Short Story: 'Hanwell in Hell' by Zadie Smith

 "Hanwell in Hell" by Zadie Smith



"Hanwell in Hell" met the lofty expectations I hold whenever I read Zadie Smith.

Clive Black narrates to Hanwell's daughter the sole encounter he had with her father.

Zadie Smith is typically rich here and is not fearful of holding back, which is something I have always admired in her writing. Her specific details make the locale, characters and atmosphere spring to life in a superbly drawn story.

Short Story: 'So Help Me God' by Joyce Carol Oates

"So Help me God" by Joyce Carol Oates

From Oates’ superb anthology: The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense

Home alone, a young wife receives a call. Is she being baited for a trap laid by her jealous husband or is it a stranger who seems to know more about her than he should?

Joyce Carol Oates is one of those authors who simply inspires other writers. She’s an exceptional craftsman whose tales unravel deliciously- even when there is the occasional sense of the inevitable. Her narrative voice in short fiction is more than just impressive; she is able to evoke emotion and character with an arguably unrivalled mastery.

More Books

More Books from Planet

Went down to Planet Books for their mega-sale and as usual bought books that weren't on sale.

MY MOTHER SHE KILLED ME, MY FATHER HE ATE ME
Forty New Fairy Tales edited by Kate Bernheimer

I'm always eager to read any new adult take on myths or fairy tales. This fine collection includes stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, John Updike, Sarah Shun-Lieberman Bynum, Michael Cunningham, Kathryn Davis, Rikki Ducornet, Karen Fowler, Kelly Link and many more.

Stories edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.

Seems like an excellent anthology and includes stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Gene Wolfe, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Roddy Doyle, Joanne Harris, Michael Marshall Smith, Joe R. Landsdale, Peter Straub and many more. 

The Comedians by Graham Greene.

Whenever I feel the need for a reliable read I turn to Greene. As such, I am ever thankful that he was so prolific. I bought this on the advice of Guy Salvidge whose second novel, Yellowcake Springs will be released soon.

Warriors 1 edited by George RR Martin and Gardner Dozois

I just discovered that there is a larger collection called Warriors, so it was a bit of a poor impulsive buy. Dozois, along with Datlow and Strahan (who we are lucky to have living here in Perth) are arguably the three best editors/anthologists going around in the field.

I chiefly bought it because it includes a new novella by Martin; his worlds are like the forbidden turkish delight offered in Narnia - deliciously sweet but wrought with peril.

I am currently reading Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz.

Feel free to comment on any of the above or even your own recent buys/reads.

Brief Book Review: 'The Confidential Agent' by Graham Greene

Brief Book Review: The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene

A former lecturer in romance languages, D is now a middle-aged confidential agent of the Left, who is in England attempting to secure coal for his side in his unnamed wore-torn home country (which contextually corresponds with Spain). An enemy agent, L, is already in England to perform the same task for what is depicted as the morally bankrupt Right.

The moment the widowed D steps off at the station he chances to meet the daughter of the coal magnate he is required to see. Despite their age gap, she begins to fall for the much older D. She even refers quite comically to her oedipal complex.

The story explores class differences, the grey issues of government and business, xenophobia and mistrust. D’s heroism stems from his valuing of humanity and he evolves over the text’s duration into a determined agent rather than the nervous, passive man that the reader is initially introduced to.

The Confidential Agent is a thriller, which concentrates on character and alludes to ethical dilemmas and larger ideologies rather than simply the ‘over-the-top’ action moments that often pollute many of today’s thrillers.

While not as enlightening as the Power and the Glory or The Heart of the Matter, The Confidential Agent is a highly entertaining and rewarding read.

Short Story: 'A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

After a storm, a married couple discover an old man with enormous wings in their courtyard.Both the couple's and the community's actions that follow make for an interesting read.

 The 'matter of fact' way in which it is written epitomises the stronger magical realist works.

