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st_morwenna's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.0
glitterpricked's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
this is officially one of my favourite short story collections! i don't think i've ever complimented a book's design before, but i thought this one was cool. the title and cover of course complement each other, but even the contents page follows this design, laying out every story and protagonist name like they're headliners in a theatre production. though the stories themselves are less dramatic, the concept does reflect how the characters are portrayed: they are at the centre of these vignettes, even when they're the side characters to other people's lives. i never felt bored of where the stories were going, as none were the same, but they still fit well together as a collective. not sure if this counts as a spoiler so don't read this if you don't want to know anything about the stories beforehand: a few of the characters even make a reappearance, which made the collection especially cohesive and interesting.
i've said this about a lot of recent reads lately, but i would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants short stories in a literary fiction style.
i've said this about a lot of recent reads lately, but i would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants short stories in a literary fiction style.
auggie_st's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
aimeesbookishlife's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
keysersuze's review against another edition
4.0
This had been on my TBR pile for a while, partly due to the reviews I’ve seen of other Kit de Waal writings, but also because of the sheer number of mentions and conversations I’ve had or heard about this author. A bit like when you’ve learned a new word or have just started running – you hear it everywhere.
The format also suited my current reading state, shying away from more standard chapter separated and longform prose and towards more bite sized pieces.
“Supporting Cast” is a series of vignettes, small paintings of someone’s life in two pages or less. It’s a whirlwind of life and loss, of love and memory. At first I tried to remember the names, location and dates for each title but there are so many it was distracting me from the story itself.
The people in the pages spring forth fully formed, but mid conversation. Each one takes you through their wedding, divorce, death, journey – release from prison, holiday to a caravan site or Europe, in a way which I always felt I was running to join in but, like a ceilidh, once you’re in and you know the steps, it all falls into place.
One point about this which, I confess, I wasn’t aware of when I started reading this – the characters in this book have appeared in other novels and short stories of Kit De Waal’s. I have some catching up to do, but I don’t think it impacted my enjoyment of this. In fact, I think I’d love to come back to it after reading some more of her stuff and connecting those dots as we learn more about the background characters and mentioned locations. It’s such a great idea, I love it that the end of a book or story doesn’t mean the end – they’re still living their lives and dreaming of the next train trip or family get together. I’d be interested to know what it’s like for someone who’s read everything and can spot the references.
Recommended for some short – but not light hearted – stories. They are all wonderfully human but some of them are quite hard to read as they’re so packed full of emotion.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC. This book is out to buy at the end of July - pre-order now!
The format also suited my current reading state, shying away from more standard chapter separated and longform prose and towards more bite sized pieces.
“Supporting Cast” is a series of vignettes, small paintings of someone’s life in two pages or less. It’s a whirlwind of life and loss, of love and memory. At first I tried to remember the names, location and dates for each title but there are so many it was distracting me from the story itself.
The people in the pages spring forth fully formed, but mid conversation. Each one takes you through their wedding, divorce, death, journey – release from prison, holiday to a caravan site or Europe, in a way which I always felt I was running to join in but, like a ceilidh, once you’re in and you know the steps, it all falls into place.
One point about this which, I confess, I wasn’t aware of when I started reading this – the characters in this book have appeared in other novels and short stories of Kit De Waal’s. I have some catching up to do, but I don’t think it impacted my enjoyment of this. In fact, I think I’d love to come back to it after reading some more of her stuff and connecting those dots as we learn more about the background characters and mentioned locations. It’s such a great idea, I love it that the end of a book or story doesn’t mean the end – they’re still living their lives and dreaming of the next train trip or family get together. I’d be interested to know what it’s like for someone who’s read everything and can spot the references.
Recommended for some short – but not light hearted – stories. They are all wonderfully human but some of them are quite hard to read as they’re so packed full of emotion.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC. This book is out to buy at the end of July - pre-order now!
ronanmcd's review against another edition
5.0
These are some of the most beguiling, superbly observed characters. I know them.
The stories are simple, plain and unadorned. I cried. They have real power
The stories are simple, plain and unadorned. I cried. They have real power
booksofjj's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Really not keen on this book. Mainly don't like the writing style and format of the book as an anthology of one author.
madeleinejoy's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rosaryoleander's review against another edition
5.0
The blurb barely covers this. This is a really interesting book which is just brilliantly well written.
It is a series of short stories that narrates the lives of around 20 people not necessarily at all connected, but each written in a completely distinguishing manner. Each character is fleshed out with their own internal voice coming off the page and de Waal has done a phenomenal job of writing each one differently.
The stories themselves are interesting, some dark, some less so. Some are introspective. Some are a story about another person, from the perspective of the first person narrator. This is just a masterclass in character building.
It is a series of short stories that narrates the lives of around 20 people not necessarily at all connected, but each written in a completely distinguishing manner. Each character is fleshed out with their own internal voice coming off the page and de Waal has done a phenomenal job of writing each one differently.
The stories themselves are interesting, some dark, some less so. Some are introspective. Some are a story about another person, from the perspective of the first person narrator. This is just a masterclass in character building.
alexchig's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
There is something really moving about this. It doesn't try to be grand or pretentious or make things more complex than they need to be. In each of these stories, we get to see only a glimpse of the characters' lives and the subtle emotions of desire, love and loss that they feel. Conceptually it's really well put together as there is a clear overarching theme, something that is rarely achieved in short story collections. The catch is that these stories and characters are so mundane that they are unmemorable. That said, if you're in the right state of mind this is a really grounded and beautifully written little book.