3 Review(s)

From the author of the much-loved Old Filth trilogy, Jane Gardam's short stories are as witty, scintillating, and emotionally acute as the greatest of her novels. This definitive collection, which brings together the best short works from throughout her remarkable career, showcases Gardam's versatility and imagination as well as her richly developed sense of observation. Moving seamlessly from the macabre to the nostalgic and the wickedly comic, these stories are as eloquent as ever while also highlighting Gardam's inimitable grasp of dialogue and subtly piercing prose. Featuring a wide cast of characters in all stages of life, Gardam expertly probes secret desires, hidden motives, and unresolved pasts. Some of these stories end with twists worthy of Roald Dahl at his most ironic, while others channel Alice Munro's gentle melancholy. These reissued masterpieces are a welcome addition to Gardam's already impressive oeuvre.