Tags
Adult Faerie Tale, Book Review, Jen Campbell, Myths and Legends, The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night
Tender subversion
It has been a long two months since I last disgraced this website. Pressure of work has been intense, and spending too much time at the PC meant I had no more time to spare in front of a screen writing reviews.
I have been reading though, loads, some of it marvellous, but there is a serious review backlog which may never be properly surmounted. My resolution never to start a new book till the review of a just finished one was mapped out crumbled from the off, and I very much doubt whether many of those 15-20 books read in October and December will ever get written
But. What a wonderful find to share here
Jen Campbell’s collection of short stories is magnificent. Somewhere between myth, magic, philosophy and let’s pretend she re-conjures exactly why the short story is a perfect ‘Once Upon A Time’ perhaps a hark back to being read aloud to, or reading aloud to.
Campbell has a wondrous, unique imagination at play here. She takes the stuff of fairy stories, the stuff of reality, and mixes them together, playfully but deeply.
As an example, the title story ‘The Beginning of The World In The Middle of the Night’ is presented like a short play script. A man and a woman, talking, in bed. On one level, what is happening is something about their relationship. On another level, the conversation is about a tree which is due to be cut down by their local council. But…….it might just be a conversation about how the universe came into being. It is all delivered with a light and beautifully balanced wit. And yet…simultaneously, Campbell was making me cry, smile, aching my heart, breathless at the fragile delicacy she creates out of moments ending before we can grasp them. She is like some sculptor of something made out of fine, iridescent glass
A story about The Annunciation makes reference to Rossetti’s painting, so I read with this in my mind’s eye
Forgive the not-really-saying-anything-about-what-the-collection-of stories-is-really about, but no prospective reader should have the magic of their own discovery spoiled
Contrary to my usual habit, I post no excerpts of her writing, as each story needs to be read in entirety. Obviously, this can be done on Look Inside, (or hanging around in a bookshop, even better) to get a flavour. The first, very dark story perfectly illustrates the quote from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which Campbell has used to preface this collection
“It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attracted to one another”
Animals, that first story, is horribly dark, mesmeric and also, incredibly moving
A final high five must go to the publishers, Two Roads. The book itself is a thing of beauty, and each story has a lovely line drawing to illustrate it. As no artist is credited I can only assume the illustrations are by Campbell herself
My only advice to a reader is : do not rush and race through these stories. Each is perfectly satisfying and tasty, and if you eat too many at a sitting, you will miss a lot. I rationed myself to one a day, and let the stories settle and unfold
I’m certainly going to be keeping an eye out for future writing by Jen Campbell. She is a poet and author for children, and created a series of books about ‘Weird things people say in bookshops’ having worked in bookshops for ten years, but this, highly assured book is her first adult fiction foray. Perfectly done
I did get this as an ARC via NetGalley, but have to say that there were several formatting errors, which made me abandon the book quite early, as reading was a bit of a pain. Fortunately, i also then had it offered by Amazon Vine, which made for a beautiful read, as the book itself, physical object, is a delight to look upon and savour. Perfectly fits Campbell’s seductive writing, made to be lingered over, letting the flavours of her sentences unfurl. Please, don’t rush your read of this wonderful collection
The Beginning of the World In The Middle of the Night Amazon UK
The Beginning of the World In The Middle of the Night Amazon USA
Welcome back LadyF 😀 a good short story collection is a wonderful thing.
Thanks Ali, my aim is to start writing some of the catch-up reviews, and take a little scurry to see what everyone has been up to.
This was a perfect short story collection for me, because I did want to stop and think about each story instead of just racing on to the next and getting overkill
Thank you for popping back in just in time for me to add this to my Christmas list!! It sounds fascinating and inspiring. Perhaps you’ll give us a taste of any others you’ve read recently, just the ones you love, of course. 😀
How lovely to see that the most recent post in my reader was from you! I have almost 2 months of people I follow to get through.
I have read some wondrous ones, and perhaps I might get reduced to just doing an end of year round up of the ones I can’t back track to write up
That would work for me! Can I pressure you to do it before Christmas? That way I can, ah, buy them and wrap them and put them under the tree for myself? No pressure…. 😀
Ah, I know just what you mean about reading and not having time to review. Sounds like a lovely collection and I’m not familiar with this author at all.
I’m really hoping I can get some of my backlog reviewed. I guess the ones I can’t remember will fall though!
Great to see you back 🙂 I’m completely enticed and thanks for the prompt about reading the wood book version. Just after I finished reading your review, I was asked the ‘what do you want for Christmas’ question: for once, I had a ready answer! I’ve missed your reviews and this is a wonderful return review.
Thank you underrunner. I have missed being here, but had to let myself not feel too stressed by it. Am hoping that the Christmas break will enable me to catch up with some leisurely and creative reviewing, rather than thinking of it as another task I need to do.!
From someone who doesn’t even consider reviewing because work leaves me too little of that creative energy, I’d say yes this must be a pleasure for you and not a duty. I am grateful for what you do share with us when it does work in with the rest of life.
That is so kind, underrunner. It is certainly something I want to enjoy, and do, when I can get to do it, though piles of read and unreviewed items do make me feel guilty when they are ARCs, given BECAUSE we review!
Welcome back!
Ah, thank you my blogbud. There are a couple I read on YOUR say so which I thoroughly enjoyed which are part of the ‘need to be reviewed -= the Raymond Postgate and the Algernon creepy Blackwood, which I read at the right time (Halloweenish) and was very very scary, whimpering under the duvet, scared when I walked past rustly undergrowth by the side of water
Two excellent ones! I’m finding I’m enjoying these vintage and classic reads more than most contemporary stuff at the moment – I think they’re taking me back to simpler times, when the worst there was to fear was a mad murderer or some alien plants!
Those plants utterly terrified me!
Welcome back Lady F! An intriguing review that will definitely have me seeking this out at the local bookshop for a peek 🙂
Ah, thank you Madame Bibi. I’m wishing I had some of those (fake fur) outfits on your recent video post, today, what with the snow…….
It’s lovely to see you again. I’ve read mixed reports about this book, but you’ve definitely sent me towards the library catalogue to see if there’s a copy in the county.
Thank you Jane. If I am honest a couple of the near-the-end shorter stories are not as riveting as the earlier and middle ones, but I was held by my delight in the bulk, and willing to overlook one or two of the later stories.