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Night in Tunisia, and other stories
Book by Jordan, Neil
124 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
August 25, 2024
(revised in August 2024 to correct spelling and improve readability).
Neil Jordan is extraordinary - to excel as an author and filmmaker is almost unheard of and many might even say that the skills of an author telling a story in words and and of a filmmaker telling in images are incompatible if not actually contradictory; but I believe Jordan's success as a filmmaker is because he is a man of words who understands the importance of story and character. I also think that, although he has received lavish praise for his novels and short stories, he has never been fully accepted as part of the literary landscape even though it was as a writer that he first came to public attention.
'Night in Tunisia' was first published in 1976 by the newly formed Irish Writers Co-Operative (please see my footnote *1 below) when Jordan was barely 25 which means that many of the stories it contains must have been written or at least first started when he was much younger. It is a truly breathtaking collection and Sean O'Faolain in his introduction (see my footnote *2 below) to the collection wrote:
"...(the) kind(s) of metaphor and used are a new and releasing thing in Irish literature. It is a personal language. It has no echo of the worn out, now rather boring old language and symbolism of rural Ireland's little white-washed country cottages, her wet winding roads...old priests...little country chapel(s), the patriotic songs and laments. This young man's metaphors are...the sax wailing high (while) out there (are) the dusk, the waves on the beach, the night, the girl, the world, the future...(these are some) of the most remarkable stories that I have read in Irish storytelling since, or indeed before, Joyce."
To try and pick out the best is almost impossible, the first two stories 'Last Rites' and 'Seduction' are heartrendingly true and believable while longer stories such as 'Night in Tunisia' and 'A Love' are of a layered depth and subtlety that moves effortlessly from the particular to the general and on to the universal. I don't want to mention anything in the way of plot lines or incidents that may in any way diminish a first reading of these stories - there are plenty of spoilers available on Wikipedia if you want them.
If you haven't discovered Jordan as a writer, or a film maker, then you have oodles of delights ahead of you. I have plenty more of his novels still to read!
*1 I always like to give a mention to this short lived but ground breaking experiment in publishing which provided the stepping stone for authors like Jordan, Desmond Hogan and James Brennan, whose truly fine but only novel, 'Seaman' was published by Co-Op books. The writers co-operative was a victim of its own success as the authors it launched moved on to publishers in London or New York. It is very difficult to find information about which writers were published by Co-Op books and if you know anything I'd love to hear it.
*2I don't know how well known O'Faolain may be to readers today but in Irish letters of the twentieth century to have him introduce your first collection of short stories was as close to an apostolic blessing and succession as it is was possible to receive.
Neil Jordan is extraordinary - to excel as an author and filmmaker is almost unheard of and many might even say that the skills of an author telling a story in words and and of a filmmaker telling in images are incompatible if not actually contradictory; but I believe Jordan's success as a filmmaker is because he is a man of words who understands the importance of story and character. I also think that, although he has received lavish praise for his novels and short stories, he has never been fully accepted as part of the literary landscape even though it was as a writer that he first came to public attention.
'Night in Tunisia' was first published in 1976 by the newly formed Irish Writers Co-Operative (please see my footnote *1 below) when Jordan was barely 25 which means that many of the stories it contains must have been written or at least first started when he was much younger. It is a truly breathtaking collection and Sean O'Faolain in his introduction (see my footnote *2 below) to the collection wrote:
"...(the) kind(s) of metaphor and used are a new and releasing thing in Irish literature. It is a personal language. It has no echo of the worn out, now rather boring old language and symbolism of rural Ireland's little white-washed country cottages, her wet winding roads...old priests...little country chapel(s), the patriotic songs and laments. This young man's metaphors are...the sax wailing high (while) out there (are) the dusk, the waves on the beach, the night, the girl, the world, the future...(these are some) of the most remarkable stories that I have read in Irish storytelling since, or indeed before, Joyce."
To try and pick out the best is almost impossible, the first two stories 'Last Rites' and 'Seduction' are heartrendingly true and believable while longer stories such as 'Night in Tunisia' and 'A Love' are of a layered depth and subtlety that moves effortlessly from the particular to the general and on to the universal. I don't want to mention anything in the way of plot lines or incidents that may in any way diminish a first reading of these stories - there are plenty of spoilers available on Wikipedia if you want them.
If you haven't discovered Jordan as a writer, or a film maker, then you have oodles of delights ahead of you. I have plenty more of his novels still to read!
*1 I always like to give a mention to this short lived but ground breaking experiment in publishing which provided the stepping stone for authors like Jordan, Desmond Hogan and James Brennan, whose truly fine but only novel, 'Seaman' was published by Co-Op books. The writers co-operative was a victim of its own success as the authors it launched moved on to publishers in London or New York. It is very difficult to find information about which writers were published by Co-Op books and if you know anything I'd love to hear it.
*2I don't know how well known O'Faolain may be to readers today but in Irish letters of the twentieth century to have him introduce your first collection of short stories was as close to an apostolic blessing and succession as it is was possible to receive.
