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Animal Person
The highly anticipated new book of short fiction from the O. Henry Prize winner Alexander MacLeod―a magnificent collection about the needs, temptations, and tensions that exist just beneath the surface of our lives.
Startling, suspenseful, and deeply humane, yet alert to the undertow of our darker instincts, the eight stories in Animal Person illuminate what it means to exist in the perilous space between desire and action, and to have your faith in what you hold true buckle and give way.
A petty argument between two sisters is interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Adjoining motel rooms connect a family on the brink of a new life with a criminal whose legacy will haunt them for years to come. A connoisseur of other people’s secrets is undone by what he finds in a piece of lost luggage. In the wake of a tragic accident, a young man must contend with what is owed to the living and to the dead. And in the O. Henry Prize–winning story “Lagomorph,” a man’s relationship with his family’s long-lived pet rabbit opens up to become a profound exploration of how a marriage fractures.
Muscular and tender, beautifully crafted, and alive with an elemental power, these stories explore the struggle for meaning and connection in an age when many of us feel cut off from so much, not least ourselves. This is a collection that beats with raw emotion and shimmers with the complexity of our shared human experience, and it confirms Alexander MacLeod’s reputation as a modern master of the short story.
Startling, suspenseful, and deeply humane, yet alert to the undertow of our darker instincts, the eight stories in Animal Person illuminate what it means to exist in the perilous space between desire and action, and to have your faith in what you hold true buckle and give way.
A petty argument between two sisters is interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Adjoining motel rooms connect a family on the brink of a new life with a criminal whose legacy will haunt them for years to come. A connoisseur of other people’s secrets is undone by what he finds in a piece of lost luggage. In the wake of a tragic accident, a young man must contend with what is owed to the living and to the dead. And in the O. Henry Prize–winning story “Lagomorph,” a man’s relationship with his family’s long-lived pet rabbit opens up to become a profound exploration of how a marriage fractures.
Muscular and tender, beautifully crafted, and alive with an elemental power, these stories explore the struggle for meaning and connection in an age when many of us feel cut off from so much, not least ourselves. This is a collection that beats with raw emotion and shimmers with the complexity of our shared human experience, and it confirms Alexander MacLeod’s reputation as a modern master of the short story.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2022
46 people are currently reading
3574 people want to read
About the author
Alexander MacLeod
62 books73 followersAlexander MacLeod is a Canadian writer, whose debut short story collection Light Lifting was a shortlisted nominee for the 2010 Scotiabank Giller Prize.
The son of noted Canadian novelist and short story writer Alistair MacLeod, he was born in Inverness, Nova Scotia and raised in Windsor, Ontario, where his father taught at the University of Windsor. He currently lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he teaches at Saint Mary's University.
The son of noted Canadian novelist and short story writer Alistair MacLeod, he was born in Inverness, Nova Scotia and raised in Windsor, Ontario, where his father taught at the University of Windsor. He currently lives in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he teaches at Saint Mary's University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
March 18, 2023
Wonderful collection of stories!!!
….they paint a vivid portrait of contemporary struggles — and tumultuous lives.
….Siblings grappling with conflicts —
….psychological suspense —
….the effects of a crime —
….marriage/divorce….and the emotional experience through their transition…
….a young piano player
etc.
….eight stories total…
Alexander MacLeod shows how the lives of the characters and the decisions they make are complicated- filled with moments of regret, grief, crime, abuse, hope, and triumph.
A couple sample excerpts that I especially liked:
“I know, I am not like other people. And, most probably, I am not at all like you. I did not come here, to Southern California, for a vacation, and I was not drawn by the heat, or the palm trees or the chance to drive by the homes in the stars. The promise of a beach day in late December could not bring me across a continent, and I have no desire to stare at the bodybuilders, or the roller skaters sliding in their tank tops. I did not come to see the cartoon mouse made real in the real world, or to listen to his robots, singing about how it is a small world after all. You will just have to trust me on this one. I have come and gone a long way around this globe—perhaps no one has travel farther—and I believe I am uniquely qualified to tell you: It is, most definitely, not a small world”.
“Me and my sister. My sister and I. My sister and me. It has never been good between us. Never. We are eleven months apart and we have the same parents—same mom, right there, on a blanket at the beach, reading her book, and the same dad, wherever he is now. But we have always had this gap, too. Eleven months is too close, and at the same time it is too far away”.
“Earlier this summer we had some drama with a trampoline and we are not over it yet”.
Wowzee ….
….as for the rest of this short story — I bite my tongue….(saying no more)….
Most of these stories take place in Canada.
Alexander MacLeod was new to me [thank you, again Betsy Robinson]….
Alexander MacLeod, Canadian author, and Professor…. > interesting tidbit > was also a former track and field runner and competed at Windsor University where his father taught English and creative writing (also a short story author - who died in 2014 at age 77)….
….Great stories
….Great writing (intimate natural ease)
….an author I’d love to read again
….they paint a vivid portrait of contemporary struggles — and tumultuous lives.
….Siblings grappling with conflicts —
….psychological suspense —
….the effects of a crime —
….marriage/divorce….and the emotional experience through their transition…
….a young piano player
etc.
….eight stories total…
Alexander MacLeod shows how the lives of the characters and the decisions they make are complicated- filled with moments of regret, grief, crime, abuse, hope, and triumph.
