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Mischief: Fay Weldon Selects Her Best Short Stories
'She's a Queen of Words' CAITLIN MORAN.
'One of the great lionesses of modern English literature' HARPER'S BAZAAR.
'Readable, articulate and fascinating' THE SCOTSMAN.
'Outrageously funny' DAILY EXPRESS.
'Sharp, witty, incisive' THE TIMES.
'Wise, knowing, forthright' INDEPENDENT.
Reviewers have been describing Fay Weldon's inimitable voice for years. Now, here is Fay Weldon in her own words. Choosing and and introducing twenty-one of her favourite short stories written throughout her fifty year career as one of Britain's foremost novelists. Included as a bonus is a new novella, The Ted Dreams, a ghost story for the age of cyber culture, big pharma, and surveillance.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2015
16 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Fay Weldon
159 books398 followersFay Weldon CBE was an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrayed contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fay_Weldon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fay_Weldon
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 18, 2016
4.5/5 stars.
This short story collection was one of the best I've ever read! It was my first time reading Fay Weldon, and I'm so happy that I've now gotten to know her through these 21 short stories revolving around feminism through the past decades. The short stories have been selected by Fay Weldon herself, and it starts with a short introduction from her on this collection as well as our view on feminism through the decades.
The reason why I love these short stories so much is because they are poignant, extremely relevant and to the point. Fay Weldon beautifully introduces the characters in a few lines which stick to the reader's mind and make them recognizable immediately. She writes stories with a hidden message between the lines, and she finishes them in a fascinating way.
The last short story in this specific collection was the longest one and my least favourite one, hence my rating. But other than that, I loved every single one of these stories - they were simply amazing and thought-provoking, and I loved it!
This short story collection was one of the best I've ever read! It was my first time reading Fay Weldon, and I'm so happy that I've now gotten to know her through these 21 short stories revolving around feminism through the past decades. The short stories have been selected by Fay Weldon herself, and it starts with a short introduction from her on this collection as well as our view on feminism through the decades.
The reason why I love these short stories so much is because they are poignant, extremely relevant and to the point. Fay Weldon beautifully introduces the characters in a few lines which stick to the reader's mind and make them recognizable immediately. She writes stories with a hidden message between the lines, and she finishes them in a fascinating way.
The last short story in this specific collection was the longest one and my least favourite one, hence my rating. But other than that, I loved every single one of these stories - they were simply amazing and thought-provoking, and I loved it!
May 1, 2020
Razor-sharp stories filled with sarcasm and wit. Some of them rely a bit too heavily on caricature for my taste, but they're wildly entertaining and well written. I quite enjoyed reading this, stretching the stories in order to make them last several days.
September 5, 2025
Horrors of the Road by Fay Weldon
Marriage can bring about paralysis
A stupid husband can get his wife paralyzed.
Or induce her in a state of hysterical paralysis.
Piers is the name of the husband who wants his wife to see a psychotherapist.
And the wife talks to Miss Jacobs, the analyst:
- I’m a great mystery to doctors. Piers has taken me everywhere but the verdict is the same-
- It’s all in my brain
Then we gradually get to understand or least come up with a best guess – what happened?
Piers seems to be a nice guy, at least as we come to learn the first things about him:
- He is handsome, has an amazing brain- and that helps to keep people young…
The wife has a degree in Economics, but she had decided to dedicate herself to piers and the children, becoming an unusual housewife.
So we are beginning to get glimpses of possible reasons for a serious breakdown- the wife sacrifices herself for the family and falls to ground as a result
- Piers is a Nobel Prize winner
From here on, there would be two ways to look at the collapse of his wife:
1. No matter what the husband is worth to mankind, his wife’s life is just as precious
2. In order to have a scientist who can help the world, we can accept a less happy existence for his spouse
I understand that another title for this story was The Delights of France.
The reader has a chance to learn more about the beauty of France, the peculiarities of some of its people, the roads, the wines and food.
Piers is a tough customer. In restaurants he keeps asking about every item on the menu, and when the waiter does not know all there is to know- how it is made, where the fish was caught, etc- the chef is called.
The same thing happens when there is a wine tasting. Pierce is asking the French owner to take this bottle, then another, after which the one on the far left, there is another at the bottom…
All the way through, his wife, who is a keen observer, notices how the French man is first intrigued, then upset, annoyed, infuriated, and exhausted and so on.
Piers claims they love it.
The French appreciate someone who knows and enjoys food and wine.
He can be annoying and downright dangerous on the roads of France, even if his wife has a determined argument in favor of Piers ‘skills as a driver:
- We are all alive
But she takes valium, for Piers seems to be the same pompous ass everywhere- even when picking up melons in the market, he takes each and every one (I may exaggerate a bit) and only when he is satisfied takes a melon to the car
No wonder that after having enough of all these tense encounters with the locals embarrassed beyond reason, the wife collapses and can no longer use her legs.
In a way, she blames herself, since it is called “hysterical” but I think the man brought her beyond the breaking point.
My wife holds me responsible for all the bad things that happen…
Am I another Piers?
Maybe I am, albeit I hate the man.
Marriage can bring about paralysis
A stupid husband can get his wife paralyzed.
Or induce her in a state of hysterical paralysis.
Piers is the name of the husband who wants his wife to see a psychotherapist.
And the wife talks to Miss Jacobs, the analyst:
- I’m a great mystery to doctors. Piers has taken me everywhere but the verdict is the same-
- It’s all in my brain
Then we gradually get to understand or least come up with a best guess – what happened?
Piers seems to be a nice guy, at least as we come to learn the first things about him:
- He is handsome, has an amazing brain- and that helps to keep people young…
The wife has a degree in Economics, but she had decided to dedicate herself to piers and the children, becoming an unusual housewife.
So we are beginning to get glimpses of possible reasons for a serious breakdown- the wife sacrifices herself for the family and falls to ground as a result
- Piers is a Nobel Prize winner
From here on, there would be two ways to look at the collapse of his wife:
1. No matter what the husband is worth to mankind, his wife’s life is just as precious
2. In order to have a scientist who can help the world, we can accept a less happy existence for his spouse
I understand that another title for this story was The Delights of France.
The reader has a chance to learn more about the beauty of France, the peculiarities of some of its people, the roads, the wines and food.
Piers is a tough customer. In restaurants he keeps asking about every item on the menu, and when the waiter does not know all there is to know- how it is made, where the fish was caught, etc- the chef is called.
The same thing happens when there is a wine tasting. Pierce is asking the French owner to take this bottle, then another, after which the one on the far left, there is another at the bottom…
All the way through, his wife, who is a keen observer, notices how the French man is first intrigued, then upset, annoyed, infuriated, and exhausted and so on.
Piers claims they love it.
The French appreciate someone who knows and enjoys food and wine.
He can be annoying and downright dangerous on the roads of France, even if his wife has a determined argument in favor of Piers ‘skills as a driver:
- We are all alive
But she takes valium, for Piers seems to be the same pompous ass everywhere- even when picking up melons in the market, he takes each and every one (I may exaggerate a bit) and only when he is satisfied takes a melon to the car
No wonder that after having enough of all these tense encounters with the locals embarrassed beyond reason, the wife collapses and can no longer use her legs.
In a way, she blames herself, since it is called “hysterical” but I think the man brought her beyond the breaking point.
My wife holds me responsible for all the bad things that happen…
Am I another Piers?
Maybe I am, albeit I hate the man.
Read
January 13, 2019I read three stories in this, to knock them off my "to read" list. Weldon strikes me as an interesting writer of dark lit, or at least the stories I was directed to (as a reader of horror and the macabre) fall into that area (it may not be true of her fuller output) - writing in the 70s (at least the stories I read), fiercely feminist in a second-wave mode (although someone on Goodreads refers to her as an "anti-feminist feminist" which without knowing details just implies to me that she has the good sense to reject extremes and absolutes), and surprisingly able to note and trenchantly convey passive-aggression and what are no-called "micro-aggressions" (a term I'm not comfortable with as its moved beyond it initial definition into a broader, generalized pop-culture one, but still valid when used correctly). Weldon has a nicely light and breezy style, conversational and informal. None of these are "horror" stories in the traditional sense, although they do convey disturbing interpersonal relationships and petty cruelty.
