You know how sometimes, during the commercial break, you'll watch a really good advert with a story, suspense, humour, characters you can really relate to and you think to yourself : "Wow ! How did they manage to pack all that into a 30-second segment?" Well, that is exactly the same thought that crossed my mind when I picked up Tony William's latest anthology, the intriguingly-named All The Bananas I've Never Eaten : Tales of Love and Loneliness.
I've read short stories before but these are definitely the shortest stories I've ever read. The longest stretch to two or three pages but the shortest are just one or two paragraphs. This has its pros and cons. Even with the more usual longer short stories, I am often left feeling dissatisfied, wanting more than the superficial overview or fascinating but incomplete glimpse that such a short text can offer and this is certainly the case with these stories - I was frequently left shaking my head thinking "what on earth was that all about ?!". But each story packs in a surprising amount of emotion - you may be moved, repulsed or just plain confused but you won't be left indifferent !
With the busy lifestyle many of us face today, the huge advantage is that however short of time you are, you'll always have time to read a couple, whether that be on the commute to work, waiting for someone to call you back or even waiting for the kettle to boil !
Each story focuses on a different and frequently eccentric character so if, like me, you read this on public transport, you'll be constantly looking around you at your fellow passengers, wondering if any of them have such colourful private lives at the people in the stories !
Each story focuses on a different and frequently eccentric character so if, like me, you read this on public transport, you'll be constantly looking around you at your fellow passengers, wondering if any of them have such colourful private lives at the people in the stories !
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £9.99
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Salt Publishing (11 Sep 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1844713210
- ISBN-13: 978-1844713219
Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.
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Sounds like it's well worth a read.
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