Short Stories

The short story is an invaluable vehicle for writers to develop their craft. In terms of voice, style and structure, the form allows for some extreme variation, which may not be capable of being sustained successfully in the lengthier novel form.

I prefer the longer versions of short stories, my favourite works all possess juicy narratives, so if it's under 2000 words I often feel unsatisfied. I suppose I like some meat in my reading and titbits do not suffice.

With more time being taken up these day in social media and the many varieties of 'sit-down' leisurely entertainment, the short story could potentially undergo its own popular revival. Novelettes and short stories may fill a reading void as they're a great way to sink into some reading without any serious time-commitment.

As for flash fiction, it certainly has its place, but it is not a genre I take great gratification in. I might think a piece is clever but (with a few exceptions) I never seem to recall the story at a later date— there's no 'wow factor' a few months afterwards. For me, flash fiction feels more like a writing exercise rather than a 'true' story.

There are so many exceptional exponents of the short form: from the realists, like Nam Le and Richard Yates and Alice Munro, to the quirkier Margaret Atwood and John Cheever, the dark and suspenseful Joyce Carol Oates,  the often slipstream Robert Shearman, to humorous satirists like Will Self and George Saunders, and sci fi writers like Michael Swanwick and Nalo Hopkinson.  There are hundreds of others too, both new and old, that are rewarding writers.

I see more and more anthologies at bookstores. Perhaps the short story renaissance has already begun?

I'll be presenting ten short stories that I think fab reads. There are of course a myriad out there that I am yet to read or, regretfully, may never touch upon.

Horrorscope Review: ASIM #50, Andromeda # 50

HorrorScope Review: ASIM #50, Andromeda #50

Mark Smith-Briggs, the editor of HorrorScope and a short story writer too, has written a review on Andromeda #50 at HorrorScope. I believe that outside of a generic review of Dotdotdash5, it is the first formal review I have received on a piece. I'm thankful and relieved to see that it's positive.

I don't believe it's ethical for me to comment on other stories in the collection besides stating that I thoroughly enjoyed them. Mark did name what he believed to be some standouts, which I will mention for the writers' benefit: Mark Lee Pearson’s Whaling the Multiverse; Nicole R Murphy’s The Fairy King’s Child and Dennis J Pale’s Morrow Street.

Debbie Cowen’s The Truth About Dragons, Shona Husk’s Skull Jeweller’s Apprentice and Damien Walters Grintalis’ A Glimpse of Nothing in Silvered were also mentioned in a most positive fashion

Regarding my own piece, Mark wrote the following:  Anthony Panegyres’ The Wine Endures [...MILD SPOILER TAKEN OUT...] is also a great read and an example of how well ancient myths can be mashed up with the modern world to create a fresh take on old tropes.

Books Bought Recently

I recently bought from my two favourite Perth bookstores: Planet Books (Mt Lawley) and New Edition (Fremantle and Northbridge).

I still buy books even though I do realise that I already have a depressingly insurmountable reading list. 

When choosing my next read, I use a random number system on my 'want-to-read-list' to ensure that I read a variety of writers (terribly nerdy, I know).

Anyway, the buys and reasons for them are as follows:

PLANET BOOKS:

•  The Last Werewolf  by Glen Duncan. I heard him interviewed on the radio while driving to work. It sounded like a great read, plus a FB friend, Karen, recommended it.
• The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. I enjoyed The Lovely Bones so what the Hell.
• The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. Sounds riveting and I have always been curious. 

NEW EDITION 

• Gentleman of the Road by Michael Chabon. I read Chabon's book about writing and reading so buying a novel by him that appealed to me seemed the next logical step.
• New Australian Stories 2 by Scribe Publications. Outside of the journals I subscribe to, I largely read writers from abroad. I've been thinking that I should read more from the local market. The guy working at the bookstore also had a story in the collection and I felt a sudden compulsion to support an emerging Perth writer. 

Feel free to comment on any of the above books and what your recent buys (if any) are. 

Book Review: 'The Lovely Bones' by A. Sebold

Book Review: The Lovely Bones by A. Sebold

Memoir in Fiction

It was difficult not to be hooked by the second line of the novel: ‘I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973’.

    I have never had a problem suspending my belief when reading fiction, but I know of some people who were turned off by the afterlife idea in the film. Rest assured, a reader does not have to believe in the afterlife to enjoy the ride here and by using a ghost - the raped-then-murdered Susie Salmon as the narrator - Sebold can travel backwards into characters' pasts as well as stay abreast of their present lives, which she does so with intent. The lives of all those affected are observed carefully, in an almost omniscient fashion; we understand their feelings and their drives more deeply than many modern narratives. There is even a somewhat sensitive insight into the serial killer rapist.

    There were parts early on and occasionally at other times when I grew fearful of Sebold. I am not a reader drawn to memoir and Sebold clearly utilises memoir-style techniques in The Lovely Bones. She frequently flashes back and explores past moments with the ease of a highly skilled memoir writer. She does, I grudgingly admit, pull it off with some superb craftsmanship.

    And whenever I was convinced that I was going to be drowned in a memoir-style narrative, Sebold would add a tantalising part: a stolen kiss, a clue; an insight into the serial killer’s upbringing; a deft switch of character, ‘sinful’ behaviour; connection and disconnection within relationships; and of course the innovative ghostly ‘other worldly-ness’ of it all.

    While the impact of a girl’s death on a family suffices for an emotional story, Sebold takes it to an entirely new level here. And she certainly does not overwhelm the reader with misery; there is plenty of light in The Lovely Bones and gentle humour too. Her prose is generally spare, occasionally detailed and almost always beautiful.

    Structurally, The Lovely Bones is a poised, almost flawless work, apart from an infamous all-too- neat icicle scene (you'll understand if you read it).

    With The Lovely Bones Sebold successfully paints a picture of childhood, growing up, familial love and friendship; and conjures up for the reader those forgotten places in the past as well as those precious stolen moments. It is a highly (and painfully) accomplished work.

 

The Great Raven: ASIM Issue #50

The Great Raven: ASIM Issue #50

Andromeda #50, ASIM #50, The Wine Endures

ASIM #50, The Wine Endures

I am not a genre writer as such —and I’m certainly not a fan of labelling authors— but I'll confess to feeling a real buzz about The Wine Endures being chosen by Sue Bursztynski (author of Wolfborn) for the Special Editors' 50th Edition of Andromeda (ASIM #50).

I found the following comment by Sue most flattering:

"Once in a blue moon I get a story I love. This was one of those times."

It was a pleasure to be in the company of some truly fine (and far better known) writers. The edition has an excellent and suitably varied collection of stories.

I'd like to thank Greg Hughes for his illustration, which really conveyed the essence of both the character and story. It was a pleasant surprise. More of Greg's work can be found at http://arrowfire.deviantart.com/gallery

At the moment I'm reading The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene (one of my staples) and The Lovely Bones by Sebold but straight after them I'll certainly be reading Bursztynski's Wolfborn, which has had some rave reviews.

Feel free to discover more about Sue Bursztynski at her blog: http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com/

Dotdotdash Magazine - an innovative journal.

Dotdotdash Magazine

It is not hard to promote an excellent product: Dotdotdash is an accessible literary journal with an innovative layout (in full colour). It combines the talents of various artists and its many treasures include: photos, pictures, graphic artwork, short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction and numerous editorials. Steven Finch and his editorial team are doing a top job.

This was a review from the West Australian Newspaper on the 5^th edition.

                             

Book Review: 'In Evil Hour' by Marquez

Brief Review: In Evil Hour by Marquez

Marquez’ early hook entailing a murder of passion over a posted lampoon made me eagerly rip through the initial part of his debut novel. My excitement waned soon after as his attempts to paint a forlorn, cursed and decaying town became a jumbled mess. The heat and humidity are omnipresent, as is the theme of corruption; yet it appears that Marquez did not have the skill to realise his vision here. There are flashes of brilliance but they are lost in the depressing mire that surrounds them.