"Angel, All Innocence" Angel - in a conflicted and unfulfilling marriage with petulant, controlling, cheating, immature Edward, who she hasn't yet told she is pregnant - hears noises in the attic, formerly an apartment occupied by a poverty-stricken mother with four children who was physically abused by her husband. Ruminations on her life and marriage, and a possible brief encounter with a ghost, inform her eventual decision on a course of action. A solid story, and a subtly ambiguous "ghost story" with slight resonances of "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
"Alopecia" - a group of female friends maneuver their way through the 60s and early 70s, running as fashion house/brand. But when one proves to be physically abused by her husband, they almost all turn a blind eye (as they stand to gain socially, financially or romantically by staying in the husband's good graces). While the men in this story (husbands, lovers) are generally awful or thoughtless, the real venom is reserved for the actions and statements of the women, who (almost all lacking any sense of "sisterhood") justify (sadly familiar) and cattily joke (the battered wife must have the titular condition, and not have had her hair torn out in chunks by her brute of a husband) about the wife-beating. Dark, almost enough to consider it a conté cruel.
"The Man With No Eyes" - with her dysfunctional (husband is an arrogant, controlling, passive-aggressive jerk) family on holiday, a wife meditates on why she stays with the wretch, musing on her own fatherless childhood and casting her suffering as sacrifice for her daughters' sake. Well done, with some nice drama (a storm and power failure during a game of monopoly, a fogbound hike around an ancient fort).
"Angel, All Innocence" Angel - in a conflicted and unfulfilling marriage with petulant, controlling, cheating, immature Edward, who she hasn't yet told she is pregnant - hears noises in the attic, formerly an apartment occupied by a poverty-stricken mother with four children who was physically abused by her husband. Ruminations on her life and marriage, and a possible brief encounter with a ghost, inform her eventual decision on a course of action. A solid story, and a subtly ambiguous "ghost story" with slight resonances of "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
"Alopecia" - a group of female friends maneuver their way through the 60s and early 70s, running as fashion house/brand. But when one proves to be physically abused by her husband, they almost all turn a blind eye (as they stand to gain socially, financially or romantically by staying in the husband's good graces). While the men in this story (husbands, lovers) are generally awful or thoughtless, the real venom is reserved for the actions and statements of the women, who (almost all lacking any sense of "sisterhood") justify (sadly familiar) and cattily joke (the battered wife must have the titular condition, and not have had her hair torn out in chunks by her brute of a husband) about the wife-beating. Dark, almost enough to consider it a conté cruel.
"The Man With No Eyes" - with her dysfunctional (husband is an arrogant, controlling, passive-aggressive jerk) family on holiday, a wife meditates on why she stays with the wretch, musing on her own fatherless childhood and casting her suffering as sacrifice for her daughters' sake. Well done, with some nice drama (a storm and power failure during a game of monopoly, a fogbound hike around an ancient fort).
January 30, 2017
Eksemplar modtaget fra forlaget til gengæld for en ærlig anmeldelse.
Novellesamlinger er en finurlig størrelse for mig, for jeg ville ønske at jeg satte mere pris på dem! Jeg har en hel bunke på mine hylder og endnu flere jeg gerne vil købe. Problemet er dog at jeg ikke rigtig får dem læst og når jeg endelig gør bliver jeg for det meste skuffet. Og det er egentlig også tilfældet her.
Den eneste novellesamling som overbeviste mig om at der stadig er håb derude, er I nærheden af Peter Hugge som jeg læste og anmeldte sidste år. Novellerne var forbundet på den ene eller den anden måde og måske er det sådanne novellesamlinger jeg skal gå efter i fremtiden.
Jeg tog noter til hver eneste novelle i denne bog og der er altså 20 af dem. Der er dog kun en enkelt som jeg virkelig elskede og et par stykker som jeg ikke helt kan slippe igen. Mange ville dog ryge i glemslen uden noterne.
Allerede inden jeg modtog Udvalgte noveller vidste jeg at Fay Weldon skriver om kvindeliv og ofte undertrykte og underdanige kvinder. Kvinder som er fanget i et forfærdeligt ægteskab uden en udvej. Og det er også tilfældet for mange af novellerne i denne samling. Jeg forvekslede mange af dem, fordi de til tider minder så meget om hinanden og det er jeg i bund og grund ked af. Jeg håbede, at, i hvert fald størstedelen af, novellerne ville stå skarpt i min hukommelse efter endt læsning og det er der ikke mange som gør.
