The Blotted Line by Mehreen Ahmed
Tony McMahon's Review
The Blotted Line Mehreen Ahmed
Story Institute
The Blotted Line is the new short story collection by Queensland writer Mehreen Ahmed. Boasting a deliberately cosmopolitan air, these tales weave their way skilfully through all parts of the globe, taking the reader to Spain, Brisbane, Paris and Bangladesh, just to name a few, and the overwhelming sense one gets on reading them is one of movement.
But Ahmed is more than just a chronicler of geographic place names. The psychological insights underpinning each of her characters are profound. While the reader is, quite literally, transported to a different place story to story, there is a thematic cohesion that links each of the seven tales and makes for an overall satisfaction factor not unlike that of a novel. The seven distinct stories here relate to each other in meaningful ways - no small feat - exploring issues of loss, trust, freedom and happiness.
If this were an album, the term `all killer, no filler' might be invoked, as it's difficult to pick a favourite. With a gun to his head, though, this writer would probably choose `Of Note', which closes the collection. Set in Canada, this is the story of a refugee that has significant resonance for this country and its own attitudes to those fleeing persecution. Political without appearing overtly so, this story is a good example of Ahmed's skill in bringing together disparate geographical narratives to bear on her singular vision of how the world should be, a noble pursuit if ever there was one.
Tony McMahon
Author of The Single Gentleman's Dining Club
The Blotted Line Mehreen Ahmed
Story Institute
The Blotted Line is the new short story collection by Queensland writer Mehreen Ahmed. Boasting a deliberately cosmopolitan air, these tales weave their way skilfully through all parts of the globe, taking the reader to Spain, Brisbane, Paris and Bangladesh, just to name a few, and the overwhelming sense one gets on reading them is one of movement.
But Ahmed is more than just a chronicler of geographic place names. The psychological insights underpinning each of her characters are profound. While the reader is, quite literally, transported to a different place story to story, there is a thematic cohesion that links each of the seven tales and makes for an overall satisfaction factor not unlike that of a novel. The seven distinct stories here relate to each other in meaningful ways - no small feat - exploring issues of loss, trust, freedom and happiness.
If this were an album, the term `all killer, no filler' might be invoked, as it's difficult to pick a favourite. With a gun to his head, though, this writer would probably choose `Of Note', which closes the collection. Set in Canada, this is the story of a refugee that has significant resonance for this country and its own attitudes to those fleeing persecution. Political without appearing overtly so, this story is a good example of Ahmed's skill in bringing together disparate geographical narratives to bear on her singular vision of how the world should be, a noble pursuit if ever there was one.
Tony McMahon
Author of The Single Gentleman's Dining Club
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