Book news, reviews and recommendations
Back from my travels, more of which next week, with one I’ve been eagerly anticipating for some time. When I reviewed Jhumpa Lahiri’s beautiful novella Whereabouts, an Italian reader kindly left a detailed comment describing his response to her translation of the book, which she had originally written in Italian, mentioning that a volume of …
Kate Doyle’s I Meant It Once comprises sixteen short stories, some very short indeed which was about all I felt up to when I read it, plagued with a sore throat and headache. As ever, I’ll pick out a few favourites to give you a flavour of what’s on offer in this collection which features …
I’d not come across Jamel Brinkley’s writing before I spotted Witness on NetGalley. It’s a collection of short stories all set in New York which, regular readers won’t be surprised to hear, was what attracted me to it. I’ve picked out my favourite pieces below, beginning with the opening coming-of-age story. In the image of …
Regular readers may have noticed that when reviewing books by Irish writers, I often mention they contribute to The Stinging Fly, a Dublin-based biannual magazine which publishes short fiction. From Wendy Erskine to Nicole Flattery, Kevin Barry to Louise Kennedy whose brilliant Trespasses was shortlisted for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, their contributors are …
Open Up by Thomas Morris: Tales of lost boys and seahorses Read More »
I loved Katherine Heiny’s Early Morning Riser which put me in mind of Anne Tyler with its astute, funny observations and affectionate characterisation. Her new book, Games and Rituals, is a short story collection but if you’re a Heiny fan who’s not so keen on short fiction, don’t let that put you off. Comprising eleven …
Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny: A modern day Anne Tyler Read More »
There was talk of ‘clean, precise prose’ in the press release for The House Next to the Factory, a description that always snags my attention particularly when it comes from Carys Davies whose own style could be described that way. Sonal Kohli’s debut is a set of nine closely interlinked short stories that portray the …
The House Next to the Factory by Sonal Kohli: Painting India on a small canvas Read More »
I couldn’t get on with George Saunders’ 2017 Man Booker Prize-winning Lincoln in the Bardo but made a mental note to try his short stories which were much lauded in the novel’s publicity material. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get around to it until Liberation Day popped through my letterbox. Comprising nine stories, Saunders’ new collection ranges …
Liberation Day by George Saunders: A smartly delivered collection Read More »
I’m not much of a horror fan but I do enjoy the occasional slice of gothic, preferably something with a slightly surreal edge to it, and a sample short story on Reflex Press’ website suggested Welsh author Anna Vaught’s Ravished fit that bill. Comprising nineteen stories, some so short you might call them flash fiction, …
Ravished by Anna Vaught: A nice slice of Gothic spiced with black humour Read More »
I was stunned to find two decades had passed since I’d read Personal Velocity, Rebecca Miller’s first collection. Time does funny things as you get older. Perhaps better known as a filmmaker, Miller adapted both her short stories and her equally enjoyable novel, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, for the screen. Comprising seven stories, …
Total by Rebecca Miller: Written with a filmmaker’s eye Read More »
I read the Stinging Fly Press edition of Wendy Erskine’s Sweet Home a while ago mainly because I’ve yet to read anything published by them that hasn’t impressed. I enjoyed its quiet stories of everyday people very much which is what made me put up my hand for Dance Move and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve …
Irish writer Sheila Armstrong’s debut collection How to Gut a Fish came with a glowing endorsement from Roddy Doyle which was part of the lure for me; that and the hint of the surreal in its blurb. The collection comprises fourteen stories, none more than twenty pages long, each very different from the other. As …
How to Gut a Fish by Sheila Armstrong: A striking, idiosyncratic collection Read More »