A couple sample excerpts that I especially liked:
“I know, I am not like other people. And, most probably, I am not at all like you. I did not come here, to Southern California, for a vacation, and I was not drawn by the heat, or the palm trees or the chance to drive by the homes in the stars. The promise of a beach day in late December could not bring me across a continent, and I have no desire to stare at the bodybuilders, or the roller skaters sliding in their tank tops. I did not come to see the cartoon mouse made real in the real world, or to listen to his robots, singing about how it is a small world after all. You will just have to trust me on this one. I have come and gone a long way around this globe—perhaps no one has travel farther—and I believe I am uniquely qualified to tell you: It is, most definitely, not a small world”.
“Me and my sister. My sister and I. My sister and me. It has never been good between us. Never. We are eleven months apart and we have the same parents—same mom, right there, on a blanket at the beach, reading her book, and the same dad, wherever he is now. But we have always had this gap, too. Eleven months is too close, and at the same time it is too far away”.
“Earlier this summer we had some drama with a trampoline and we are not over it yet”.
Wowzee ….
….as for the rest of this short story — I bite my tongue….(saying no more)….
Most of these stories take place in Canada.
Alexander MacLeod was new to me [thank you, again Betsy Robinson]….
Alexander MacLeod, Canadian author, and Professor…. > interesting tidbit > was also a former track and field runner and competed at Windsor University where his father taught English and creative writing (also a short story author - who died in 2014 at age 77)….
….Great stories
….Great writing (intimate natural ease)
….an author I’d love to read again
April 19, 2022
It is important to establish, before this begins, that I never thought of myself as an animal person. And since I do not come from a pet family, I never thought the family we were raising needed any more life running through it. Especially not a scurrying kind of life, with its claws tap-tap-tapping on the hardwood floors.
There’s a certain reading process that I expect to engage in with my favourite short fiction — my acceptance of the initial set up followed by a swerve that upends my expectations — and Alexander MacLeod writes just these kinds of well-crafted and thoughtful short stories that, rather than feeling like truncated novels, are perfect little pearls of insight that couldn’t be told any other way. The eight stories in Animal Person each center on absolutely believable characters who probe the boundaries between themselves and others — exploring the differences between public and private, between family and outsider, even between animal and person — and as the characters are forced to learn something about themselves, the reader glimpses truths about the world. And they couldn’t have been told any other way. A wonderful collection that perfectly satisfied me. (Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.) The stories:
Lagomorph
I don’t know, but sometimes when he closes in on me like that and I’m gazing down into those circles inside of circles inside of circles, I lose my way, and I feel like I am falling through an alien solar system of lost orbits rotating around a collapsing, burning sun.
Elegiac and philosophical in tone, this (O. Henry Award-winning) story that seems to be about a pet rabbit is, on a deeper level, an exploration of a failed marriage.
The Dead Want
She wouldn’t have felt a thing. They kept coming back to that. Once in every call, someone would say the words and the person on the other end would have to agree. She wouldn’t have felt a thing. She wouldn’t have felt a thing. It was the chorus, the refrain of the first six hours.
When it comes to what we owe our families, sometimes the needs of the dead take precedence over the needs of the living.
What Exactly Do You Think You’re Looking At?
A good bag is a miracle, intimate and distant at the same time; completely mine and completely not mine. When everything is in order, a good bag stolen from the LAX at precisely this time of year shows me a way out, a way through.
How shallow would your life have to be to search for meaning in the contents of stolen luggage? The answer to that question is surprisingly relatable.
Everything Underneath
Me and my sister. My sister and I. My sister and me. It has never been good between us. Never. We are eleven months apart and we have the same parents — the same mom, right there, on a blanket at the beach, reading her book, and the same dad, wherever he is now. But we have always had this gap, too. Eleven months is too close, and at the same time, it is too far away.
Two young girls are snorkelling in the ocean at the end of summer and everything underneath the waves — the swirling grit, the unseen lunar forces — are analogous to what swirls and pushes beneath their relationship.
The Entertainer
He felt sure that even the MC was not impressed. She seemed to be rolling her eyes at the vocalists especially, but he could not disagree. When they sang, the kids closed their eyes and circled their hands in the air, aiming for notes they could not possibly hit. Around him, people visibly winced, and when it was over, they applauded the quiet and not what had come before.
I was sobbing at the end of this: Three characters under pressure make a very powerful human connection through a shared love of music.
The Ninth Concession
I saw a light shining out of the house from the second floor. Allan was there, perfectly framed behind the glass of his bedroom window. He was staring up and over, not down, and his hardened hair was still perfectly parted and everything behind him was illuminated. You know how it is when the light gets like that. Sometimes the person looking out can’t see anything, only the dark, but for the person looking in, every detail is magnified and clear.
A relatable and thoughtful coming-of-age story about class and race and discovering what truly determines a person’s worth.
Once Removed
Amy remembered the closet by the door, and all the hollow shirts and pants stuffed into the Tip Top Tailor bag, a few decades of bad ties. She thought about the afterlife of objects. All the things that were still here and the people who were not.
An interesting examination of what makes a family and the stories we tell about them; what is forgotten over time and what is saved.
The Closing Date
When the news story came out, pictures of the motel were everywhere. Police cars and flashing lights, caution tape and pylons, men in hazmat suits entering and leaving the mobile forensic unit. It was what you’d expect.
In this story of a young family crossing paths with danger, we learn that perhaps the only people less knowable than strangers are ourselves.
March 10, 2023
Oh, these eight stories are so good. They have everything I want in writing. Great characters, depth, rich real slightly edgy plots. The writing looks so easy that it makes you, the reader, me, think, hey I could write a story about anything. But this kind of writing is honed for a long time. There is nothing easy about it, and the fact that it feels easy is due to the hidden skill.
Read
March 10, 2022I don't give star ratings to those books I read and write cover quotes for, but for the record, this would absolutely be a 5-star book. I loved it. Eight short stories, each one satisfying and complete but still open enough that I was left thinking about the characters and the situations after I finished. They all have a kind of yearning, a voice that is intimate, often troubled, but each shines a light on relationships good and bad. Actually, I loved this so much, I probably need to come back and write a better review - I certainly need to read them again to see how MacLeod does it. Favourites were: Lagomoth, The Dead Want, Everything Underneath, The Closing Date.
January 6, 2022
I love short stories and it's stories like this which give a proper insight of ourselves that gives a better view on how we handle things differently.
The stories have a common theme related to animals or animal like theme but each story studies us human revealing our insecurities and the things we do. Eight short stories in all. Absolutely enjoyed the writing and the stories.
The best part common to all the stories: the suspense in each story. You will keep searching for an answer in each. And it's quite satisfying to read stories like this!
1. Lagomorph 4 🌟
*Now rabbits will haunt me forever*
2. The Dead Want 3 🌟
*You need to find me* chills!
3. What Exactly Do You Think You're Looking At? 4 🌟
Well written.
4. Everything Underneath 4 🌟
One of the best.
5. The Entertainer 4 🌟
*Music gets threatening*
6. The Ninth Concession 4 🌟
*Almost a nightmare*
7. Once Removed 3 🌟
*Realistic*
8. The Closing Gate 4 🌟
*One of my favourites*
Go for this collection. A good one sitting read.
Thank you, Farrar Straus and Giroux and the author, for the advance reading copy.
The stories have a common theme related to animals or animal like theme but each story studies us human revealing our insecurities and the things we do. Eight short stories in all. Absolutely enjoyed the writing and the stories.
The best part common to all the stories: the suspense in each story. You will keep searching for an answer in each. And it's quite satisfying to read stories like this!
1. Lagomorph 4 🌟
*Now rabbits will haunt me forever*
2. The Dead Want 3 🌟
*You need to find me* chills!
3. What Exactly Do You Think You're Looking At? 4 🌟
Well written.
4. Everything Underneath 4 🌟
One of the best.
5. The Entertainer 4 🌟
*Music gets threatening*
6. The Ninth Concession 4 🌟
*Almost a nightmare*
7. Once Removed 3 🌟
*Realistic*
8. The Closing Gate 4 🌟
*One of my favourites*
Go for this collection. A good one sitting read.
Thank you, Farrar Straus and Giroux and the author, for the advance reading copy.
February 6, 2022
Further examples of my observation that when all elements are strong, a collection of short fiction can be more immersive and challenging than a novel of equal length. Each of these eight stories pulled me in, had me totally involved, was complete in execution and content. Unlike slice of life stories that leave abruptly, making the reader form their own conclusion about the outcome, these stories are whole, satisfying. In a recent interview, he cites his father as inspiration in particular as well as story writers from the Atlantic Provinces but most especially Irish authors. I totally agree with his assessment that they "... have worked the genre better than anyone,"... I look forward to seeking out MacLeod's earlier work as well as that of his father, Alistair MacLeod.
February 13, 2023
Alexander MacLeod heeft het van geen vreemde. Net als zijn vader Alistair beheerst hij de kunst van de korte vertelling. In acht verhalen ontmoeten we gewone mensen die in onverwachte omstandigheden cruciale keuzes moeten maken. De Canadees blaast razendsnel leven in zijn authentieke personages, die zich door een incident anders moeten verhouden tegenover hun dierbaren, hun eigen kwetsbaarheid en de vermeende zekerheden in het leven.
In zijn sterkste verhalen voegt hij pittige ingrediënten toe aan dat recept: de laatste wens van een verkeersslachtoffer, de onverwachte hulp aan een jonge concertpianist met een black-out, de nipt vermeden gezinsmoord, de man die in luchthavens andermans bagage steelt, maar doorgaans teleurgesteld is door de voorspelbare middelmatigheid die hij aantreft.
Soepel, zelfverzekerd en met een oog voor detail dat scherpstelt op herkenbare alledaagsheid, etaleert MacLeod in ‘Dierenmens’ zijn inzicht in de menselijke aard. Hij kleurt wel erg binnen de lijntjes, waardoor zijn verhalen te eenvoudig en te sloom kunnen aanvoelen. Ook legt hij de link tussen het voorval en de boodschap erachter weleens te opzichtig bloot. Als hij bij zijn volgende bundel onze hand meer durft los te laten, steekt hij papa alsnog naar de kroon.
https://www.humo.be/achter-het-nieuws...
In zijn sterkste verhalen voegt hij pittige ingrediënten toe aan dat recept: de laatste wens van een verkeersslachtoffer, de onverwachte hulp aan een jonge concertpianist met een black-out, de nipt vermeden gezinsmoord, de man die in luchthavens andermans bagage steelt, maar doorgaans teleurgesteld is door de voorspelbare middelmatigheid die hij aantreft.
Soepel, zelfverzekerd en met een oog voor detail dat scherpstelt op herkenbare alledaagsheid, etaleert MacLeod in ‘Dierenmens’ zijn inzicht in de menselijke aard. Hij kleurt wel erg binnen de lijntjes, waardoor zijn verhalen te eenvoudig en te sloom kunnen aanvoelen. Ook legt hij de link tussen het voorval en de boodschap erachter weleens te opzichtig bloot. Als hij bij zijn volgende bundel onze hand meer durft los te laten, steekt hij papa alsnog naar de kroon.
https://www.humo.be/achter-het-nieuws...
January 23, 2024
I’d been waiting for a long time for another Alexander MacLeod book. He’s an incredible writer, mastering the short story form. Animal Person comes through as a fine example of his writing with the unique perceptions of his characters. A strong collection.
