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Snippets
Murder, a drug addict, an arranged marriage, a groom on his wedding day, an old couple on a day out: this collection of flash fiction traverses twenty-one lives, giving snippets of their relationships , their highs and lows, their struggles and successes.
These pieces have previously been published online under the title of 'Flash Fortnightly'.
These pieces have previously been published online under the title of 'Flash Fortnightly'.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 2, 2014
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Laura Besley
10 books59 followersLaura Besley is the author of Sum of her PARTS, (Un)Natural Elements, 100neHundred and The Almost Mothers.
She has been listed by TSS Publishing as one of the top 50 British and Irish Flash Fiction writers. Her work has been nominated for Best Micro Fiction and the Pushcart Prize.
Having lived in the Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong, she now lives in land-locked central England and misses the sea.
She has been listed by TSS Publishing as one of the top 50 British and Irish Flash Fiction writers. Her work has been nominated for Best Micro Fiction and the Pushcart Prize.
Having lived in the Netherlands, Germany and Hong Kong, she now lives in land-locked central England and misses the sea.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 29, 2014
Unfamiliar with the term, flash fiction, it was certainly easy to grasp the concept while reading Besley's book, Snippets.
Besley is deft at making each story and its characters distinct and engaging. She can pack a lot into only a few paragraphs. Her writing is clear, concise and good. My only complaint is that in the brevity of the stories, some of the understanding of what was happening was lost to me. A few more words to explain would have been helpful. I did enjoy some more than others, had a laugh at a few, and became thoughtful on others.
All in all, I like this author. I will readily read her other books and would recommend her to others.
Besley is deft at making each story and its characters distinct and engaging. She can pack a lot into only a few paragraphs. Her writing is clear, concise and good. My only complaint is that in the brevity of the stories, some of the understanding of what was happening was lost to me. A few more words to explain would have been helpful. I did enjoy some more than others, had a laugh at a few, and became thoughtful on others.
All in all, I like this author. I will readily read her other books and would recommend her to others.
September 2, 2016
This is a wonderful collection of flash fiction and short prose. What I liked most was the variance of the storylines and their tone because I think they really complimented each other well. Some were humourous, others romantic, some dark and some topical (and relevant). I read the book in one go, but then I went back to re-read some of my favourites and I’ve no doubt I’ll ‘pop back’ into the book at a later date. It was well-formatted and I love the cover also, Laura Besley clearly has a talent with words and I’d like to see her try a full-length novel!
February 6, 2014
If you like flash fiction, you're going to love Laura Besley's collection of stories in Snippets. If you don't like flash fiction or if you haven't tried it before, read Laura's book. She just may convert you.
October 24, 2021
Although 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘀 is an older collection of flash fiction stories from Laura Besley, it is no less impressive than her more recent collections.
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𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆.
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Besley is an expert at capturing glimpses, or 'snippets', into her characters' lives that hint at their world beyond the page, outside of the short flash fiction pieces in this collection.
I'm always in admiration of Besley and how much emotion and human nature she is able to portray in such short pieces of writing.
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‘𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.’
‘𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.’
‘𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲?’
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As with Besley's other collections, I definitely recommend Snippets, and will be reading more from her in the near future.
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𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘆.
-
Besley is an expert at capturing glimpses, or 'snippets', into her characters' lives that hint at their world beyond the page, outside of the short flash fiction pieces in this collection.
I'm always in admiration of Besley and how much emotion and human nature she is able to portray in such short pieces of writing.
-
‘𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.’
‘𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.’
‘𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗱, 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲?’
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As with Besley's other collections, I definitely recommend Snippets, and will be reading more from her in the near future.
January 15, 2022
Laura Besley is a star of micro fiction. Her brief glimpses into unfamiliar world's and emotions are masterclasses in brevity. I enjoyed the range of stories in this book. They may be snippets, but they are as carefully drawn as miniature paintings.
May 22, 2014
Short fiction is one of my favorite things. Every word must fight for its existence. Laura Besley makes every word count in Snippets, a collection of flash fiction. Not only was each "snippet" entertaining on its own, but they left me hungry for them to be part of a bigger whole.
Who hasn't been in Dianne and Andrew's (SPAG BOL) uncomfortable position? I want to know how it plays out for them! I'm dying to know if (and how) Sandra gets away with Rex's murder in POT OF GOLD. And what happens to Anne once she reaches Paris in THE GREAT ESCAPE? DOWN THE HILL made me laugh (in a good way) at its unexpected ending.
These flashes have made me hungry for more!
Who hasn't been in Dianne and Andrew's (SPAG BOL) uncomfortable position? I want to know how it plays out for them! I'm dying to know if (and how) Sandra gets away with Rex's murder in POT OF GOLD. And what happens to Anne once she reaches Paris in THE GREAT ESCAPE? DOWN THE HILL made me laugh (in a good way) at its unexpected ending.
These flashes have made me hungry for more!
April 13, 2014
I've only read a few of these flash fiction collection books. Mostly I find flash fiction on the internet for free - the problem with this however is that you have to spend a lot of time trawling through the bad ones to find something you like. So when you find an author like this who consistantly comes up with high quality stuff, it's worth investigating.
Nothing that's going to change your life, but I think this is fun, cosy reading from an author you can trust. Each story is as good as the last and once finished you're looking around for more.
Nothing that's going to change your life, but I think this is fun, cosy reading from an author you can trust. Each story is as good as the last and once finished you're looking around for more.
April 25, 2014
Laura Besley has a natural talent for writing flash fiction. Each story is constructed beautifully leaving the reader wanting more. I am always in awe of writers who are able to have numerous ideas for stories and settings, such that they can write them one after another, each with a well thought out theme and brilliant ending. Laura does this with ease drawing the reader in and leaving them wanting more. I am a great fan of flash fiction having read Snippets.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews