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3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
Good little collection of short stories that was written in support of Oxfam.
There was the odd duff one, but I did like Fieldwork by Ian Rankin and Telescope by Jonathan Buckley
There was the odd duff one, but I did like Fieldwork by Ian Rankin and Telescope by Jonathan Buckley
Nice little short story collection, subtitled 'Original stories from remarkable writers'. This is the first in a series of four books published in support of Oxfam - all royalties go to them. The series is themed on the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. On the basis of this first volume, I think I will be seeking out the other three. The stories are of a consistenty high standard and there's the pleasure of the variety of strong styles and voices - each volume has at least 2 or 3 very big names everyone will recognise. Plus, the physical book, at around an inch shorter than a standard paperback, is a great size for popping in your pocket and dipping into on the bus, during your lunch hour, wherever.
I really enjoyed these short stories & there are some gems in here that really make me want to read more in this genre. Nicholas Shakespeare and Marina Lewycka's tales were particular highlights while a few of the others seemed to end a little weakly (it's a tough genre I suspect). It's a sampling of some contemporary greats too, which serves as a useful introduction but if there's any criticism is that there are no strong overarching theme. Death perhaps - earth to earth? I've not read any of the other collections so its difficult to compare & contemporary fiction is inherently a little morose. Overall a real page turner leaving much to think about.
I think I like the design of this short story collection better than anything else about it, even the [a:Kate Atkinson|10015|Kate Atkinson|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1253439701p2/10015.jpg] story (which was good but not close to her best). The tales themselves were a mixture, some good, some bad, with no real standouts. I still want the other books in this series, though. THEY ARE JUST SO PRETTY.