The Nobel Laureate still offers the occasional sensual turn of phrase that delights so many of his fans: for instance the cow carcass in the river and the accompanying stench was a worthwhile motif. But for the most part you have to search heavily among the cheap 'throw away' zirchonias for anything of value.

 I think that Marquez’ fallibility as a novice is interesting in itself. Despite its many failings, the novel gave me a gratifying sense of hope – after all, if Marquez came so far from this point, perhaps it means  we can all improve on our narrative craft to some degree.

Structurally, the book leaps all over the place without any of Marquez’ later mastery of narrative voice. Rather, his voice appears almost identical throughout despite Marquez’ endeavours to portray his usual array of vastly different characters.

With regards to atmosphere, Marquez' efforts to create a town under an 'ever-present cloud of evil' does not work – it reads more like a gentle mist. Furthermore, his foreshadowing of events and even the events themselves have a clichéd, almost cartoonish quality that isn’t quite folk tale or fable or something in between.

Although in parts, Marquez’ future ability is glimpsed, on the whole, In Evil Hour is less than a shadow of his great works. My advice would be to avoid In Evil Hour and explore his more rewarding writing. The bait and hook, which initially seems so promising, ends up delivering  blowie* after blowie.

*Australian colloquialism for blowfish

My Favourite Novellas

 I don’t always have the time to engorge myself in a novel. Now and then, I enjoy its little sibling, the less committal novella.

This is my 'My Favourite Novellas List' (some could be ‘novellettes’ but let’s not be too pedantic here) – all great reads. I’m interested to hear your thoughts or even find out what your list may be.

161 by Will Self
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The New Veterans by Karen Russell 

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan  

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow                                                              
Halfhead Bay by Nam Le                                               
Path of the Dragon by George R.R Martin
Hunger by Joyce Carol Oates
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
The Finder by Ursula Le Guin
Memoirs of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Breakfast at Tiffanys by Truman Capote

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brian Sanderson
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
Tehran Calling by Nam Le

The Nonce Prize by Will Self

The Persistence of Vision by John Varley

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Bounty by George Saunders

My Favourite Novels

A lot of my friends ask for my favourite novels - and I often ask them too.

So here are some from my list:

• Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. I have read this at least half a dozen times. Some people criticise its meandering antiquated style, but I think it makes it all the more rich. It's all about recreating myth. The unusual focus on language provides an original context and transforms myth into a layered novel.
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Another novel I've read multiple times. A brilliant work. Mind you, I have not revisited it since my young twenties, and having  recently read Tender is the Night, which privileges some misogynistic values, I doubt I will revisit Gatsby again...I don't want to risk destroying the epiphanic moments of my teens and early twenties, when I adored the novel. 
• Middlesex by Eugenides. I may be culturally biased here—but this is a masterpiece and in my opinion the western version of One Hundred Years of Solitude—not with regards to magical realism but regarding the scope and nature of the work. I absolutely loved it and I recommend it to everyone.
• Great Apes by Will Self. Won't be to everyone's taste. But thought it a terrific satire. Self is rich and witty and cynical and ostentatious. And for me personally, Great Apes is delightful. 
• Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. What a voice! Poetic, fierce. This novel gradually moves into the absurd. It's also outstanding in a cultural sense. 
• Arthur and George by Julian Barnes. Incredible historical novel. Felt it was let down slightly by some random philosophising late at a funeral, which felt more like the author's thoughts intruding rather than the actual character's rumination (felt a little incredulous). But the novel as a whole is fab. The pace is appropriately varied throughout. Fascinating too. Recommend it to many readers. 
• Joe Abercrombie's A Little Hatred, The Blade Itself, and Heroes. Few writers are a witty, funny and as entertaining as Joe Abercrombie. His adult grim dark fantasy is loud and exuberant and wonderful. 
• The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford. Set in the 1960s and in a way a younger coning-of-age story about a boy in a complicated family. This captures the times and family dynamics, along with  the wonders and fears of childhood. Although there is a heavy splash of shadow, fantasy and mystery, the realist features of a 60s urban family are apparent, making this a magical realist delight. 
• Freedom and Death by Nikos Kazantzakis. Excellent characters in a well-written and powerful piece. Underated.
• Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. Many say The Heart of the Matter is Greene's best but my favourite is definitely this one. The whiskey priest is a captivating protagonist in a moving story. Greene was generally a fine writer (The Honorary Consul and The Quiet American are also great reads) but this exceeded my expectations and has long stayed with me. I've probably read more Greene over the years than any other writer.
• Atonement by Ian McEwan. As an historical novel on its own it is ridiculously strong, but when you add the meta elements it elevates it even higher. 
• Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. Loved this stark portrayal of urban conformity, and the mistruths and illusions that may be present in relationships. 
• Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan. The ambiguities in the exploration of AI and humanity make this special. So many AI novels are futuristic, but by setting this under an alternative history during Thatcher's reign, with Turing still living, I felt McEwan was also able to provide a fresh backdrop to what has otherwise become well-trodden ground in sci-fi. 
• The Fan Man by William Kotzwinkle. Not on many favourite lists but this is by far the funniest book I've read. You need to become accustomised to all the 'mans' at first but once you do it's an absolute delight. A must read. 
• Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut. Panned by the critics but I loved this disguised autobiographical piece. An excellent insight into a witty mind
• Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut
• God Bless You, Mr Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut 
• The Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. I love them all. Although one thread in the latest novel was disappointingly redundant. Along with Abercrombie's work, and LOTR, this is the best medieval fantasy I've read. A masterpiece of entertainment and scope - and I can't wait for the next one. The dwarf, Tyrion, is one of my all time favourite fictional characters.The questions are: will Martin finish it properly (the last TV season was a letdown)? Has the world become too big for him? I can't wait to find out.
• The Man in the High Castle by PK Dick. A fantastic concept and Dick's best work (although Ubik is also remarkable). His change in narrative voice alone in this piece was unique and something to be admired.
• A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Rich, satirical and comical. A novel of genius, which deserved the Pulitzer. Tragic that it was published posthumously.
• The Road by Cormac McArthy A minimalist bleak world, which is made only bleaker by the minimalist prose that accompanies it. A compelling story of survival and the loving bond between a father and son. 
• Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Benieres. Just a great lyrical narrative that has it all: romance, comedy, tragedy, love, hope and war.  Although the aged locals do say it depicts the Italian occupation as far more flattering than what was the reality. Hope reading it when I was 17 means that it still holds up. 
• Macroscope by Piers Anthony. I read this at 13 so my memories and age may have clouded its quality, but at the time I was impressed.
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Possibly my all time favourite. An incredible exploration and celebration of the American identity. Epic in scope. Pathos and pothos, humour and brutality, poignant and meaningful. 
• Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter. Rich, comical and touching. Fevers, a lady of binary pairings, is one of the greatest of all literary characters. And nobody can pull off narrative voice like Carter. 
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The voice, a blend of nostalgia and youth, makes this special, as does the gentle explorative meandering plot. 
• Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. Although I wasn't enamoured with every part in terms of plot,  the voice and writing and humour and characterisation and sheer strength at a syntactical level means this a special debut novel. I'm a huge fan and admirer of her short work too. 
• The Prestige by Christopher Priest. The innovative structure and unreliability of the narrators alone make this a remarkable work. 
• The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Deliberately cartoonish satire rather than the usual lyrical poetic beauty we get from Indian writers like Rohinton Mistry, Kiran Desai and Arundhati Roy.This is darkly comical and a real page turner. From the warped point of view of view of a 'half-baked' man, who endeavours to escape from the imposed poverty stricken 'darkness' and enter the 'light'. 

Feel free to comment on the list or add your own too.