The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story by Philip Hensher

The Penguin Book of the Contemporary British Short Story

Philip Hensher with Kazuo Ishiguro, Jackie Kay, Graham Swift, Jane Gardam, Ali Smith, Martin Amis, China Miéville, Peter Hobbs, Thomas Morris, David Rose, David Szalay, Irvine Welsh, Lucy Caldwell, Rose Tremain, Helen Oyeyemi, Leone Ross, Helen Simpson, Zadie Smith, Will Self, Gerard Woodward, James Kelman, Lucy Wood, Hilary Mantel, Eley Williams, Sarah Hall, Mark Haddon, Helen Dunmore, Tessa Hadley, A.L. Kennedy, Neil Gaiman

432 pages • first pub 2018 (editions)

fiction contemporary short stories informative inspiring fast-paced
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Description

We are living in a particularly rich period for British short stories. Despite the relative lack of venues in which they can be published, the challenge the medium represents has attracted many remarkable writers.Philip Hensher, following the grea...

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Community Reviews Summary of 55 reviews

Moods

challenging 100%
dark 75%
emotional 75%
funny 75%
inspiring 75%
mysterious 75%
reflective 75%
hopeful 50%
sad 50%
tense 50%
adventurous 25%
lighthearted 25%
relaxing 25%

Pace

slow 66%
fast 16%
medium 16%

Plot- or character-driven?

A mix: 50% | Plot: 50%

Strong character development?

N/A: 50% | It's complicated: 25% | Yes: 25%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 100%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 66% | It's complicated: 33%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

It's complicated: 100%

Average rating

3.64

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