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A review by acciodaydreamer
New Australian Fiction 2019 by Allee Richards, Gretchen Shirm, A.S. Patric, Craig Cormick, Chloe Michele, Zoe Bradley, Jack Kirne, Julie Koh, Rebecca Starford, Andrea Gillum, Khalid Warsame, Joshua Kemp, Mikaella Clements, Melanie Saward, Tony Birch, Laura Elvery, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, Wayne Marshall, Anne Hotta
4.0
New Australian Fiction 2019 contains 18 short stories from Australian writers, and an introduction from the editor, Rebecca Starford. The short stories explore a range of human experiences, from drought stricken communities and grief to drug addiction and mental health.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I'll start off with my dislikes because there isn't really any. As in most short story collections, there were some short stories I didn't like as much as others. I wasn't particularly engaged with a couple and at times, I was confused about exactly what the story was about. However, even the ones I didn't enjoy as much were still beautifully written, and all had a well developed voice that readers can connect to.
Three stories stood out to me the most: A Still Thing Shaken by Jack Kirne, The Crying Room by Gretchen Shirm, and The Hearing by Wayne Marshall.
My mind still wanders back to Kirne's A Still Thing Shaken whenever I think about this book. The entire time I was reading, I felt like I was in a dreamlike state (which is such a hippy thing to say), lost in the main character's voice, and surprised by the magical nature of Tan's visit and departure. A Still Thing Shaken balances on the line between realism and the magical. The story is also one Australia's can relate to where a drought stricken community begs for rain. Definitely my favourite.
I value the power a first sentence can hold in gripping the reader and Shirm's first sentence in The Crying Room does exactly that: "I cried during the interview." The second sentence is just as intriguing, solidifying the power of the first: "I think that's why they gave me the job."
And then there is Marshall's, The Hearing, which doesn't have an intriguing first sentence but intrigues the reader with a question: "What did Noel Burfitt do on Saturday?" I also enjoyed how Marshall took a cultural problem in today's society and amplified it.
New Australian Fiction 2019 was a very enjoyable read. There is at least one story everyone can enjoy in this collection.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I'll start off with my dislikes because there isn't really any. As in most short story collections, there were some short stories I didn't like as much as others. I wasn't particularly engaged with a couple and at times, I was confused about exactly what the story was about. However, even the ones I didn't enjoy as much were still beautifully written, and all had a well developed voice that readers can connect to.
Three stories stood out to me the most: A Still Thing Shaken by Jack Kirne, The Crying Room by Gretchen Shirm, and The Hearing by Wayne Marshall.
My mind still wanders back to Kirne's A Still Thing Shaken whenever I think about this book. The entire time I was reading, I felt like I was in a dreamlike state (which is such a hippy thing to say), lost in the main character's voice, and surprised by the magical nature of Tan's visit and departure. A Still Thing Shaken balances on the line between realism and the magical. The story is also one Australia's can relate to where a drought stricken community begs for rain. Definitely my favourite.
I value the power a first sentence can hold in gripping the reader and Shirm's first sentence in The Crying Room does exactly that: "I cried during the interview." The second sentence is just as intriguing, solidifying the power of the first: "I think that's why they gave me the job."
And then there is Marshall's, The Hearing, which doesn't have an intriguing first sentence but intrigues the reader with a question: "What did Noel Burfitt do on Saturday?" I also enjoyed how Marshall took a cultural problem in today's society and amplified it.
New Australian Fiction 2019 was a very enjoyable read. There is at least one story everyone can enjoy in this collection.