Der var dog nogle som skildte sig ud!
For eksempel Lily Barts hatteforretning (1992)som du kan læse mere om nedenunder næste billede.
Eller Gnasker dig i mig og spytter dig ud (1988) som handler om et levende hus.
Nede på det kliniske diskotek (1985) adskiller sig ved at være fortalt af hovedpersonen til en som hedder Linda. Den minder mig på sin vis om The Bell Jar, Believarexic og Girl, Interrupted. Fortælleren fortæller nemlig om sin tid på Broadmoor som er et hospital for psykisk syge kriminelle.
Der er et par stykker mere som er fortalt i 1. person og ikke i 3. person og En let forfriskende virkning som er en blanding af dialog med en 3. personsfortæller.
SUP eller Forelsket i Helsinki (1989) er fotalt til os og fortælleren er bevidst om at det er en historie som har en modtager.
Spildte liv (1993) adskiller sig ved at være fortalt fra en mandlig jeg-fortæller, den eneste novelle som har en mandlig fortæller!
Til sidst er der dog også Rygende skorstene (2001) som bliver fortalt af Ishtar som er beskyldt for mordet på Hester Walpole Delingro – en finurlig historie. Samt Hvorfor gjorde hun det? som er en rammefortælling uden egentlig at være det. Størstedelen af historien foregår inde i hovedet på en af personerne og vi er bevidste om at det ikke er sket i virkeligheden selvom du bliver suget helt ind.
Jeg har bevidst undgået at snakke om kortromanen som er at finde sidst i samlingen. Den hedder Ted-drømmene og jeg er ikke fan! På sin vis er det en fin fortælling, meget speciel og anderledes, men fin. Det er dog ikke helt min stil og jeg har egentlig ikke lyst til at sige mere om den.
En af de bedste noveller er helt klart Alopeki som er fra 1976. Den spænder sig over 4 år og var fængslende fra første side! Den omhandler en gruppe veninder, som også er kollegaer. Samtale emnet falder ofte på Erica Bisham, som anklager manden, Derek, for at trække store totter hår ud af hovedet på hende mens hun sover. Maureen, den ene af veninderne, har haft et nært forhold til Erica’s mand førhen og tror ikke på det. De 3 veninder bliver derfor enige om at Erica har alopeki, en sygdom hvor man taber håret. Den ene af veninderne fatter dog sympati med Erica efterhånden som det bliver værrere gennem årene.
Det jeg elskede ved novellen er uvisheden, at vi kender først sandheden til sidst! På den ene side kan Erica jo godt lyve om hvad der sker i hjemmet, men på den anden side ser man også tit at vellidte mænd kan slippe af sted med at mishandle deres koner. Du får lov til at forme din egen mening og syn på sagen uden indblandinger, og det sætter jeg pris på.
Det er også utrolig fedt med en novelle som spænder sig over så lang tid! Det ser man ikke så tit.
Den bedste novelle ud af de 20 er dog Lily Barts hatteforretning, efter min mening! Den bedste måde jeg kan udtrykke mine følelser omkring historien historien er, at betegne det som et kærlighedsbrev til litteraturen, for det synes jeg virkelig at det er!
I mine noter, som jeg hastigt skrev ned efter at have læst novellen står der; den sætter litteraturen på en pedestal samtidig med at den vækker den til live.
Den er lidt svær at forklare men jeg skal da prøve, først skal dog nævnes at den handler om litterære karakterer. Emma Bovary (fra Madam Bovary) rejser efter sin fængselsdom til New York hvor hun får arbejde i Lily Barts hatteforretning. Her møder hun andre litterære karakterer.