May 18, 2022
I was delighted to get the opportunity to read this anthology for several reasons. The first being that the author is the son of one of my favorite authors, Alistair MacLeod. The second is that Alexander MacLeod lives in the same city as I do. And the third? Well, the writing talent must be genetic, because this anthology is of the highest quality.
The book begins with a quote from MacLeod senior's short story "In The Fall" from his anthology Island. (If you haven't read Island, then you are in for a treat). From then on I knew I was in for a treat.
All eight of the stories in this collection examine what it means to be human. Our strengths and weaknesses are laid bare. Relationships of every permutation are dissected, showing our fears, loves, resentments, choices, desires, regrets, compromises, responsibilities, absurdities, and... our uniqueness. About life being transient, and about choices and consequences of those choices. All manner of average, everyday people living their lives, described in authentic, thoughtful, and skilled prose. The stories are vastly different from one another, some poignant, some hilarious, and one which I found a tad bizarre.
My favorite stories from this collection were "One Removed" and "The Entertainer".
This literary collection begins with the story "Lagomorph" which won the O.Henry Prize. From then it goes on to further richness in the remaining seven titles. What an excellent read for May, which just so happens to be 'Short Story Month'. Highly recommended!
The book begins with a quote from MacLeod senior's short story "In The Fall" from his anthology Island. (If you haven't read Island, then you are in for a treat). From then on I knew I was in for a treat.
All eight of the stories in this collection examine what it means to be human. Our strengths and weaknesses are laid bare. Relationships of every permutation are dissected, showing our fears, loves, resentments, choices, desires, regrets, compromises, responsibilities, absurdities, and... our uniqueness. About life being transient, and about choices and consequences of those choices. All manner of average, everyday people living their lives, described in authentic, thoughtful, and skilled prose. The stories are vastly different from one another, some poignant, some hilarious, and one which I found a tad bizarre.
My favorite stories from this collection were "One Removed" and "The Entertainer".
This literary collection begins with the story "Lagomorph" which won the O.Henry Prize. From then it goes on to further richness in the remaining seven titles. What an excellent read for May, which just so happens to be 'Short Story Month'. Highly recommended!
October 19, 2023
Funny, when I was young I was drawn to all of those ridiculously long fantasy books and series. I was never a fan of purple prose (LM Montgomery aside) but always wanted a lot of content. Short stories were never enough for me. Now, I love them and admire the craftsmanship, the economy of words, the restraint, the discipline, the conciseness (unlike this current review...Obvs).
Anyway, this collection was just so good! I took a lot out of it and find myself thinking about many of the stories. I think they will stay with me. I returned my book before writing this review and I can't remember the title of the one story, but the one about the farm boy was particularly stunning and resonated with me. Highly recommend this one. Particularly for Canadians as the stories are steeped in Canadianisms, particularly if you're of a certain age.
Anyway, this collection was just so good! I took a lot out of it and find myself thinking about many of the stories. I think they will stay with me. I returned my book before writing this review and I can't remember the title of the one story, but the one about the farm boy was particularly stunning and resonated with me. Highly recommend this one. Particularly for Canadians as the stories are steeped in Canadianisms, particularly if you're of a certain age.
December 24, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook. This is a wonderful book of short stories where the author finds the extraordinary in the mundane, everyday world. A young couple wait for two days with their child in a motel before they can move into their new house. Two years later they watch the news and see that the nice man in the room next to their own was a serial killer. A man haunts the airport so that he can steal luggage from incoming flight so that he can feel the lives lived through the contents inside before he returns them. Fun stories that always seem to take a turn that keeps you glued to the page.
April 27, 2022
While all the stories in this collection are well-crafted and intriguing, "The Entertainer" was the story that really stood out for me. I'm sure I've read other stories that have incorporated shifting third-person points of view, but none as effectively or as memorably as this one. It's a story I'll be returning to again, both as a reader and as a writer.
July 28, 2022
These stories are not interested in what makes us human, they wonder at our animal connections with the world, the spaces between humanity and humanness. Something about this book felt like a real exploration poking at what the short story can really do at its best: to pick at the knot of a story and probe it to make us readers attend to a connection or observation that we might have otherwise missed - and in that way, it becomes a form of meditation.
Particularly loved Everything Underneath's mix of danger and levity (made me think of my own experience of sisterhood), the strange thread that leads to remembering trauma in The Ninth Concession, as well as the beautiful and ordinary humanity in a crime story in The Closing Date.
A book perfect for those looking for some tender beauty.
Particularly loved Everything Underneath's mix of danger and levity (made me think of my own experience of sisterhood), the strange thread that leads to remembering trauma in The Ninth Concession, as well as the beautiful and ordinary humanity in a crime story in The Closing Date.
A book perfect for those looking for some tender beauty.
August 11, 2022
This was my first book of short stories I’ve read by Alexander MacLeod. I did enjoy the collection and also the familiarity of characters and places with a maritime connection. The stories did hold my interest and I will certainly keep a watch for other stories and novels by this author. My two favourite stories in this novel were Once Removed and The Closing Date.
