Review: another great collection of short stories
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 25, 2013
The writing in Beyond Eclectic lives up to the high standards already demonstrated by Jonathan Hill and confirms my opinion that he is a really good writer of short stories. He has a remarkable ability to focus on small details which come together to create a disproportionately larger picture; his writing is economical and every word meticulously weighed for the contribution it will make to the whole; his acute observations of human nature and behaviour make his writing vivid and real; a dry sense of humour is revealed with subtlety; difficult issues are dealt with sensitively.There are ten stories in this collection plus an epilogue; each story is well crafted and well written. I particularly liked The Robin which I thought was one of the best stories Jonathan Hill has written. George featured in a story in the earlier collection but now time has moved on and he is a widower living alone with only his memories and his garden for company. The story is poignant but not remotely sentimental and the writer has demonstrated wonderful empathy for his character. I thought this story was beautifully written with simplicity, clarity and attention to small details that evoked the past and prepared the reader for George's future. I enjoyed reading all the stories in the collection although An Eye for an Eye was my least favourite. Sometimes amusing even laugh aloud funny, sometimes macabre and sinister, sometimes poignant and sad, Beyond Eclectic is an excellent collection of short stories which once again demonstrates that Jonathan Hill can really tell a good tale.