Standard Deviation, The People on Privilege Hill and The Snow Garden and Other Stories

 

Graham is fifteen years older than his (second) wife Audra. "His universe lonely and arid" and hers "densely populated with armies of friends and acquaintances .... and other people he didn't know". Graham is in denial that their son Mathew (10) is autistic, although he is devoted to origami (at which he is truly awesome) and the much older members of the origami club who are equally socially awkward. Then there is Graham's ex-wife Elspeth with whom they seem to be on good terms?

All well and good, an odd little story with occasional laughter. But two thirds through enter Papa Stan, the grandfather of a friend of Mathew's who both come to stay. I hated this part, not at all funny. Fortunately it doesn't last long. Although any momentum the story had was lost and the book just fizzled out. That was a shame as there is plenty to enjoy with many laugh out loud moments.

Having read all of Jane Gardam's novels, I found this book of fourteen short stories. Some are so short they only take up less than ten pages. They start with a story taken from the book's title, reprising those, now elderly, ex-judges from the brilliant "Old Filth" trilogy: Sir Edward Feathers, Veneering and Fiscal-Smith. But it was far too short. I wanted a whole book. Then "Pangbourne" is a strange piece about the love for a gorilla. "The Flight Path" is also quite disturbing. We are in 1941, a time of never ending air raids in London where young Jim Smith arrives from a more quiet north of England. His success at "A" Levels has gained him an interview at a big city hospital. And an overnight stay with an aunt in Wimbledon Park. Right on the flight path of the bombers.

"The Milly Ming" is about the Amelia Menzies Trust, a project for unmarried pregnant girls. Then in "The Virgins of Bruges", Ursula, a nun, tries to get back from France to England on Christmas Eve to see her sister whose husband has just died. But no chance of a ferry from Calais, so it's off to Ostend but again she is denied. Then a short journey to Bruges and a strange Christmas Eve experience. (It reminded me of when, coming back at night from a European Cup Final in Paris, we had to leave our hire car in Zeebrugge in Belgium, a port I had never heard of.)

A once in a lifetime illicit meeting at a far away hotel for our heroine who is now in her fifties is the subject of "Snap". An accident might not stop her getting home before her husband. "The Last Reunion" finds four women in their sixties on their way by car to a final reunion for their old women only college. Driven by Lily who is now a famous novelist. All the stories are clever and have that Jane Gardam punch. I just prefer her novels.

It was strange that the list of contents of these short stories at the beginning missed out one of the best called "I'll Be Home for Christmas". Sylvia is the mother of the most famous pop star in the world and is preparing a party for his homecoming. Tim is now called X well before Twitter changed it's name. It doesn't quite go to plan but the ending is brilliant. "The Snow Garden" that gives the book it's title is an exceptionally emotional story about a divorced father and his visiting two young sons. But the story that really resonated with me was "The Boxing Day Ball". It's the December of 1963. Maureen is 18 and off to Uni. (I was just 18 and off to work and college). There are ten girls tramping the freezing dark lanes towards the parish hall. We would never call it a ball, just a dance. "The worst winter anyone could remember". Boxing Day 1963 it did snow and froze for nearly three months. (For the whole of that winter I did a 6 day week paper round on my bike before breakfast. I never missed a delivery.) Maureen's mother had refused to let her go. But in the end she relents. "You are not going dressed like that". A lovely story with, typically, something dark at the end. These three stories of the best of the bunch, all worthy of five stars.