October 7, 2022
The connections that bind people together, that shape destinies and affect lives for good or ill in the contemporary world, is fertile terrain that Alexander MacLeod explores in his second collection of short fiction. These eight elegantly written stories bring searing focus to human relationships tested by unforeseen circumstance. MacLeod’s characters are distant relatives, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, lovers, neighbours and strangers who have ventured or been drawn into situations that threaten or challenge something they hold dear. David, the narrator of “Lagomorph”—father of three grown children and separated from his wife, Sarah—is living by himself in the family home with Gunther, the pet rabbit. What blew the marriage apart? “I think we just wore down,” he explains in blasé terms, “and eventually, we both decided we’d had enough and it was time to move on.” The separation is amicable. But David, alone and adrift, finds his life profoundly altered. Almost inevitably his days revolve around the aging rabbit, Gunther, who is his anchor to the past and his fragile bridge to the future. David claims that all is well, that he’s adjusting. But when a crisis occurs—one that places Gunther’s life in danger—his fear is existential. In “The Dead Want,” the tragic death of his 20-year-old cousin Beatrice brings Joe’s family back to Nova Scotia for the funeral, where, finding the place and the people different from how he remembers them, he is emboldened to act out the changes he sees in himself. In “The Ninth Concession,” which is set in Ontario farming country, the young narrator’s long-time friendship with Allan, the son of his well-off neighbours, the Klassens, abruptly ends after a disturbing, late-night encounter. “Once Removed” tells the story of Amy and Matt, who are manipulated into visiting Matt’s great aunt. But the old lady’s true motive for issuing the invitation doesn’t become clear until after they arrive at her apartment. And the collection’s final gripping story, “The Closing Date,” told in retrospect a few years after the event, describes the eerie close encounter between a young family and a murderer on the day the couple are set to close the deal on their new house. Throughout, the narrative tone is contemplative and unhurried. MacLeod writes with unfailing ease and confidence; his uncluttered prose sparkles, seducing the reader with natural, plain-spoken rhythms, while the stories themselves enthrall. The seeming effortlessness with which these tales of modern angst are composed is deceptive: a true artist in total control of his craft, MacLeod keeps the nuts and bolts—the sweat and agony--of the creative process well hidden from view. The collection sets its sights on the anxieties that plague everyone living in this fraught modern world, the myriad dilemmas, large and small, with which we grapple on a daily basis. Moving and memorable, Animal Person confirms in triumphant fashion Alexander MacLeod’s reputation as an author of bold, ingenious short fiction.
June 6, 2022
Extremely raw, authentic, and real, this book is one that felt so realistic by the way that each story was told. To be honest, this book seemed mundane at first glance, not many events occur in each story, which could turn away potential readers looking for something more exciting. However, I found that each story was not meant to be action-packed, but rather a deep dive into the human condition, as each sounds like it could happen in real life. There were times when I could relate so much to the characters and their thoughts and feelings, and others when the author was able to take regular day-to-day concepts and turn them into something to think about from a different perspective entirely.
I do think that some stories are more impactful than relatable than others, my favourites being Lagomorph and The Entertainer (a super relatable story; I've grown up playing the piano and music is a large part of my life). An incredible window to human behaviour, and an overall fantastic collection of short stories.
I do think that some stories are more impactful than relatable than others, my favourites being Lagomorph and The Entertainer (a super relatable story; I've grown up playing the piano and music is a large part of my life). An incredible window to human behaviour, and an overall fantastic collection of short stories.
May 12, 2024
Buenas historias con una redacción muy detallada algunas emocionantes te atrapan otras tienen demasiado contexto el lenguaje es fácil pero con mucho detalle en ocasiones puede perder al lector, no todas las historias me encantaron. en general es un libro de casos inconclusos pero entretenido.
March 29, 2022
Old people are scary. And also funny.
June 26, 2024
Muy entretenidas las historias, unas me gustaron más que otras pero no puedo olvidar a Gunther💔
November 19, 2022
This one was a bit of a 'slow boil' for me. Perhaps foolishly, I started"Animal Person" immediately after finishing Saunders' new collection, the luminously brilliant "Liberation Day." Very tough act to follow, big shoes to fill, yadda yadda yadda.
I wasn't immediately drawn in by the first few stories here, and it seemed this was not going to be an enjoyable read for me. I sort-of liked "Lagomorph," and the next two stories weren't really my bag. But after a little "adults always finish books they start" and "you are not a DNF'er" and "this is a freaking small book of SHORT STORIES, of course you're going to read it all the way through!" pep talk/self-flagellation, I resolved to plow through.
I'm very glad I did.
After the three "palate-cleansing" stories, things really got rolling. "The Entertainer" was a game-changer. One of the best uses of the (now commonplace and overused) multiple narrative perspectives literary device I've ever come across in a short story. All the characters felt so alive, so real. My mother was a piano-teacher that ran a school out of our basement for many years, and many of the observations here rang very true. I adored the inclusion of Gladys' husband's perspective. And the final resolution of the well-constructed main drama was just so wonderfully satisfying.
From then on, I was most definitely buyin' what Alexander MacCleod was sellin'.
"The Ninth Concession" had me remembering long-lost fragments of my childhood with equal parts fondness and disdain. Even a couple of genuine "LOLs" when he described some of the ridiculous action figures and rubberized wrestling dolls I so cherished in my youth.
"Once Removed" was such a strangely familiar, clever tale. Perhaps everyone has some sort of "Greet Walker" in the tangled branches of their family tree? I both loved her and wanted her to take a tumble down her 'condo' (NOT Retirement Residence!) elevator shaft.
And "The Closing Date"... wow. I'm not even sure what to say about that one. Except that it was very, very good.
All told, I would likely have given this collection a 3.5/5 if I could, factoring in the somewhat lacklustre initial stories. But the salient glow of the middle and end of the collection are more than enough to make this a solid 4 stars.
I wasn't immediately drawn in by the first few stories here, and it seemed this was not going to be an enjoyable read for me. I sort-of liked "Lagomorph," and the next two stories weren't really my bag. But after a little "adults always finish books they start" and "you are not a DNF'er" and "this is a freaking small book of SHORT STORIES, of course you're going to read it all the way through!" pep talk/self-flagellation, I resolved to plow through.
