Review: A lovely short story collection
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 30, 2013
Good short stories are not merely works of short fiction; their main purpose should be exploring ideas, particularly moving and thought-provoking ones, or they should have some twist or surprise at the end that leaves the reader with a powerful after image. Another mark of a good short story is that it makes us look at ordinary situations in a different way.Some of the stories in `Dancing and Other Stories' do this and others don't. This is to be expected in a collection, but overall they were of a fine standard and one in particular was most memorable. I think it should have been the first in the book, not the second to last.'The Return' is essentially a mystery. The return to a country town of a man, now famous, has a powerful effect on Brad. He remembers a childhood together with Michael, but why, we wonder, doesn't he want to see him? They were, after all, best friends. We realise that something terrible must have happened and finally the truth comes out. It's skilfully done and makes a powerful observation. The one who does the harm also suffers, at least if they feel guilt.'Dryad' is another story worth a mention. It explores the depth of love someone could have for a tree.It's hard to say what Mr Motivator is about without blowing the story, so I'll leave it at simply saying that it's both sad and amusing at the same time.'Looking after Ben', is written from a dog's point of view, offering the reader a change of perspective.All up, this is a book full of delightful pieces of fiction to fill those gaps in your life when you want a little entertainment, but not too long.I received this book free of charge from the author in return for an honest review.