Journal Entry 1 by Astrofiammante on Wednesday, February 11, 2004

This has a slightly tangled history. It was given to my Bookcrossing friend Rand0m by a colleague who quite liked the idea of handing books around, but didn't want to go to all the trouble of actually Bookcrossing it.

He read it and pronounced it like the curate's egg - good in parts - and passed it on to me to read before releasing it, on the grounds that the first story was worth 10 minutes of anyone's time, even if some of the rest were a bit dodgy. And it is (worth 10 minutes of anyone's time, that is).

When I've read it, I shall journal with my thoughts then give it back to him for release. 

Journal Entry 2 by Astrofiammante on Monday, February 16, 2004

I'm glad I read this, but I came away feeling that Alexei Sayle needs nothing so much as a good editor. Why do I say this? Because roughly a third of the stories in this book are excellent. The eponymous opener is worth 10 minutes of anyone's time (as I may have said already). Roughly another third are what estate agents refer to as 'a great opportunity'. And the remainder range from 'not very good' to 'GCSE writing project'.

I'll list which I think are which at the bottom of this entry, where you don't have to look at it if you want to make your own mind up.

If Mr Sayle had had a good editor, maybe the bad ones would never have made it in, and the middling ones would have been kicked into touch until they resembled the very good ones, and he would have been hailed as a fantastic writer of short stories by someone more meaningful than Loaded.

Don't come to this book with too many preconceptions, however. I was expecting a lot of it to be so silly that my eye would just skim straight over it in self-defence. That didn't happen once. Definitely worth a read, especially if you are interested in the short story form.

My likes and dislikes as follows (IMHO, of course):

Very good indeed: Barcelona Plates, The Minister for Death (my favourite, I think), You're Only Middle-Aged Once, Locked Out, Bad Samaritan, Good Samaritan (two independent stories).

Showing a spark of something good, but not quite making the grade: Back in Ten Minutes, A Shrinking Circle of Friends, Lose Weight, Ask Me How, The Last Woman Killed in the War.

Not really very good at all: My Life's Work, Nic and Tob, Big-Headed Cartoon Animal, This Stupid Smile. 

Journal Entry 3 by Rand0m from Hitchin, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Monday, February 16, 2004

The best of these stories are far, far better than I expected from Alexei Sayle, who I'm not a great fan of. I expected them to be crude and unsubtle, and often they are, but I didn't expect the lightness of touch that several of them show. The twist in the tail of the title story in particular is a real shocker than you'll kick yourself sideways for not spotting. I never would have read this without prompting, but I'm definitely glad I made the effort.

Among the hits: the title story, Locked Out, the Good Samaritan.
Among the misses: Nic and Tob, Back in Ten Minutes, the Last Woman Killed in the War.

Cheers Graeme! 

Journal Entry 4 by Rand0m at on Friday, May 07, 2004

Released on Friday, May 07, 2004 at OBCZ - Julian Graves, The Royal Arcade in Norwich, England United Kingdom.

Just about to go drop it off at the OBCZ...