I'm very glad I did.
After the three "palate-cleansing" stories, things really got rolling. "The Entertainer" was a game-changer. One of the best uses of the (now commonplace and overused) multiple narrative perspectives literary device I've ever come across in a short story. All the characters felt so alive, so real. My mother was a piano-teacher that ran a school out of our basement for many years, and many of the observations here rang very true. I adored the inclusion of Gladys' husband's perspective. And the final resolution of the well-constructed main drama was just so wonderfully satisfying.
From then on, I was most definitely buyin' what Alexander MacCleod was sellin'.
"The Ninth Concession" had me remembering long-lost fragments of my childhood with equal parts fondness and disdain. Even a couple of genuine "LOLs" when he described some of the ridiculous action figures and rubberized wrestling dolls I so cherished in my youth.
"Once Removed" was such a strangely familiar, clever tale. Perhaps everyone has some sort of "Greet Walker" in the tangled branches of their family tree? I both loved her and wanted her to take a tumble down her 'condo' (NOT Retirement Residence!) elevator shaft.
And "The Closing Date"... wow. I'm not even sure what to say about that one. Except that it was very, very good.
All told, I would likely have given this collection a 3.5/5 if I could, factoring in the somewhat lacklustre initial stories. But the salient glow of the middle and end of the collection are more than enough to make this a solid 4 stars.
April 20, 2022
Thanks to FSG for an advance copy of this title, which was published on April 5, 2022. I'm writing this review voluntarily.
"Sometimes, in the middle of a day, you find yourself doing things you never imagined in the morning."
This simple quotation, from "Once Removed," one of the short stories in Alexander MacLeod's affecting book Animal Person, could be used as a descriptor for the entire collection--a work that simultaneously takes up the mundane and the extraordinary, in constantly unexpected ways.
Each of the eight stories in Animal Person focuses tightly on the daily activities of various characters, as well as the manner in which these routines are consistently upended and disrupted by the strangeness of life. A man deals with his disintegrating family through the violence of nature; a boy says goodbye to his cousin through a chance encounter with someone involved in her death; a person steals airport luggage to forge connections; fighting sisters experience a terrifying bonding moment at the beach; a music recital brings surprising revelations and opportunities for collaborative duo performance; two boys from different backgrounds grow apart and grow up over the course of one long summer; a couple with a new baby visits a relative with ulterior motives; and unbeknownst to a young family, their next door hotel neighbor is a serial killer.
MacLeod's work manages to be both restrained and dramatic, indicating his deep understanding of the way that existence tends to progress. For example, in the first story "Lagomorph," the way in which the cruelty of the natural world intrudes into the narrative startles at first, but it also makes total sense, given the context of the narrator's collapsing relationship with his wife. In other words, is there really much of a difference, between the ways humans hurt one another and the ways that animals harm in order to survive? Ultimately, Animal Person impresses for its ability to always ride that line--between ordinary and astonishing.
"Sometimes, in the middle of a day, you find yourself doing things you never imagined in the morning."
This simple quotation, from "Once Removed," one of the short stories in Alexander MacLeod's affecting book Animal Person, could be used as a descriptor for the entire collection--a work that simultaneously takes up the mundane and the extraordinary, in constantly unexpected ways.
Each of the eight stories in Animal Person focuses tightly on the daily activities of various characters, as well as the manner in which these routines are consistently upended and disrupted by the strangeness of life. A man deals with his disintegrating family through the violence of nature; a boy says goodbye to his cousin through a chance encounter with someone involved in her death; a person steals airport luggage to forge connections; fighting sisters experience a terrifying bonding moment at the beach; a music recital brings surprising revelations and opportunities for collaborative duo performance; two boys from different backgrounds grow apart and grow up over the course of one long summer; a couple with a new baby visits a relative with ulterior motives; and unbeknownst to a young family, their next door hotel neighbor is a serial killer.
MacLeod's work manages to be both restrained and dramatic, indicating his deep understanding of the way that existence tends to progress. For example, in the first story "Lagomorph," the way in which the cruelty of the natural world intrudes into the narrative startles at first, but it also makes total sense, given the context of the narrator's collapsing relationship with his wife. In other words, is there really much of a difference, between the ways humans hurt one another and the ways that animals harm in order to survive? Ultimately, Animal Person impresses for its ability to always ride that line--between ordinary and astonishing.
May 18, 2022
"Animal Person" is a gripping collection of short stories. Every story connects, and there are several knockouts.
The opening story, "Lagomorph," is about a very old rabbit named Gunther, and the amicably separated couple who cares for him. This story broke me.
"What Exactly Do You Think You're Looking At?" reads like a voyeuristic Patricia Highsmith thriller. Set in 1970's Pasadena, it's about a serial suitcase thief who finally comes across a suitcase containing something "extraordinary." CREEPY.
And then, there is "The Entertainer," which begins with a bar of sheet music from Scott Joplin's ragtime classic of the same name. This story captures a performance of the song at a student piano recital from three different perspectives. Darcy is the pianist, quietly dreading the moment he will be introduced to perform a song that he hasn't quite mastered yet. His piano teacher, Roxy, waits in the wings, pondering her own stagnant musical career. Finally, an elderly man in the audience listens to the music with his wife, Gladys, who suffers from dementia. When the big moment finally comes for Darcy to perform the song, something very unexpected happens.
As a lifelong piano player (I played "The Entertainer" in a few piano recitals just like that one), I have to say, WOW. I've heard that song a million times, and Alexander MacLeod found a brilliant way to put his own spin on the tune. The tears were flowing.
