Yesterday's Weather: Stories
is Anne Enright's collection of short stories which were written over the course of 19 years. Enright, winner of the 2007 Man Book Prize for The Gathering (Man Booker Prize)
, is an Irish author and she writes melancholic stories very typical of many Irish writers. This collection includes 29 stories which are set in modern Ireland and tell mostly mundane tales of daily life. Enright skillfully creates stories with impact which is even more impressive considering the backdrop of everyday life against which the stories are set. The characters grapple with marital strife, infidelity, and the strain of motherhood and Enright's description of the small injuries suffered while shouldering these burdens is precise. The descriptions allow the reader to relate to the characters in an intimate way.I enjoyed this collection of short stories due in large part to the author's writing style - her prose is beautiful and seems almost poetic. The stories were not, however, all consistently good. Some really stood out while others fell flat for me. The cumulative effect of the melancholy that pervade these stories also started to weigh on me as I moved through the collection. I found myself yearning for something hopeful or uplifting in the next story. Although I appreciate dark stories, I think I need them in smaller doses!
Anne Enright's beautiful writing style and her ability to convey so much with few words far outweigh the sometimes gloomy tone of these stories.
Great review! I just finished the first collection of short stories that I've read in ages (what the world will look like when all teh water leaves us by Laura van den Berg), and I definitely understand what you mean by needing to read dark stories in smaller doses!
ReplyDeleteI usually only read one story at a time from a collection... I appreciate them more that way (especially if they are dark). Have never read Anne Enright, but will sometime this month. One of her stories is included in the Penguin Book of Irish Fiction I found at the library.
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge short story fan but I am really trying to read more of them. I have a couple on my shelves right now and this one looks really good! I love that cover as well!
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way after reading this...I would have preferred a little light-heartedness mixed in. I think though that Anne Enright's books must all be like this. I found The Gathering also to be very dark.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking this great review to the party. I am a fan of short stories and will be checking this book out. I also tweeted about your review. I love that you posted about an Irish author on St. Patty's Day. Was it planned?
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This sounds like a very good collection of short stories-I am currently reading the collected short stories of Elizabeth Bowen, the great Anglo-Irish writer-I am glad you will be joining Irish Short Stories Week March 14 to March 20
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