There is something old-fashioned about this beautiful little book - the creamy paper, the soft, corrugated cover - it's a book that needs to be touched. The cover illustration is perfect for the slightly odd, surreal and out of kilter narratives that characterise the collection. There are forty one stories, some are quite traditional in length and structure, others, like the two sentence 'Day Dream' are tiny. The opening story 'Wage Packet' is a desperate, yet hilarious account of working in a restaurant kitchen manning the waste disposal machine, affectionately known as The Pig. Many of the stories are fragmentary; 'Lachrymose' contains a recipe for Tear Wine. An unusual alternative to football is proffered in 'Sky Sports,' while 'Romance' takes the form of an overheard conversation. There is also a tremendous sense of fun in this collection - as is seen on page 94 which contains just five words: 'Nothing seemed to be happening.'Read a review here.
Read an interview with Donwood here.
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