I rarely read a book of short stories, but this collection from Rose Tremain was not to be missed. Some had been published previously in various journals, I liked "The Jester of Astapovo" from 2009 and "21st Century Juliet" from 2007. The four new stories are all good, but "The Housekeeper" and "Lucy and Gaston" are exceptional. Rose Tremain is such a great writer.
A sizzling delicious novel, Margaret Atwood at her best. The Heart Goes Last is far better concoction that her other four futuristic books, in fact possibly the best of all of her novels that I have read. Her writing is that modern, fearless, darkly comic, almost slangy prose that I love, one word sentences and all. How does she write in the third person and make it feel as if that character is talking to us?
Her imaginings of this particular (near?) future is more like a parallel universe. Almost farcical at times, the pace is hot as we follow Charmaine and Stan on a surreal and thrilling adventure. I was so disappointed when it ended, but not with the ending.
Unfaithfully Yours was the funniest book I have read for ages. Nigel Williams' humour is just the kind I love. "I am writing this in my living room, Mrs Price and the man next door seems to be trying to run over his dog with his lawnmower". Then later "I don't see many people now. I took early retirement from the BBC. Which is virtually indistinguishable from working for it".
The dry wit that punctuates this novel is at times quite rude. But you cannot help laughing. Behind the hilarity is a serious story about late middle age, or is that early old age. I'm just too old to be a baby boomer as these Putney "friends". If I had one criticism, it sags a little towards the end. Otherwise, five star fun.
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