July 5, 2013
There is a deep sadness at work in every one of these ten stories, a loss and melancholy thickly wrapped around small moments of concentrated joy. In some cases there are characters so completely empty that they have no hope or expectation of anything good, passively acted upon by others but watching for any chance to act decisively for themselves. There is tenderness, at times inept, many times, and bewilderment, too. There are male and female, adult and child, first- and third-person protagonists, so that perhaps this collection is an exercise in storytelling, experiments in perspective. The stories are never rushed, and in fact, they all have a somewhat detached, modulated tone and pace that seem inexorable. In “Night in Tunisia,” there’s the boy whose father pays him to learn to play the saxophone, and the story shows, among other things, how a gift is nothing without desire. There’s also the girl in the yellow sweater who is nothing more than an object to almost everyone. In “Last Rites,” there’s the thin young labourer in the tiled public showers. In “A Love,” there is the quiet, confused conclusion of a love affair. In “Seduction,” there is the loveliest of the stories, with an adolescent rivalry and friendship blooming into an awakened sexuality and intimate bond. This is Neil Jordan’s first book, and it has a confidence and sophistication that belies that.
December 18, 2012
As someone who normally reads full length fiction I find that when reading short stories I always lean towards those with some length. Because of this the most successful stories in this collection were, for me:'Last rites', 'Night in Tunisia; and 'A Love'. All the stories have the same wistfulness and melancholy to them that often seems to epitimose the short story and there is a continuity of this feeling in the collection that ties them together. The language is simple but effective and if I didn't quite agree with the opinions of the reviews on the back, I still enjoyed my time spent reading this book.
September 18, 2011
In the summer of 1982, my mom took us to the library nearly every week. On one visit, I decided to pick books at random by closing my eyes as I ran my fingers along the spines of the books in the fiction section; this method yielded The Iowa Baseball Confederacy by W.P. Kinsella and this book (though not this edition). I don't remember many phrases, but I still recall the haunting images from these stories.
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February 16, 2015Jazz is said to be the 'hero' of this book of short stories. I agree.
My favorite stories;
1. Night in Tunisia
2. A Love
Fun fact: The writer was freaking 25 when he wrote these stories. Just a few years older than I am. Yo.
My favorite stories;
1. Night in Tunisia
2. A Love
Fun fact: The writer was freaking 25 when he wrote these stories. Just a few years older than I am. Yo.
April 6, 2023
Beautiful stories from Jordan. His gift for the nuances of narrative were already in place in this his first book.
These stories are akin to Joyce’s Dubliners in their epiphanicity and their frank intimacy.
A great book.
These stories are akin to Joyce’s Dubliners in their epiphanicity and their frank intimacy.
A great book.
October 14, 2024
A standout and remarkable collection of short stories. You know how much I love short stories and I have quite a fussy taste.
Great descriptions that drift into dreamlike portions. Characters that feel well-formed but not exactly knowable. Events feel like they have happened a long time ago and are being revisited by strange spirits.
There is a scent of adolescence to it. Probably owing to the youth of the writer at the time. Something a little gangly and long-limbed about each story. But it doesn't suffer for that, it just brings it a little nearer the imperfect and suits the style somehow.
Particular favourite stories:
- Last Orders
- Sand
This book was a find in a charity shop, another one that ended up being such a great read! What is it about the Irish and their absolute domination of the literary short form?
The author shifted toward film making, so that is a bit of a loss to literature. Perhaps he will get back to it. I hope so.
Great descriptions that drift into dreamlike portions. Characters that feel well-formed but not exactly knowable. Events feel like they have happened a long time ago and are being revisited by strange spirits.
There is a scent of adolescence to it. Probably owing to the youth of the writer at the time. Something a little gangly and long-limbed about each story. But it doesn't suffer for that, it just brings it a little nearer the imperfect and suits the style somehow.
Particular favourite stories:
- Last Orders
- Sand
This book was a find in a charity shop, another one that ended up being such a great read! What is it about the Irish and their absolute domination of the literary short form?
The author shifted toward film making, so that is a bit of a loss to literature. Perhaps he will get back to it. I hope so.
August 15, 2020
Apparently Neil Jordan wrote these short stories when he was younger than 25, which seems incredible to me as they are very mature, if a little bleak. I found Outpatient particularly affecting, dealing with the gulf between what is said and felt in a marriage. Need to take a walk in some sunshine after reading these though!
May 20, 2019
Uneven collection of short stories, but the ones I liked - the title story in particular - I liked a lot.
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March 19, 2022Read Last Rites
January 3, 2023
4/5 stars.
"As I remember you I define you, I choose bits of you and like a child with a colouring-book, I fill you out."
"As I remember you I define you, I choose bits of you and like a child with a colouring-book, I fill you out."
September 27, 2025
“This is it, is me, always has been, the part of me you never saw, didn’t want to see.”
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February 12, 2026review text for 3728
May 16, 2011
I found this collection of short stories very disjointed and confusing. While attempting to be rather nonconventional, Jordan instead depicts various characters in the midst of turmoil - be it psychological, sexual, or physical. None of the stories were captivating or engaging but if that was Jordan´s intent, to present ordinary folks experiencing less than ordinary existences, then he succeeded.
October 12, 2011
This is my second Neil Jordan book and I now want to read all his others. Although some of the stories are bleak I love his use of language and his tone. Night in Tunisia the title story of this collection is my favourite. It is so atmospheric, with the holiday house, the often absent father and the completely absent mother and a boy just discovering himself music and sex.
July 30, 2008
Stunning. Certainly a book to savour. The pent up emotions this book is soaked in, the scenery it conjures are almost palpable. Niel Jordan remonstrates an amazing insight into the human psyche. The book is an amazing visual and sensory journey.
April 1, 2013
An evocative collection in which some of the stories resonate and others alienate. The alienation might be stylistic or it might just be bad storytelling, but I wasn't bothered to find out.
May 1, 2013
Brilliant!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews