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caffee's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graham Swift has a way of making you instantly connected to the characters, lots of these are sad stories, grief features in many of them. I particularly liked Fusulli, Half a loaf, Saving Grace and Holly and Polly.
pbobrit's review against another edition
5.0
I got this book as a gift from my friend Cheryl and what a lovely gift it turned out to be. The book is not a long one, a little over 200 pages, but it took a really long time for me to read. This was not because it was hard to digest or badly written, quite the opposite. All of the short stories in this collection were masterclasses in the execution of the art form. If I had read it quickly I would not have done the stories justice, each was both deceptively simple and so incredibly rich in ideas, texture and feelings that it was not possible to read more than two or three in one sitting. All of the stories are set in England, and most start out with the simplest and most mundane of premises, but that is where any common thread ends. You will end up marveling at what an accomplished writer can achieve in 6-10 pages of tight prose, how much truth and meaning can be exposed in the simplest of observations. This has to be one of the best books I've read this year and certainly one of the best collections of short stories I've read in a while. I would recommend this book to anyone.
snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
I love Graham Swift's writing. This collection of twenty five stories give us glimpses into the lives of normal people in different parts of the country. A couple have a historical setting but most are contemporary and many explore his favourite themes of loss and grief.
anywiebs's review against another edition
4.0
This is a nice collection of short stories in the style we are used to by Graham Swift. His stories focus on normal people and events that have shaped their lives. He shows them where they are now with the occasional flashback.
As with every coleection of short stories I liked some more than others, but of course didn't write down which.
I can only recommend this to any fan of Graham Swift and also stories about everyday people looking back at their past and how that is connected to their present.
As with every coleection of short stories I liked some more than others, but of course didn't write down which.
I can only recommend this to any fan of Graham Swift and also stories about everyday people looking back at their past and how that is connected to their present.
trevor_brown's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sharkybookshelf's review against another edition
1.0
Twenty-five snapshots of life throughout England and across time.
A very narrow representation of England - the limited diversity felt sanitised, somewhat stereotyped and tokenistic. Entirely forgettable.
A very narrow representation of England - the limited diversity felt sanitised, somewhat stereotyped and tokenistic. Entirely forgettable.
andreairashea's review against another edition
4.0
Haven't read a collection of short stories in ages. This took a little getting used to. Not, perhaps, meant to be read in a headlong rush. Perhaps a good bedside book, one you can pick up, browse around a bit, and read one story to mull over.
There was one which impressed me greatly: "Fusilli". Moved me to tears. I'd like to try a full-length novel by this author.
There was one which impressed me greatly: "Fusilli". Moved me to tears. I'd like to try a full-length novel by this author.
samhouston's review
5.0
I am one of those who believe (and have often said) that writing a good short story is more difficult than writing a good novel because a short story writer has to create believable characters and plots wholly within the limited number of pages he allows himself to get the job done. He has to capture the engagement and imagination of his readers, and he has to do it quickly. That is why it is always such a welcome event when a favorite novelist of mine decides to join the ranks of short story writers, or in the unusual case of Graham Swift, returns to that genre after an absence of almost thirty years.
Swift's England and Other Stories is a remarkable collection of twenty-five stories about people who, regardless of their age, have reached a point in their lives where regret and self-doubt are something they confront every day. These are people living in fear that their lives may never again be as good as they were at some point in the past. Not only do they fear that possibility, they feel sure that it is the truth.
What makes this collection a bit unusual is that none of the stories have been previously published elsewhere. These are all new stories (written, I'm guessing, within the amount of time it would normally have taken Swift to produce his next novel), and taken as a whole they present the diversity of a country that is all too often confined to its stereotypes in the minds of foreigners. There are stories about newlyweds, about elderly couples who have been together for decades, about men and women grieving their lost spouses, about grown children still trying to figure out exactly who their parents were, about cheating spouses, about minorities who self-identify as "English" despite how others perceive them, and even about lesbian lovers who are key workers in a sperm bank. And that is far from all.
Among my favorites is "Yorkshire," in which an elderly couple (71 and 72 years old) sleep across the hall from each other for the first time after the man has been accused by his adult daughter of unspeakable crimes committed against her when she was a child. In just a few pages, Swift engulfs the reader in the pain and anguish that fill those two bedrooms but leaves it up to his readers to judge the truth of the woman's charges. Another favorite is "Fusilli," which tells of the man who receives a phone call from his soldier son while shopping in his local grocery store. He marvels at the technology that makes such a thing possible, all the while feeling uneasy about their conversation.
Do read these stories in the order they are presented because, layer by layer, they add up to a cohesive picture of England as she is today, one in which it is easily imagined that characters from the various stories just might one day cross paths and enjoy each other's company - or not. They seem that real.
Swift's England and Other Stories is a remarkable collection of twenty-five stories about people who, regardless of their age, have reached a point in their lives where regret and self-doubt are something they confront every day. These are people living in fear that their lives may never again be as good as they were at some point in the past. Not only do they fear that possibility, they feel sure that it is the truth.
What makes this collection a bit unusual is that none of the stories have been previously published elsewhere. These are all new stories (written, I'm guessing, within the amount of time it would normally have taken Swift to produce his next novel), and taken as a whole they present the diversity of a country that is all too often confined to its stereotypes in the minds of foreigners. There are stories about newlyweds, about elderly couples who have been together for decades, about men and women grieving their lost spouses, about grown children still trying to figure out exactly who their parents were, about cheating spouses, about minorities who self-identify as "English" despite how others perceive them, and even about lesbian lovers who are key workers in a sperm bank. And that is far from all.
Among my favorites is "Yorkshire," in which an elderly couple (71 and 72 years old) sleep across the hall from each other for the first time after the man has been accused by his adult daughter of unspeakable crimes committed against her when she was a child. In just a few pages, Swift engulfs the reader in the pain and anguish that fill those two bedrooms but leaves it up to his readers to judge the truth of the woman's charges. Another favorite is "Fusilli," which tells of the man who receives a phone call from his soldier son while shopping in his local grocery store. He marvels at the technology that makes such a thing possible, all the while feeling uneasy about their conversation.
Do read these stories in the order they are presented because, layer by layer, they add up to a cohesive picture of England as she is today, one in which it is easily imagined that characters from the various stories just might one day cross paths and enjoy each other's company - or not. They seem that real.