Pauls

by Jess Taylor

Paul, who is not always the same Paul, but could very well be a similar Paul, another Paul in a long line of Pauls. Paul runs through forests, drinks in student housing, flirts with girls, at times is a girl, loves men, makes friends, jumps from buildings, hurts people, gets hurt, climbs up towards the sky, waits for a sunrise, and all those human things.

Pauls, the debut short-story collection by the exciting young writer Jess Taylor, is about people: the things that remain unseen to them; how they cope with their unforgettable pasts; the different roles they take in each other's lives; how they hurt each other; how they try to heal each other; the things they want to learn; and the things they'll never discover. At the same time, Pauls is a portrayal of the world as these people see it -- they all exist in a universe that is strange and indifferent to those within it. Coincidences, relationships, conversations, and friendships all pose more questions than answers.

With a unique tone that balances humour, irony, and heavy themes, this series of interconnected stories has already garnered attention from awards' panels, with the title story winning Gold at the 2013 National Magazine Awards. Its contemporary tone and playful language offer an enjoyable read for people who like lively short fiction that focuses attention on themes of identity, relationships, and love.

Genres: Short Stories, Canada, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Jess Taylor is a Toronto writer and poet. Her second collection, Just Pervs, will be released by Book*hug in Canada in Fall 2019. Recently, a short story from that collection, "Two Sex Addicts Fall in Love", was long-listed for The Journey Prize and included in The Journey Prize Anthology 30. The title story from her first collection, Pauls (BookThug, 2015), "Paul," received the 2013 Gold Fiction National Magazine Award. Jess believes that collaboration and helping other writers is an important part of her writing practice and continues to organize events in the community. She is currently working on a novel, Play, and a continuation of her life poem, Never Stop.

Reviews

[Rachel Laverdiere · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book believably paints a picture of life in Toronto for twenty-somethings. The writing is often slow and straightforward, but the stories usually lead up to a more profound image or core that explains the reticence of Taylor's characters. These short stories make a beautiful first collection.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was super excited to receive this copy of Pauls by Jess Taylor, as she is a local author from Toronto. It came wrapped prettily in blue gift paper, which was a lovey touch from the author.

Pauls is a short story collection about modern 20-something-year-olds living in a big city, going on about their business of relationships, both platonic and romantic. The stories are poignant and endearing, and even though I found them truthful because I am also a 20-something living in Toronto, I am sure most generations could also relate. After all, these type of complicated, emotional experiences never change, no matter the period or age.

My favourite story was “The Letters”. It stood out because it was about an older generation recalling a younger life. It was bitter-sweet, sad, and unlike some of the other stories in the collection, had strong, distinctive characters. It also had the strongest conclusion. The ending is always the hardest part, and in most of Taylor’s pieces the ending felt abrupt and undecided, but “The Letters” had meaningful closure. Some other favourites were “Claire’s Fine”, “We Want Impossible Things”, “Bellow the Spoon Tree”, and of course, the opening “Pauls”.

The weakest story was the longest and the last. In some ways “Degenerates” was nice because it brought some of the characters from the other stories together, binding them, tying up strings of different people’s lives. But it felt much too dragged out, was repetitive and occasionally bordered on melodrama. I do not think it should have been left out of the collection, and other reviewers seemed to love it, but to me, it was definitely not the strongest nor the most touching.

Overall, I recommend this short story collection. Taylor is a fantastic young author, with poetic and occasionally magical writing which I would like to see some more.

[Kira Dorward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess Taylor writes with a unique and compelling style, portraying the life and internal struggles of twenty somethings in Toronto with honesty and absorbing self-reflection. "Degenerates", the final story in the anthology, was particularly moving.

[Meg]

I wasn't sure 1/4 of the way in but it totally got me through to the end (once I figured out all these Pauls are connected of course)

[Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

well written, surprisingly poignant in our #metoo social climate.

[Sanchari Sur]

The stories have a way of sucking you into their midst and spitting you out, in a good way. I have quite a few favourites in this collection. But OMG, "Pauls"! SUCH a good story. So well crafted. So unexpected. Read it first, whatever you do. It sets the bar for the rest of the collection, and the bar does not drop. Trust me.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Toronto, 'Pauls' is a collection of short stories that immerse you into the lives of people and their worries, their happiness, and their randomness. A little too lyrical for my taste, couldn't read it as fast as I wanted.

[Sam - Spines in a Line · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, it's sad but I like sad. CWs for sexual assault and abuse.

I can’t remember where I first heard about this one but I was so intrigued by the title and blurb. It’s a quirky little collection and I loved it.

Where the first book follows a community falling apart in the face of some big decisions, this short story collection is aimed more at 20- and 30-year-olds facing the sadness of everyday life. It’s a little bleak with some hope as the characters, oh so many Pauls, try to navigate work and family and relationships, quite ordinary things that still make for a powerful collection.

I also loved that it’s set in Ontario and while not every story is set in the big city of Toronto, it made me very nostalgic being able to recognize the different settings. I think this is one I’d like to reread to really pick up on all the connections between each story, though each works individually.

[Alissa Hattman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Jess Taylor's debut collection of short stories at Powell's Books and was instantly taken with the first paragraph: "One street over from Paul lives another Paul. They grew up together and are good friends. People sometimes describe them as inseparable, refer to them as 'The Pauls' or just 'Pauls' if they think they're clever. Paul who lives on Werther Street works at a paper mill, and Paul who lives on Spruce Trail Crescent became an academic." I was impressed with the entire collection. Wonderful first lines and deft writing throughout. I highly recommend reading Pauls.