'Memoirs of a Gone World', Martin Bax

Memoirs of a Gone World, Martin Bax
'Memoirs of a Gone World' is a collection of fifteen adventurous and unsettling stories. The first story 'The Turned-in, Broken-up World' begins with the memorable lines, 'It was Caroline who sounded the first note of alarm. She was copulating with a man when his penis broke off at the root. The affair had been a casual one.'
The stories in this collection are eclectic; there is something old-fashioned and romantic about 'Le Magasin De Gants', while 'Second Out of the Ring' is both filthy and funny. 'When Childhood Ends' is my favourite story. It is a beautifully written account of Jewish child Pierre's evacuation after the Germans enter Brussels during the Second World War. The story arcs perfectly, beginning and ending with images of childhood play and toy soldiers.
Read reviews of 'Memoirs of a Gone World' here and here.
Read a brief interview with Bax here.