Scan barcode
felicitassturm's review
inspiring
4.75
Das Buch war ein Mitbringsel aus Leeds von meiner besten Freundin. Zuerst war ich ein wenig skeptisch, wie man das halt so ist bei Büchern von alten, weißen Männern. Aber die Kurzgeschichten waren richtig schön! Sie machten nostalgisch, denn sie erzählten von einer anderen Zeit, als sich die Welt noch ein wenig langsamer drehte. Manches ging in Richtung magischer Realismus, zum Teil war es mir ein bisschen zu weird/spooky, doch die Moral mochte ich jedes Mal. Auserdem and ich die kurzen Erklärungen zur Entstehung oder zu den Hintergründen der Geschichten total interessant und inspirierend.
Das Buch lies mich mit einem warmen Gefühl zurück, so wie es sein soll!
Das Buch lies mich mit einem warmen Gefühl zurück, so wie es sein soll!
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
3.0
Short stories all set in northeast England, each introduced with a bit of Almond's growing up there. I am not familiar with Almond's writing, so I don't have comparisons to make. I'm not a great fan of short stories generally, but enjoyed these moderately. I really enjoyed "Harry Miller's Run".
fallingletters's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally posted 16 June 2015 on Falling Letters. I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley.
I last read a short story collection years ago, I suppose. I only read such collections when an author I adore publishes one. Why did I pick up Half a Creature from the Sea? This sentence from the NetGalley description sold it for me: "Set in the northern English Tyneside country of the author’s childhood, these eight short stories by the incomparable David Almond evoke gritty realities and ineffable longings, experiences both ordinary and magical." Seaside English setting + childhood memories + touches of magic = I want to try it! This book publishes in US in the fall, but since it's already available in the UK, I'm publishing my review now.
The collection contains only eight stories. This also appealed to me - hopefully there would be few mediocre stories to wade through in hopes of running into the goods ones, as I hear tends to be the case with story collections. GoodReads says it's 240 pages, but in Kindle-speak it's only 'Loc 1522'. Eight stories was a perfect number for me. I breezed through the collection and didn't find any story lesser than its companion. Each story has it own charm.
Almond's own childhood heavily influenced these stories. A few pages of explanation prefaces each story, describing the story's basis in Almond's reality and sometimes how it became fictionalized. This telling doesn't spoil the stories. Almond's prose still flows clearly in these passages. Understanding the truths in the stories made them all the more vivid for me. I appreciated a bit where he mentions having rewritten one story many times, and will probably continuing doing so in the future. That's not something you can do easily with novels.
Perhaps by now you're wondering the target age of this book. It appears to be marketed as middle-grade. Candlewick's website says 7 to 9 years old (which I actually think could be too young) and the protagonists are all 10- or 11-years-old, but to me the atmosphere moves the stories beyond that level. Penguin RandomHouse's website says young adult and Kirkus Review suggests 13-18, but certainly 14 is 'too old'. Maybe this is one of those books you can enjoy as child, forgot about as a teen, and return to to find something new when you're older. The Ocean at the End of the Lane gave me a similar vibe, albeit with a a lot more darkness. I don't think 10-year-old me would have liked Half a Creature from the Sea so much, because A) I never read short stories (are they common in middle grade nowadays?) and B) there wasn't a lot of fantasy, just touches here and there. I didn't come to appreciate slice-of-life until my late teens. Regardless, I think this is a great book. Read it yourself, then pass it on to a young thoughtful reader or one who likes all things British.
The Bottom Line: Perhaps you're not one much for short stories, but the description appeals to you. Give it a go, and maybe you'll be wondering, like I am, why you don't read more short stories!
I last read a short story collection years ago, I suppose. I only read such collections when an author I adore publishes one. Why did I pick up Half a Creature from the Sea? This sentence from the NetGalley description sold it for me: "Set in the northern English Tyneside country of the author’s childhood, these eight short stories by the incomparable David Almond evoke gritty realities and ineffable longings, experiences both ordinary and magical." Seaside English setting + childhood memories + touches of magic = I want to try it! This book publishes in US in the fall, but since it's already available in the UK, I'm publishing my review now.
The collection contains only eight stories. This also appealed to me - hopefully there would be few mediocre stories to wade through in hopes of running into the goods ones, as I hear tends to be the case with story collections. GoodReads says it's 240 pages, but in Kindle-speak it's only 'Loc 1522'. Eight stories was a perfect number for me. I breezed through the collection and didn't find any story lesser than its companion. Each story has it own charm.