Each story in "Animal Person" has a "primal" moment that took my breath away. MacLeod effortlessly crystallizes those jaw-dropping moments, turning this slender volume of snapshots into something far deeper, and darker, than I expected.
⭐⭐⭐⭐🎵🎹🎵
4 stars and a few bars of Joplin for good measure.
The opening story, "Lagomorph," is about a very old rabbit named Gunther, and the amicably separated couple who cares for him. This story broke me.
"What Exactly Do You Think You're Looking At?" reads like a voyeuristic Patricia Highsmith thriller. Set in 1970's Pasadena, it's about a serial suitcase thief who finally comes across a suitcase containing something "extraordinary." CREEPY.
And then, there is "The Entertainer," which begins with a bar of sheet music from Scott Joplin's ragtime classic of the same name. This story captures a performance of the song at a student piano recital from three different perspectives. Darcy is the pianist, quietly dreading the moment he will be introduced to perform a song that he hasn't quite mastered yet. His piano teacher, Roxy, waits in the wings, pondering her own stagnant musical career. Finally, an elderly man in the audience listens to the music with his wife, Gladys, who suffers from dementia. When the big moment finally comes for Darcy to perform the song, something very unexpected happens.
As a lifelong piano player (I played "The Entertainer" in a few piano recitals just like that one), I have to say, WOW. I've heard that song a million times, and Alexander MacLeod found a brilliant way to put his own spin on the tune. The tears were flowing.
Each story in "Animal Person" has a "primal" moment that took my breath away. MacLeod effortlessly crystallizes those jaw-dropping moments, turning this slender volume of snapshots into something far deeper, and darker, than I expected.
⭐⭐⭐⭐🎵🎹🎵
4 stars and a few bars of Joplin for good measure.
November 14, 2022
Alexander MacLeod’s Animal Person is a collection of eight wonderful short stories. As the son of Alistair MacLeod, Alexander’s own entirely distinctive writing style operates at the same impossibly high level as that of is late father, and uses pristine, poetic, descriptive language that transcends everyday prose. His polished images, self-revelatory passages, honest vocabulary, and deeply human insights come together in these elegant pieces.
The following quotation from Lagomorph, the first piece in the book, demonstrates the astonishing breadth of the whole: Three kids is not nothing and we carried those people – we carried them from their delivery rooms to their daycares to their schools and through all their summer vacations, all the way down to the fancy dinners we hosted on the nights of their high school graduations. Then, one by one, they left our house for good and, all of us, we never lived together again… After they left, we were by ourselves again. Together, but by ourselves now… The change was harder than we expected. There was too much space now and we filled it up with everything that had always been missing. Though there was no one else around, we kept getting in each other’s way. I felt like the air inside the house was thickening again, but worse now, as if a clear sludge was being slowly poured into every gap in our lives…
Animal Person is a breathtaking body of work. Highly recommended.
The following quotation from Lagomorph, the first piece in the book, demonstrates the astonishing breadth of the whole: Three kids is not nothing and we carried those people – we carried them from their delivery rooms to their daycares to their schools and through all their summer vacations, all the way down to the fancy dinners we hosted on the nights of their high school graduations. Then, one by one, they left our house for good and, all of us, we never lived together again… After they left, we were by ourselves again. Together, but by ourselves now… The change was harder than we expected. There was too much space now and we filled it up with everything that had always been missing. Though there was no one else around, we kept getting in each other’s way. I felt like the air inside the house was thickening again, but worse now, as if a clear sludge was being slowly poured into every gap in our lives…
Animal Person is a breathtaking body of work. Highly recommended.
May 28, 2023
Each of these stories is precise, subtle and perfectly paced to draw you in and take your breath away. Macleod explores the tenuous and complex nature of human relationships, especially family relationships, revealing how the smallest action or inaction can lead to a permanent fracture.
“It him again how hard it was to be a member of a family, fused to all these people you would never choose and never fully get away from.”
In Lagomorph, the bond between a man and the family rabbit grows stronger while his marriage gets lost among the mundane tasks of family life.
A family mourns the tragic and sudden loss of a vibrant, daughter, niece, cousin and friend in The Dead Want. Needing a reason they blame it on the bad boyfriend, he is banned from the funeral no chance to say goodbye. Buy who would Bea want to be there?
Two sisters, who have always had “this gap”, are drawn together for their survival in Everything Underneath.
Fifteen year old Darcy is dreading the piano recital. He can’t remember the piece and will quit once this is over. Roxy needs to make a decision, chase her dreams, finish the album or resign herself to teaching disinterested kids and playing the local bar scene for life. Gladys’s husband longs for another glimpse of his once vibrant wife before all the words and memories fade away to Alzheimer’s. The Entertainer blends these lives together ending in an unforgettable performance.
In The Ninth Concession, race, class and power are explored through the friendship of two boys who have little in common beyond being farm neighbours and classmates.
in Once Removed Amy is annoyed Matt can’t say no to his great aunt or cousin or whatever Greet is. But off they go with baby in tow, the future about to collide with the past.
The final story is The Closing Date, a riveting tale that will send shivers through you.
“It him again how hard it was to be a member of a family, fused to all these people you would never choose and never fully get away from.”
In Lagomorph, the bond between a man and the family rabbit grows stronger while his marriage gets lost among the mundane tasks of family life.
A family mourns the tragic and sudden loss of a vibrant, daughter, niece, cousin and friend in The Dead Want. Needing a reason they blame it on the bad boyfriend, he is banned from the funeral no chance to say goodbye. Buy who would Bea want to be there?
Two sisters, who have always had “this gap”, are drawn together for their survival in Everything Underneath.
