Play the Monster Blind
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
Stories!
From the Grace Hospital used book sale.
From the Grace Hospital used book sale.
When I picked up this book from the Grace Hospital book sale, I had in my mind that it would make a good Canada Day release. I recognized Lynn Coady as a Canadian author. I assumed I must have read something by her but figured whatever it was had fallen into the category of "okay-but-soon-forgotten". Still, it was a book of short stories (I love short stories), so who knows, maybe I'd get around to reading it if nothing else called to me. Mind you, there's always something calling to me.
So when I actually did pick it up one day, thinking I'd taste a story or two, I was astounded. These are really well written stories and not at all what I expected. Certainly not forgettable. They were full of memorable characters in bizarre and yet familiar situations
I'm not sure what other people mean when they describe an author's writing as "edgy" but that's the term I'd use for these stories. They were wonderfully hilarious. They made me laugh, sometimes out loud (the title story, "Play the Monster Blind" and "Jesus Christ, Murdeena" in particular). Yet, often the situation itself ought not have been funny . In "Play the Monster Blind" for example, Bethany gets introduced to her fiance's family. A familiar enough event. But the family is not, at first blush, what you'd want in a set of in-laws. They're awful. They're drunkards. They beat each other up. That's not funny, that's sad. And, frightening. You ought not to like these people and yet somehow you do. Often it is through the characters' dialogue that they become real. It is dialogue that is peppered with profanity and colloquialism - stuff that you would never say out loud, but your uncle might or you might think it - and that makes the speaker human and funny and forgivable.
All of the stories were surprisingly good. I look forward to more by this author.
So when I actually did pick it up one day, thinking I'd taste a story or two, I was astounded. These are really well written stories and not at all what I expected. Certainly not forgettable. They were full of memorable characters in bizarre and yet familiar situations
I'm not sure what other people mean when they describe an author's writing as "edgy" but that's the term I'd use for these stories. They were wonderfully hilarious. They made me laugh, sometimes out loud (the title story, "Play the Monster Blind" and "Jesus Christ, Murdeena" in particular). Yet, often the situation itself ought not have been funny . In "Play the Monster Blind" for example, Bethany gets introduced to her fiance's family. A familiar enough event. But the family is not, at first blush, what you'd want in a set of in-laws. They're awful. They're drunkards. They beat each other up. That's not funny, that's sad. And, frightening. You ought not to like these people and yet somehow you do. Often it is through the characters' dialogue that they become real. It is dialogue that is peppered with profanity and colloquialism - stuff that you would never say out loud, but your uncle might or you might think it - and that makes the speaker human and funny and forgivable.
All of the stories were surprisingly good. I look forward to more by this author.
Journal Entry 3 by Pooker3 at Winnipeg Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada on Saturday, February 6, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (2/6/2010 UTC) at Winnipeg Convention Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
on the second floor, main hallway, on one of the benches,
Released for week #6 of the Never Judge a Book by its Cover release challenge. This week's theme is "sports", so I've released it for the young boxer in the cover art.
I hope the finder enjoys this fine book of stories by a Canadian author.
on the second floor, main hallway, on one of the benches,
Released for week #6 of the Never Judge a Book by its Cover release challenge. This week's theme is "sports", so I've released it for the young boxer in the cover art.
I hope the finder enjoys this fine book of stories by a Canadian author.
