There
My heart sinks when a dog appears in fiction. They rarely meet a happy end with the honourable exception of Maude in Claire Fuller’s Unsettled Ground. At least we know right from the start that a dog has died in Josephine Rowe’s A Loving, Faithful Animal, a loss which results in an Australian Vietnam vet disappearing yet again, leaving behind his family and a wife who decides to let him stay missing this time. ‘A Loving, Faithful Animal is an unforgettable interrogation of ruins, redemption and reasons why. This haunting and vivid novel excavates an Australia rarely seen in literature’ promise the publishers. Any Australian readers have a view on this one?
Two short story collections for December, the first of which is The Imposter by Silvina Ocampo. Ocampo was a twentieth-century Argentinean writer whose work sounds distinctly unusual. ‘Here are tales of doubles and living dolls, angels and demons, a beautiful seer who writes the autobiography of her own death, and much else that is mad, sublime, and delicious’ say the publishers of a collection introduced by Helen Oyeyemi. Sounds well worth investigating.
December’s second collection, Ferdinand Dennis’ The Black and White Museum, explores post-Windrush scandal London through the experiences of those most
That’s it for the slim pickings of December. As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis.
Discover more from A Life in Books
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Ahh, thanks for the mention of Maude!
You’re welcome! I was so pleased she had a happy ending.
The Black and White Museum sounds worthwhile – well they all do! A Loving, Faithful Animal also caught my eye. Books aren’t just for Christmas thank goodness, so maybe someday!
I think The Black and White Museum is my favourite of these, and absolutely that!
You put forward such interesting choices every time, brava!
Thank you!
The Imposter sounds really intriguing!
I might have to read it to add it to my wacky short story collection list
The Ferdinand Dennis looks great. Anne Tyler’s Clock Dance has a dog that survives – i was glad as she let me down in an earlier book. I always mention in my reviews when the animal is OK!
That’s a good policy. It may sound mean but I think it’s cheap way to emotionally manipulate readers unless it serves a plot purpose.
I have The Newcomer to read for the upcoming blog tour and am looking forward to it. I’d also like to read Ocampo’s short story collection – it sounds intriguing and I want to read more South American writers.
I’ll look out for your review, Kath. The Ocampo looks interesting, doesn’t it.
It does indeed.
I’ve enjoyed Ocampo’s stories previously so the new collection is appealing, as is The Black and White Museum. Slim pickings but temptations as usual Susan 🙂
Those two are the most tempting to me, too. I’d not heard of Ocampo before so it’s good to get a recommendation.
Another interesting selection. I feel the same about dogs in fiction. Good to know the dog in Unsettled Ground survives, as it’s on my wishlist.
You can safely become attached to the lovely Maude!
The Impostor sounds deliciously weird – a must, I think! Thanks for highlighting it! 😀
You’re welcome! If you fancy some wacky short stories, I reviewed a collection by Michael Andreason called The Seabeast Takes a Lover. It’s bonkers but I loved it.
Ha, it looks appealingly odd too! 😀
I think I’ve read Ocampo’s ‘Imposter’ story before as part of the NYRB edition of her selected stories, Thus Were Their Faces. That’s quite a sizeable collection, so I’m wondering how much overlap there is between the two.
It’ll be interesting to compare, Jacqui. What did you think of her writing?
I’ve read Ocampo’s only novel The Promise but not her stories. The novel is very good, but I have a feeling from its style and format the short story might be her true talent.
She’s new to me. The stories certainly sound interesting if a little wacky.
I’ve recently read Neel Patel’s debut novel, Tell Me How to Be (a follow-up to his debut collection) which I quite enjoyed. There is a sense of Memorial in it…or, maybe more Lot, actually…but I don’t want to say much more, because it would quickly get spoilery for both Washington and Patel! Hah.
Oh, that’s interesting. I have a proof of the Patel. You’ve whetted my appetite nicely. Not out here until next year.
I have to admit, I don’t mind slim pickings every once in a while… We need a chance to catch up, right?!
That’s a good point!
Pingback: TBR Thursday 317… – FictionFan's Book Reviews