Fifteen year old Darcy is dreading the piano recital. He can’t remember the piece and will quit once this is over. Roxy needs to make a decision, chase her dreams, finish the album or resign herself to teaching disinterested kids and playing the local bar scene for life. Gladys’s husband longs for another glimpse of his once vibrant wife before all the words and memories fade away to Alzheimer’s. The Entertainer blends these lives together ending in an unforgettable performance.
In The Ninth Concession, race, class and power are explored through the friendship of two boys who have little in common beyond being farm neighbours and classmates.
in Once Removed Amy is annoyed Matt can’t say no to his great aunt or cousin or whatever Greet is. But off they go with baby in tow, the future about to collide with the past.
The final story is The Closing Date, a riveting tale that will send shivers through you.
May 17, 2024
CW: violence, sexual assault of a child, murder, animal cruelty, dementia, temporary workers, child labour
I was really struck by some of these stories, but totally turned off by the gratuitous violence of others. Lagomorph was a clear standout and set the bar gig for the rest of the collection. I loved its reflective tone and its sense of loss and surprise. The Entertainer felt special. I liked the different points of view and the beautiful ending. Te Closing Date was overly ominous and did not nuance its portrayal sufficiently. Once Removed was a delightful reminder of ego and what we value, and the ways we manipulate and control others, for good and for ill. Tying up the baby was more shocking than I would have thought. The Ninth Concession was a thoughtful reflection on wealth, privilege and entitlement, and people can be reduced and exploited when the money is good. The relationship between the two boys was a bit too open ended. I wasn’t sure how to process it. Also the camp was unclear— how did they attend camp if the spent the summers in isolation or working?
I was really struck by some of these stories, but totally turned off by the gratuitous violence of others. Lagomorph was a clear standout and set the bar gig for the rest of the collection. I loved its reflective tone and its sense of loss and surprise. The Entertainer felt special. I liked the different points of view and the beautiful ending. Te Closing Date was overly ominous and did not nuance its portrayal sufficiently. Once Removed was a delightful reminder of ego and what we value, and the ways we manipulate and control others, for good and for ill. Tying up the baby was more shocking than I would have thought. The Ninth Concession was a thoughtful reflection on wealth, privilege and entitlement, and people can be reduced and exploited when the money is good. The relationship between the two boys was a bit too open ended. I wasn’t sure how to process it. Also the camp was unclear— how did they attend camp if the spent the summers in isolation or working?
March 19, 2023
In a phrase: Animal Person is my new textbook for short story writing. The only one I will ever need!
All right, now I’ll admit my folly. I resisted reading Alexander’s work because I feared disappointment. How could he ever write as well as his genius father, Alistair, my hero?
I apologize, Alexander. I was absolutely, 100% wrong! From page one this collection is thrilling, a deep dive into character, and brilliant plot writing with twists and turns we never predict. The direct language pulls us deep into the protagonist’s mind. I’m in awe of the raw emotion and vulnerability captured on these pages.
I sailed through the collection, closed the cover and felt bereft. So I opened it to page 1 and started all over again.
And I’ll read again and again, to study the story structure and dialogue.
Thank you, thank you, Alexander MacLeod!
All right, now I’ll admit my folly. I resisted reading Alexander’s work because I feared disappointment. How could he ever write as well as his genius father, Alistair, my hero?
I apologize, Alexander. I was absolutely, 100% wrong! From page one this collection is thrilling, a deep dive into character, and brilliant plot writing with twists and turns we never predict. The direct language pulls us deep into the protagonist’s mind. I’m in awe of the raw emotion and vulnerability captured on these pages.
I sailed through the collection, closed the cover and felt bereft. So I opened it to page 1 and started all over again.
And I’ll read again and again, to study the story structure and dialogue.
Thank you, thank you, Alexander MacLeod!
July 7, 2022
The true test of a great short story is one that continues to haunt you long after reading. There are
several in this collection that are impossible to forget. In particular, "The Closing Date" has a sinister edge when a helpful stranger at a motel isn't what he appears to be. The same is true of the wealthy farmer in "The Ninth Concession." At the book launch in Windsor's Biblioasis bookstore, the author read from "The Entertainer" and charmed the crowd by playing the introductory bars on a xylophone-type instrument, hesitatingly like the character in the story. This is an incredible collection.
several in this collection that are impossible to forget. In particular, "The Closing Date" has a sinister edge when a helpful stranger at a motel isn't what he appears to be. The same is true of the wealthy farmer in "The Ninth Concession." At the book launch in Windsor's Biblioasis bookstore, the author read from "The Entertainer" and charmed the crowd by playing the introductory bars on a xylophone-type instrument, hesitatingly like the character in the story. This is an incredible collection.
April 7, 2023
This is a thoughtful collection of stories about life in suburban settings, with a slight atlantic Canada twist or flavour. The characters are well drawn, but the narrators, whether single or plural, are almost all sad people. There is a pervasive sadness or melancholy to these stories that seems to be infused into almost every part of the story. I think many deep stories about life are aware of sadness, or life's difficulties, but I find this collection a bit of a downer. There are some really tense moments, almost dramatic or theatrical in their intensity, and these are worth reading, but overall, I am not sure if I will return to more of this author's work for a while. Perhaps.
April 4, 2023
The author was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, a place that is very special to me. Several of the stories are set there. Not quite the world-apart sense it had when I was there in the early 1970s, the Nova Scotia of MacLeod's stories has motels and shopping malls and all the usual accoutrements of civilization, though there is one barn dance. That personal disappointment aside, they're excellent stories about turning points and realizations in extremely varied situations with dissimilar characters. They're skillfully rendered, thoughtful, and a couple are quite suspenseful.
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