the core of several stories, sometimes overt and sometimes barely hinted at.
The stories are structured as delicately as a house of cards, conjuring the characters, scene, the situation and the emotions word by careful word: I found myself almost holding my breath. Another reviewer (Richard, on amazon.co.uk) wrote that "Each story hums with tension and pace." Exactly.
I wish I had the skill to explain it better. Stop reading this review and just buy the book. You won't regret it. They are clever, beautifully realised and at the same time totally accessible.
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