The Mookse and the Gripes discussion
This topic is about
Darker with the Lights on
Queen Mary Prize (RofC UK)
>
2018 RoC Shortlist: Darker with the Lights On
date
newest »
newest »
Little Island Press is an independent publisher of fiction, poetry and essays. Founded in 2016, it publishes "innovative, intellectually ambitious writing in elegant editions designed by the award-winning design studio typographic research unit."Indeed it won the award for Literature at the British Book Design & Production Award 2017.
Unfortunately this one has done so well that it has sold outBut a paperback will be produced on 1 April - pre-orders here:
https://www.littleislandpress.co.uk/b...
For the US based, Transit Books will be publishing a US edition on 1 May: https://www.transitbooks.org/books/da...
Mod
Mod
Attrib sets s a very high bar for anyone to compare to. This is more uneven although in a way the stories that leave one cold are the ones where he is doing his most impressive work.
Gumble's review I think sums it up well:
Many of the stories can at first read seem disorienting lacking an obvious and familiar anchor around which to base one's comprehension and on a first read I preferred the stories where I felt that I understood Hayden’s theme or concept for the story, although often even these stories veer off into a surreal ending.
However on a second read and also aided by this interview in the Irish Times I understood and then was able to fully appreciate the intent behind the technique.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/yo...
Hayden describes this process of defamiliarisation as a “peeling back”, a way to make the stories stronger both as stand-alone texts, and as a complete collection.
“When I took that specificity away, I ended up with something that became much, much more interesting, more uncanny, and more generalisable to people’s experiences of different kinds of discomfort,” he says.
“Taking the specifics out, the recognisable accents and language, for me anyway it made it more interesting, it made it stronger, it made it possible to develop the theme of the story more strongly .....
“When I read through a story, if I find anything that sounds overfamiliar, unintentionally, then I’ll rewrite it,” Hayden says. “I’ll take it out because it weakens the lines."
Mod
Yes - I don't disagree with that, and indeed had similar issues - as I concluded my review quoting one of the stories "I parse the words and gain their sense but don't really know what they mean"
For those after this book in the original hardback. Little Island Press have this morning announced a very limited edition has just been printed and is available to buy.
Fantastic, I have ordered, but I'm not 100% I got there in time because it first looked like I was signing up to a waiting list, but the hardback was in my basket (with a picture of the paperback).
Mod
They are great comments Trevor. I am not normally a fan of short stories but I have loved the two collections that we picked for this year's shortlist. Maybe we will see David and Eley in a future Mookes Madness.
I enjoyed your comment about the beautiful binding. I was able to source and buy at a discount the only remaining copy of the first print in the waterstones network. The covers were beautifully bound but the wrong way up and they had been unable to sell it.
Mine arrived today. It is indeed beautiful physically. I think I will read a few of the stories before I get stuck back into We That Are Young.
I've read a few of the stories and prefer them to Attrib. I am so impressed with the physical book that I have ordered the only novel they've published so far, plus pre-ordered the novel coming out in May.
mine is coming from Transit Books in the U.S. I hope its as attractive. I do love beautiful books.
That's great, Sunita.So many hardbacks published in the UK are badly bound and using rough paper that I'd rather read most of them on a Kindle. This book is of the standard I wish more publishers adhered to. The US publishers are still working to a higher standard but I've noticed some slipping.
One of the RoC judges is a bookseller at the LRB bookshop.
Sunita - The LRB judge was a woman so no it wasn't him.WndyJW - Transit Books version won't be quite the same I am afraid - I am sure it will be very nice, but the UK publisher has won awards for their book design (for Literature at the British Book Design & Production Award 2017. )
Paul wrote: "Sunita - The LRB judge was a woman so no it wasn't him.WndyJW - Transit Books version won't be quite the same I am afraid - I am sure it will be very nice, but the UK publisher has won awards for..."
I was afraid of that, Paul. Now that I’ve paid Transit for the book I won’t feel guilty if I find the lovelier cover on abes.
What great luck, Sunita! You were meant to have this book apparently.
I have just been informed that there was a 21st short story that, due to time and monetary constraints, was deleted from the initial edition of the book. Here, for the first time, is that expurgated story in its entirety, and I am delighted to be able to bring it to his adoring public!:Benign Tumor
By David Hayden
The abruptness with which I stood from my bed caused me to examine the eggshell coloured nail on the middle toe of my right foot with an intensity I had not felt in over seven hours. The sound of the sea came in the window, covered by cerulean curtains through which I spied a sparrow the size of a hawk, floating in the ether. I tried to detect the smell of tea or coffee, but then remembered that I hadn't made any yet, and that my Keurig was on the fritz anyway. I traversed the mauve threadbare rug that lead to my utilitarian bathroom and fondled the shower door which was an AK-47 which was a dachshund which was a Kosher dill pickle which was a 1987 recording of Schubert's Concerto for Violin and Cello which was a paperback novel which was a vibrating sex toy.
In Barcelona I sat at a café and opened my tablet to see if my boss had sent me any urgent messages. 'Henry', he had IM'ed me, 'There is something I need you to take care of for me. It is of vital importance that you....', and at that point my Wi-Fi faltered and I decided it was not a good day to take in the Gaudi Museum. I walked north, noticing that although it wasn't quite noon, the shadows of the trees were tilting slightly to the left.
The anaconda reared its head from the sofa and I delicately stepped over it as I shut and locked the fuchsia door. The door knob seemed to smile at me as I smirked at its impudence. I sat at the bus stop, where an older woman was insistently pulling down her puce knee-length skirt, and simultaneously put a ratty pound note in her pocket. She had long tapered fingers, with a magenta polish on alternating nails. She dug the middle finger of her left hand into her right ear, and examined the glob of ear wax she extracted. She turned to me and said 'Cyril', using the name I had not answered to since I lost my virginity to my parish priest at the age of seven, 'I am your father. My name is Celeste.'
If there was an issue with Darker With it was that some of the pieces were weaker and one wondered if a shorter collection with a few not included might not have been more powerful.I think this undiscovered effort rather proves that point!
Now I am even more eager for my copy to arrive! Thank you, Doug.
Mod
Here, if you're interested.
Excellent review.
Trevor wrote: "I loved this one! I finally posted my review over at my site, calling it "a profound and unsettling exploration of contemporary existence"!Here, if you're interested."
Great to hear that appreciation from someone who is a connoisseur of the short story form.
Very interesting article by David Hayden in the female writers who have influenced his work. Only warning is click at your peril if your TBR pile is already too big!https://lithub.com/david-hayden-men-s...
That article was very well received by women on Twitter, myself included. Who doesn’t have an out of control TBR?
Interestingly we picked his book on an otherwise all female shortlist
by David Hayden