Shooting from the Hip

A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Blinding Books were kind enough to send me a copy of 'My Baby Shot Me Down', an anthology of poetry and prose by ten women writers.  Now, I know I shouldn't really stray from my list, but they asked so nicely.  And I love a good short story.

'My Baby Shot Me Down'
by Various Authors
(Blinding Books, 2014)

'My Baby Shot Me Down' features the work of Clarissa Angus, Katherine Black, Maggy van Eijk, Harriet Goodale, Deborah Hambrook, Claudine Lazar, Rachael Smart, Ruth Starling, Alison Wassell and Laura Wilkinson.  Some are award winners, but all could be described as up-and-coming writers.  The selected pieces range from the tragic to the poignant to the funny and capture the lives of women and girls of all ages.

OK, confession time.  I didn't read all of this book.  Now you've picked yourselves up off of the floor, here's why.  I've never really understood poetry and, despite the best efforts of my school teachers, find it a completely alien language that is impenetrable to me.  It's not the poet's fault at all and no reflection on the quality of the work in 'My Baby Shot Me Down', but after a couple of attempts I did skip all the poetry in this volume to focus on the work I could enjoy.

I do absolutely love short stories and this book includes a number of memorable examples.  They range from the bitterly funny 'A Game to Play', about how to be an (im)perfect man, and 'The Great Escape', the tale of how institutional help can hinder, to the chilling 'The Whispering Wall' and 'Mr Brown'.  'Ashes' and 'Love and App-iness' made me laugh, while 'We'll Meet Again' and 'Tissue Atlas' made me cry. 'Buried' reminded me of summers long ago.  'Supermarket Secrets' made me realise how rare it is to read about ordinary women in more ordinary jobs rather than journalists, actors, lawyers and PRs.  

Overall, this book is great as a showcase for not-quite-discovered writing talent, demonstrating depth and breadth as well as bringing to the fore themes that women in particular can relate to.  Although some of the flash fiction felt a bit too short, the book is certainly thought provoking.  I suddenly realised after reading 'Supermarket Secrets' that I couldn't think of any other piece of fiction set in a supermarket, which is odd when you consider how many people work in them and how ubiquitous they are.  It also got me wondering about the way book genres work.  I know I read an awful lot of historical fiction and not nearly enough modern books, but am I imagining the disproportionate number of strong women in the former?  Only reading my 500-odd books will tell!

This anthology worked its magic enough for me to want to buy other work by these authors.  They are certainly names to watch and I would recommend 'My Baby Shot Me Down' to anyone keen to try something new.

Killing Me Softly

I've just finished 'Never Let Me Go' by Kazuo Ishiguro, a book which has really got you talking on Twitter!

Set in an imaginary late 1990s Britain, 'Never Let Me Go' tells the story of three friends; the devious Ruth, child-like Tommy and contemplative Kathy, all former inmates of Hailsham, a boarding school with almost mythical status among their peers.  At the age of 32, Kathy has become a carer and reflects on the truths and lies which have had such a major impact on all their lives, many rooted, like their friendship, in their formative years at Hailsham under the guardianship of the authoritative Miss Emily and the conflicted Miss Lucy.

This book is a lot better than the previous paragraph makes it sound, but I daren't write more as I don't want to give anything away!

'Never Let Me Go' is the least science fiction-y science fiction book I've ever read.  I really didn't think it was science fiction until quite a way into the book, which just goes to show how daft labelling by genre really is.  There are two stories going on here - that of Kathy and her friends and that of the role they and others like them play in wider society.  The book's strength is its subtlety, in that it's not about a big technological idea, it's about the people who have to live with the consequences of it.  Ishiguro remains focussed and faithful to the human element throughout, so, despite a persistent sense that something isn't quite right, the science fiction is really only drip fed to the reader when it's necessary for the personal narrative.

By the end of the book, you realise that this is story is full of enough thought provoking allegory to keep any book group discussing it for many years.  Animal rights, what makes us human, innocence and childhood are just a few themes that spring to mind.  If this book isn't on the English Literature syllabus already, it really should be.

As soon as I got to the end of this book, I was ready to turn back to the first page and read it again.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it!) I do have one or two other ones to read first, but I'm sure I will return to 'Never Let Me Go' in the future.  In the meantime, this is a story that will live up to its name.

Now, what next...