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A review by tawallah
Summer Lightning and Other Stories by Olive Senior
4.0
I first read and thoroughly enjoyed this short story collection at age 15. This book made me wish I could write, and the short story format was a delight. It won the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1987 and was a debut short story collection.
On re-reading this collection I am still in awe of the imagery of rural Jamaica mainly told from the eyes of children. It deals with weighty topics such as religion, abuse, death and grief, friendships and desires as well as lighter stories. This time around I am finding it hard to pick a favorite story, they all resonate on some level. But there are a few stories that leave you without a concrete ending- Summer Lightning and The Country of the One-eye God. The only drawback is that this would require a glossary of terms for the dialect used. I have lived in Jamaica, so I know some of the terms and others I guessed. But for non-Caribbean readers, the dialect would be a challenge.
Highly recommended.
On re-reading this collection I am still in awe of the imagery of rural Jamaica mainly told from the eyes of children. It deals with weighty topics such as religion, abuse, death and grief, friendships and desires as well as lighter stories. This time around I am finding it hard to pick a favorite story, they all resonate on some level. But there are a few stories that leave you without a concrete ending- Summer Lightning and The Country of the One-eye God. The only drawback is that this would require a glossary of terms for the dialect used. I have lived in Jamaica, so I know some of the terms and others I guessed. But for non-Caribbean readers, the dialect would be a challenge.
Highly recommended.