Mrs Caliban and Other Stories

by Rachel Ingalls

'I loved Mrs Caliban. So deft and austere in its prose, so drolly casual in its fantasy...' John Updike

First published in 1982, Mrs Caliban was in 1986 selected by the British Book Marketing Council as one of the 20 best post-war American novels.

'Ingalls takes a B-movie premise (aquatic humanoid escapes from lab) and pounds it into a thrilling new shape - a vehicle for social satire, kitchen-sink realism, surreal domesticity, and just plain blood-curdling screams. The book deals with incest and insanity, curtailed feminine social spheres and the Other; horrific violence and a palpable sadness saturate the pages.' Ed Park, Village Voice

This volume also includes two story collections, Three of a Kind and The End of Tragedy, so making a tremendous primer in the subtle prose style and fabulist force of Rachel Ingalls.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literature, Science Fiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published April 18, 2013

About the author

Rachel Ingalls grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She held various jobs, from theatre dresser and librarian to publisher’s reader. She was a confirmed radio and film addict and started living in London in 1965. She authored several works of fiction—most notably Mrs. Caliban—published in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Reviews

[Till Raether · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longform minimalism, low-key high concept

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Проза высшей пробы - эдакая бытовая герметика, как если б тексты французов 19 века обрели еще одно измерение, не выходя из их тесных - даже клаустрофобных - и заставленных тяжелой мебелью гостиных. Инголлз одержима мало чем (в этом сборнике 3-4 мотива от силы), но если уж что-то не дает ей покоя, то расчесывается это место до крови. Видимо, поэтому ее прозу и считают "странной", хотя совершенно ничего странного в ней я пока не обнаружил. Разве что иногда она дерганная и неровная, возникает даже впечатление легкой степени графомании, но это иллюзия. И да - у нее самые стертые и незапоминающиеся названия текстов, что мне встречались. Как будто они и вовсе не важны.

[Ben Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memorable fantasy/ domestic fable that deserves to be better known. Just getting used to Ingalls' writing style but there was much in here that I loved.

[Eggp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insecure women
no good will come from fretting
the toads always win.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this so much I immediately started reading other Rachel Ingalls works. So far this one stands out as the best, I love the magical realism. I'm surprised Mrs Caliban is one of her really famous stories, I think it was my least favorite in this collection, but only because some of the others were so good.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting mix of odd scenarios, some injecting sci-fi into places and situations not expected. A few of these were ok and fairly creative. But most ended abruptly with no credible resolution. Open-ended stories leaving the reader with the heavy work of interpretation can be a strength... but it just didn't work here. It was like the author got bored or didn't know where to go -- so just called it a day.
Either way, Del Toro should give this author some of the royalties from 'The Shape of Water.'

[Meena Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it for an alumnae book club (Kent Place School in Summit, NJ) and because the woman leading the discussion was so wonderful, it made me see layers of the book I might not have otherwise recognized. Short, quick read but a lot going on.

[shosh! · Rating 4 out of 5]

more like 3.5 or so. jesus man. my favorite was the last one, surprisingly. that ending!! how mr. mackenzie kept looking at the tree to remember a different time and place, and chasing that. it all filled me with dread.

[MikeBy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the title story a while ago, it took me some time to read the rest. Some stories left me rather unsatisfied with the endings, but enjoying the getting there.

[tara]

possibly the bleakest set of stories i’ve read

[Laura]

fiction,women authors

[Beth Shields-Szostak · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st edition; dj price clipped