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direwolfsummer's review against another edition
3.5
也许是被我喜欢的那些草灰伏线、绵延千里的长篇小说惯坏了，我不是很习惯这种没头没尾、像是没画完的随手素描一样的短故事。比较喜欢Strange Traffic和Nos Da两篇，第一篇Bolt里一笔带过的威尔士夜景也很有氛围感：Down below us the streetlights chart the housing estates, and Caerphilly twinkles in the night.
Nos Da:
Nos Da:
He goes to speak, but she turns off the light and says nos da - it's Welsh for 'good night', but tonight she means it as another way of saying, no more.
kanika's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
i loved 'all the boys'
cathy_messier's review
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
I recently realized that even though I only read a few short story collections a year, they tend to become my favorite reads of the year (in 2022, I only read two short story collections, and they *both* made my top 5 list out of the 59 books I read!). Therefore, I made a resolution to read way more short story collections in 2023 and I’m so glad that I started with this one, which made me feel completely validated in my decision. If you enjoy short stories that are a bit melancholy, quite funny, and cathartic to read (though not in a heavy handed way), I recommend this lovely book about people navigating life in a small town in South Wales called Caerphilly. I’m so glad to have discovered this author (thanks to the wonderful Jen Campbell’s recommendation on Booktube), and I’m excited to continue reading everything Thomas Morris writes from now on.
alexampersand's review
4.0
I mostly enjoyed these stories. A lot didn't seem to have a 'plot' as much, rather just snapshots of the lives of various people. I particularly enjoyed Fugue (dealing with depression) and All The Boys (dealing with toxic masculinity.) The final story, Nos Da, also stood out since it's distinctly more in the fantastical/sci-fi/paranormal realms than the others which felt more or less grounded in reality.
Saying that, none of the stories felt exactly 'normal' which I quite liked; there seemed to be something slightly off-kilter running beneath the surface of almost all of them.
Saying that, none of the stories felt exactly 'normal' which I quite liked; there seemed to be something slightly off-kilter running beneath the surface of almost all of them.
fernwormreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
foy's review
5.0
This book had me in tears at a lot of points from the moment the author mentioned Caerphilly Mountain Snack Bar.
aok700's review against another edition
5.0
The entire collection got upgraded to five stars just for Nos Da.
barrypierce's review against another edition
3.0
In a collection of Welsh stories, Morris give us a panoptic view of Caerphilly through the people who live and breathe the city. I found sediments of Ali Smith and Armistead Maupin in these tales which balance the tragic and the comic near perfectly. Being a Welsh writer who lives in Dublin, Morris is able to mix the blood of Irish humour and Welsh humour and make a flea of his own.
emily_wigham's review against another edition
4.0
This collection of short stories was so refreshing to read, I feel like these days every book I open is overly romanticised, a stab at the "every man" which totally misses the mark, sensationalising the mundane. That is not the case with the characters in Morris' stories, the domestic sphere is perfectly captured, with strange quirks and character traits making the protagonists multidimensional, and endlessly entertaining. I actually laughed out loud at times, something books rarely make me do anymore. Perhaps growing up in a small town myself makes me more privy to a close-knit community settings, but I just found it so endearing.
On another note, and this is definitely just a personal preference, I think Morris missed a great opportunity to tie the stories together. They all take place in Caerphilly, yet the details of each story seem completely isolated from one another. The castle plays an important role in many, but I think it would have been more engaging had Morris dropped in characters, or specific locations here and there, Joycean in the approach.
The only negative (if you could call it that) thing about this collection is the last story. It was my favourite narrative of them all, however I found the switch from the mundane everyday, to the dis(or u-)topic setting of "Nos Da" to be quite jarring. Maybe I wasn't at my most perceptive when I read it, but it took me a beat to actually understand what was going on. I think it would have found a better home amongst like-minded stories.
Either way, I really enjoyed the collection and can't wait to read more from Morris.
On another note, and this is definitely just a personal preference, I think Morris missed a great opportunity to tie the stories together. They all take place in Caerphilly, yet the details of each story seem completely isolated from one another. The castle plays an important role in many, but I think it would have been more engaging had Morris dropped in characters, or specific locations here and there, Joycean in the approach.
The only negative (if you could call it that) thing about this collection is the last story. It was my favourite narrative of them all, however I found the switch from the mundane everyday, to the dis(or u-)topic setting of "Nos Da" to be quite jarring. Maybe I wasn't at my most perceptive when I read it, but it took me a beat to actually understand what was going on. I think it would have found a better home amongst like-minded stories.
Either way, I really enjoyed the collection and can't wait to read more from Morris.
badbookstagrammer's review against another edition
3.0
It took me almost two months to get through this book. Not because it was boring or poorly written. It was insightful and lovely in many ways but I found it a little hard to follow at times. I actually needed to put it down for couple of weeks and then pick it up again and there you have it - I read the last half of it in two days. I guess it was just bad timing when I started it. The individual stories were all unique in their own ways and I enjoyed getting into the characters lives for a split moment in time - a little like watching their Memory Tapes. I haven't really read any collections of separate stories but this was a great one to start with. The stories were full of brilliant little moments, the characters raw and insecure yet they each hold this weird, kind of breezy wisdom, the knowledge they've collected from their experiences or the lack-of. I don't know. This was in many ways a refreshing read.
Some stories I will definitely read again. Strange Traffic, Clap Hands and Big Pit were probably my favourites. Fugue stayed with me strangely long after reading it and I feel like Nos Da will too. Morris has an interesting way with words, his storytelling is somehow sleepy and slow but at the same time really powerful. I enjoyed it quite a bunch.
Some stories I will definitely read again. Strange Traffic, Clap Hands and Big Pit were probably my favourites. Fugue stayed with me strangely long after reading it and I feel like Nos Da will too. Morris has an interesting way with words, his storytelling is somehow sleepy and slow but at the same time really powerful. I enjoyed it quite a bunch.