“Unaccustomed Earth” by Jhumpa Lahiri (U.S.) Review Readers loved this collection of short stories, which they described as a gentle and easy read. One reader couldn’t put the book down, reading one short story after the other! They liked the fact that each story dealt with day-to-day issues of family life, work and relationships. They found it easy to transpose themselves into the different characters’ … Continue reading Unaccustomed Earth
“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe (U.S.) Review Written in 1839, some readers grappled with the language of this classic Gothic tale and found themselves turning to a dictionary on numerous occasions. They didn’t mind that so much because, since the story is short, it prompted them to read it a few times. After that they started to really enjoy … Continue reading The Fall of the House of Usher
“The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka (Czech Republic) Review Readers really enjoyed both the story, which they felt had been honed and polished, and the style of writing, which they described as clear and precise despite some formal language used at times. They all found Gregor Samsa a highly likeable character and felt compassion for his plight. Everyone agreed that the characters’ emotions were powerfully described, … Continue reading The Metamorphosis
The theme of our Summer Reading Group 2010 was humour in all its many forms: comedy, wit, satire, irony, farce. The interesting thing about humour is that it is very personal, and there were indeed members of the group who found some stories funny that others did not, and vice versa. “I Do Not Come to You by Chance” by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani was voted … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2010
“An Elegy for Easterly” by Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe) Review Readers loved this book describing it as one of the best collections of short stories they have ever read. They found the themes contemporary and accessible, and they liked the diverse accounts of life in Zimbabwe. With each story, some only a dozen pages long, readers felt they learnt so much about the protagonists that it … Continue reading An Elegy for Easterly
“Sightseeing” by Rattawut Lapcharoensap (Thailand) Review Readers really liked this collection of short stories from a very young and promising author. They found his style of writing excellent and they felt he managed to give clear and distinct voices to a wide range of characters from different strata of society while at the same time evoking well a sense of place: an 11-year-old boy in … Continue reading Sightseeing
“Runaway” by Alice Munro (Canada) Review Given Alice Munro’s reputation as an outstanding short story writer, readers had high expectations for this collection. However, their reactions were very mixed. Some readers really liked all the stories finding them dark but highly realistic and enjoying the twists and turns in the characters’ lives. They appreciated the details and the little insights into the more mundane aspects … Continue reading Runaway
“Fascination” by William Boyd (U.K.) Review The quality of the writing style in this collection was what appealed most to readers. They loved the richness of the language and the different formats used in each story: from the classical to the contemporary; from the diary form to a series of jump cuts; from a menu to a video recorder! Readers enjoyed the diverse settings and … Continue reading Fascination