Almond's own childhood heavily influenced these stories. A few pages of explanation prefaces each story, describing the story's basis in Almond's reality and sometimes how it became fictionalized. This telling doesn't spoil the stories. Almond's prose still flows clearly in these passages. Understanding the truths in the stories made them all the more vivid for me. I appreciated a bit where he mentions having rewritten one story many times, and will probably continuing doing so in the future. That's not something you can do easily with novels.
"That's the strange thing about writing stories - you put in something imaginary to make the whole thing seem more real." (21%)Another aspect of the stories I really enjoyed was the role of the Catholic church in the lives of the young boys. I haven't read a lot of children's literature where the children are so engaged in a real world religion. In that area, at that time, Catholicism was just a natural, integral part of their lives. I grew up in a church, but my experience differed greatly from the ones in the stories. I liked reading about how the church influenced the boy's lives, and how their opinions changed and developed.
"Our duties to retain the faith and to please and obey God were much more important than our duty to love and to care for our fellow creatures." (32%)Although part of the reason I picked up this book was the mention of magical experiences, these play less of a role in the stories than I expected. Often the 'magic' is a minor part, a background note to the characters themselves. I didn't even mind, though, because the stories are sweet enough without fantasy. The prose, too, is lovely. Almond writes the perspective of a young child well.
Perhaps by now you're wondering the target age of this book. It appears to be marketed as middle-grade. Candlewick's website says 7 to 9 years old (which I actually think could be too young) and the protagonists are all 10- or 11-years-old, but to me the atmosphere moves the stories beyond that level. Penguin RandomHouse's website says young adult and Kirkus Review suggests 13-18, but certainly 14 is 'too old'. Maybe this is one of those books you can enjoy as child, forgot about as a teen, and return to to find something new when you're older. The Ocean at the End of the Lane gave me a similar vibe, albeit with a a lot more darkness. I don't think 10-year-old me would have liked Half a Creature from the Sea so much, because A) I never read short stories (are they common in middle grade nowadays?) and B) there wasn't a lot of fantasy, just touches here and there. I didn't come to appreciate slice-of-life until my late teens. Regardless, I think this is a great book. Read it yourself, then pass it on to a young thoughtful reader or one who likes all things British.
The Bottom Line: Perhaps you're not one much for short stories, but the description appeals to you. Give it a go, and maybe you'll be wondering, like I am, why you don't read more short stories!
lexiww's review against another edition
3.0
“Can this be real?” That’s what we’re left wondering as each new story in Half a Creature from the Sea teasingly unfolds. British author Almond blurs the lines between the supernatural and reality with aplomb in his latest collection of short fiction. Satisfyingly, each story is preceded by an autobiographical foreword, as Almond weaves elements of his own provincial childhood into each tale, accompanied by Taylor’s stylish gray-scale illustrations, which clatter around the edges of the pages. This only heightens the allure of the fantastical circumstances his characters find themselves in: a father descends from heaven to console his grieving son. God—or an imposter?—visits a young girl’s garden and grants wishes that seem implausible. A boy summons a poltergeist he only half fears. Almond’s dialogue crackles with Briticisms and youthful English dialect. His scenes center on unsuspecting young adults making sense of mystical situations they unwittingly encounter. With each story, Almond cements his prolific, beloved place among writers of magic realism for today’s young readers.— Lexi Walters Wright, First published September 15, 2015 (Booklist).
miromo's review against another edition
4.0
A cute little book with a variety of stories. I enjoyed some short stories more than other, but my favorite stories (such as Henry Miller's Run and When God Came to Cathleen's Garden) made the entire book worth the read. I enjoyed the author's notes between the short stories; I found that they provided a new lens through which I could view the stories.
littleelfman's review against another edition
4.0
The intros to each short story really add to the whole reading experience. I really enjoyed it.
florencelong's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 Stars.
I'm not sure I really understood the meaning behind each story. Either that, or the stories were random and confusing.
I'm not sure I really understood the meaning behind each story. Either that, or the stories were random and confusing.
alomie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A short story collection, I really liked my time with this, it's the end of the year and I needed something short, I was hoping it would be more light hearted than it was but as it goes I still enjoyed it.
The illustrations in this book are really lovely and made it feel a bit magical or like a story book, and most of these stories are about young kids and their lives.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others which is why I gave it 3.5 stars, but i truly did think this was a worthwhile read.
The illustrations in this book are really lovely and made it feel a bit magical or like a story book, and most of these stories are about young kids and their lives.
I enjoyed some of the stories more than others which is why I gave it 3.5 stars, but i truly did think this was a worthwhile read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: War, Child death, and Suicide