Having a Wonderful Time: Postcards That Tell a Story

by Julian Rothenstein (Editor), Aaron Hicklin (Editor)

A captivating assortment of original mini-stories, ranging from heart-wrenching to spine-chilling, shared through the unique and timeless medium of postcards

A couple on vacation slowly realizes that they are unable to return to their normal lives in London due to mysterious forces. A man anxiously waits for his friend in Brussels as the violent cascade of events leading to the outbreak of WWI begin to unfold around him. A woman sends one-sided, and increasingly desperate, confessions of love as understanding dawns that her lover is with someone else.
In this collection of original writing, leading authors including J.G. Ballard, Charles Boyle, Nicci French, and Will Self create compelling narratives that challenge literary structure and strengthen the bond between image and text. Each story is told as though it were written on the back of a postcard, accompanied by images of beautiful buildings, stunning landscapes, and smiling faces. Featuring nearly eighty full-color illustrations, the collection invites readers to journey through a vivid tapestry of stories where words and visuals come together to spark the imagination.

Whether the locations are familiar or entirely fictional, the postcards offer glimpses into larger narratives, hints of entire lives unfolding. Having a Wonderful Time is a set of powerful love letters to language, storytelling, and the inspiration that it can spark in our hearts.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories

192 pages, Hardcover

Published September 8, 2026

About the author

Julian Rothenstein is the publisher, editor, and designer of Redstone Press. He lives in London, England.

Reviews

[Udeeta]

This book is so unique. The idea is very innovative. The moment I read the blurb of the book, I knew I had to read it. It is very fast paced and could be easily read though it does take some time for the reader to get used to the writing style. It has been written by multiple authors so we can have an experience of different types of writing in the same book which could be a good thing or a bad thing to different types of readers. I, personally, enjoyed most parts of it though I had expected more from it. But maybe it could also be because this way or writing is so novel that the readers would take some time to develop a taste for it.

The format of the book is multiple postcards published together. So there is a picture and a story around it in a postcard sized space. This book challenges the already existing structure of the literary world. It is a really creative collection and writeups and is totally worth giving a shot. "Having a Wonderful Time" so beautifully shows the connection between pictures and the art of writing about the captured picture. Now I really want to capture anything interesting I spot around me and weave stories or poems around it.

Overall, it is a good book. Our generation, who have never experienced the emotion of sending or receiving a postcard can totally feel it and those who have experienced it can relive this lost art. The writing does get a bit confusing at times because it is not like the conventional books we are used to reading.

[Jordan Frances Camille]

This book is a collection of short stories told through postcards, featuring contributions from a wide range of authors. It’s the kind of book you can easily pick up and dip into, perfect for reading a quick story with a cup of tea. It’s an interesting and original concept, using old postcards as a medium for storytelling. It even made me want to send more postcards myself.

The collection includes a wide range of stories, from a couple on holiday who find something mysterious preventing them from getting home, to the outbreak of war while someone is travelling in Brussels, as well as love stories that take unexpected and intriguing turns.

I found that some stories were definitely stronger than others. I particularly enjoyed ‘Having a Wonderful Time’ by J. G. Ballard, ‘Oranges’ by Julian Barnes, and ‘Crazy for You’ by Nicci French. However, there were also stories I struggled to get through, as they lacked momentum or felt a little confusing. As a result, the book is somewhat let down by the variation in quality across the collection.

Overall, this is a creative and charming anthology with a unique premise, even if it doesn’t fully land with every story. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy dipping in and out of short fiction, particularly those who appreciate experimental formats or literary collections.

Thank you Julian Rothenstein and The New Press for providing an Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Waldkauzz]

This short-story ensemble collects multiple works told over a series of postcards, as well as a handful of stand-alone postcard stories. Usually, the card's picture is given first, while the next page shows its typed content, sometimes with the current time and place.
My favourite one is the one about a grieving son suspecting his late mother to be the subject of a few postcards he randomly comes across.

​Many stories, not surprising from their limitations in space, end up lacking in substance, tension or heart, and mystique. I'm surprised no story made use of a written exchange between multiple people.
In addition​, the structure of the formatting misses most of the typical postcard signs and only keeps the text - visually, it just does not look like a written card. There is a missed story opportunity by not including postmarks. Many of the pictures on the postcards also surprisingly look quite similar, missing another layer of identity.

I feel mixed about this, likely because most short stories here did not resonate with me as a reader. Thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for an ARC for an honest review.

[Yusra]

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
3.25 ⭐
I recently discovered epistolary fiction/nonfiction and have been thoroughly obsessed with it. This book is sort of an anthology of postcards with more than 10 authors. Having enjoyed this type of books earlier I was quick to request this on NetGalley as soon as I read the description.
In the past whenever I've read epistolary fiction, it's been by the same author so this was a different experience than that. I loved, loved, loved the pictures on the postcards 💌. And enjoyed most of the authors' works. Except for a 2-3 all of them were fun to read.
For those new to these types of books, it is a bit difficult and may feel dry/boring as the writing style switches frequently. Personally I liked the stories in the beginning (first half?) of the book more, because those were multiple postcards by the same authors and then the narrative shifts to 1 postcard by 1 author, didn't particularly like that part. Hence the 3.25 ⭐ and not 3.75 ⭐.

[litchi]

Thank you to The New Press for the advance reader copy!

Without spoiling anything, I thought the concept of this collection was very appealing and creative. I love postcards so I was excited to read all the stories. However, something about the format made the collection feel messy and disjointed, and I couldn’t fully get into it.

At the same time, I think the format captures the fleeting moments of life that are made permanent through postcards. The stories all feel nostalgic, offering small glimpses into the uniqueness of people’s lives and thoughts. There’s something beautiful about how these seemingly ordinary moments are preserved and given a sense of permanence.

[Colleen]

Thanks to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

I understand what the point of the book was but I think it got lost somewhere along the way. Some of the stories are well written, engaging and funny. Others seemed random and half baked. I want to add that I read this on a kindle and I don’t think it helped set the mood. I think it would have been helpful to have seen the postcards with more detail as many set the scene or mood for the short story.

Overall, I was disappointed by this book, but it was a short, fast paced read so I was able to speed through it.

[Courtney Stearns]

This is a charming and enexpectedly intimate collection of real postcards that capture snapshots of everyday life. This book highlights how even the shortest messages can tell meaningful, funny, and sometimes poignant stories.

[Radi]

The stories were well-written and enjoyable, but they were missing that certain wow factor that makes you completely lose yourself in a book and desperately want to keep reading.

[Donna Robinson]

E-ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!

This book is a series of mini-stories, told through postcards and the letters written on the back. Each tale varies from the other as each tale has a different premise compared to the last, making a good variety read. The usage of postcards as part of the storytelling was an excellent idea as it helped set the tone and also break from it. The stories are fast-paced due to the nature of limited space on postcards. Some stories were more engaging than others, especially my favorite, which was the grieving son tale. Overall, this was a decent quick read with a unique format and limited space to compose a multitude of short stories.