A Bundle of Nerves
1 journaler for this copy...
Short fantasy stories. Much more to my taste than her children's books.
I read this again just now, and since I see I didn't review the book properly last time, here are some thoughts.
Most of the stories I think I'd describe as light and fluffy horror stories - something I wouldn't have though possible!
Some highlights:
Belle of the Ball: Amusing story about a con-man. This is the only one I actually remembered from last time I read the book.
Furry Night: A werewolf as an actor can certainly bring new life to a part...
Sultan's Splash: Very neatly worked plot. I, for one, wondered why I hadn't seen the twist coming.
Postman's Knock: The odd story out: no horror, no fantasy, just a romance between a man with terminal shyness and a woman with face-blindness (and a habit of making awful puns). Reminds me of me and Temple Cloud.
The Cold Flame: A ghost story with a rather nasty twist - for the ghost.
Sonata for Harp and Bicycle: Probably my favourite story in the book, this is another ghost story. This time the humans have to sort out a romantic difficulty for the ghosts. Silly ending, though.
Searching for Summer: A token post-nuclear-war story, but Aiken has nonetheless found her own twist on the setting, and worked it into an unexpected (though not uncommon) story template.
Dead Language Master: What happens when a teacher can no longer cope. Plot and counter-plot take us to quite a nasty ending for the final story in the book.
Most of the stories I think I'd describe as light and fluffy horror stories - something I wouldn't have though possible!
Some highlights:
Belle of the Ball: Amusing story about a con-man. This is the only one I actually remembered from last time I read the book.
Furry Night: A werewolf as an actor can certainly bring new life to a part...
Sultan's Splash: Very neatly worked plot. I, for one, wondered why I hadn't seen the twist coming.
Postman's Knock: The odd story out: no horror, no fantasy, just a romance between a man with terminal shyness and a woman with face-blindness (and a habit of making awful puns). Reminds me of me and Temple Cloud.
The Cold Flame: A ghost story with a rather nasty twist - for the ghost.
Sonata for Harp and Bicycle: Probably my favourite story in the book, this is another ghost story. This time the humans have to sort out a romantic difficulty for the ghosts. Silly ending, though.
Searching for Summer: A token post-nuclear-war story, but Aiken has nonetheless found her own twist on the setting, and worked it into an unexpected (though not uncommon) story template.
Dead Language Master: What happens when a teacher can no longer cope. Plot and counter-plot take us to quite a nasty ending for the final story in the book.