Denne novelle sætter litteraturen i fokus på en måde jeg aldrig har mødt før og jeg må erkende at jeg elsker det! Helt klart en novelle som vil blive hos mig resten af livet. Et must-read for enhver læser.Jeg mente at jeg havde læst en enkelt novelle af Weldon i gymnasiet men det viser sig at jeg kun har hørt en fremlæggelse om Breakages. Den er dog ikke at finde i denne samling. Jeg har i lang tid haft en interesse i Weldon, og jeg ved ikke hvad der ligger til grund for denne interesse. Måske har jeg set hendes bøger vidt omkring og har bidt mærke i det, eller måske er det fordi jeg var overbevist om at jeg havde læst og nydt en af hendes noveller førhen. Jeg har dog ejet Joannas kloning siden 1.g. men den er stadig ikke læst. Jeg håber dog at jeg kan finde flere af hendes værker som er i stil med Alopeki eller Lily Barts hatteforretning.
Novellesamlinger er en finurlig størrelse for mig, for jeg ville ønske at jeg satte mere pris på dem! Jeg har en hel bunke på mine hylder og endnu flere jeg gerne vil købe. Problemet er dog at jeg ikke rigtig får dem læst og når jeg endelig gør bliver jeg for det meste skuffet. Og det er egentlig også tilfældet her.
Den eneste novellesamling som overbeviste mig om at der stadig er håb derude, er I nærheden af Peter Hugge som jeg læste og anmeldte sidste år. Novellerne var forbundet på den ene eller den anden måde og måske er det sådanne novellesamlinger jeg skal gå efter i fremtiden.
Jeg tog noter til hver eneste novelle i denne bog og der er altså 20 af dem. Der er dog kun en enkelt som jeg virkelig elskede og et par stykker som jeg ikke helt kan slippe igen. Mange ville dog ryge i glemslen uden noterne.
Allerede inden jeg modtog Udvalgte noveller vidste jeg at Fay Weldon skriver om kvindeliv og ofte undertrykte og underdanige kvinder. Kvinder som er fanget i et forfærdeligt ægteskab uden en udvej. Og det er også tilfældet for mange af novellerne i denne samling. Jeg forvekslede mange af dem, fordi de til tider minder så meget om hinanden og det er jeg i bund og grund ked af. Jeg håbede, at, i hvert fald størstedelen af, novellerne ville stå skarpt i min hukommelse efter endt læsning og det er der ikke mange som gør.
Der var dog nogle som skildte sig ud!
For eksempel Lily Barts hatteforretning (1992)som du kan læse mere om nedenunder næste billede.
Eller Gnasker dig i mig og spytter dig ud (1988) som handler om et levende hus.
Nede på det kliniske diskotek (1985) adskiller sig ved at være fortalt af hovedpersonen til en som hedder Linda. Den minder mig på sin vis om The Bell Jar, Believarexic og Girl, Interrupted. Fortælleren fortæller nemlig om sin tid på Broadmoor som er et hospital for psykisk syge kriminelle.
Der er et par stykker mere som er fortalt i 1. person og ikke i 3. person og En let forfriskende virkning som er en blanding af dialog med en 3. personsfortæller.
SUP eller Forelsket i Helsinki (1989) er fotalt til os og fortælleren er bevidst om at det er en historie som har en modtager.
Spildte liv (1993) adskiller sig ved at være fortalt fra en mandlig jeg-fortæller, den eneste novelle som har en mandlig fortæller!
Til sidst er der dog også Rygende skorstene (2001) som bliver fortalt af Ishtar som er beskyldt for mordet på Hester Walpole Delingro – en finurlig historie. Samt Hvorfor gjorde hun det? som er en rammefortælling uden egentlig at være det. Størstedelen af historien foregår inde i hovedet på en af personerne og vi er bevidste om at det ikke er sket i virkeligheden selvom du bliver suget helt ind.
Jeg har bevidst undgået at snakke om kortromanen som er at finde sidst i samlingen. Den hedder Ted-drømmene og jeg er ikke fan! På sin vis er det en fin fortælling, meget speciel og anderledes, men fin. Det er dog ikke helt min stil og jeg har egentlig ikke lyst til at sige mere om den.
En af de bedste noveller er helt klart Alopeki som er fra 1976. Den spænder sig over 4 år og var fængslende fra første side! Den omhandler en gruppe veninder, som også er kollegaer. Samtale emnet falder ofte på Erica Bisham, som anklager manden, Derek, for at trække store totter hår ud af hovedet på hende mens hun sover. Maureen, den ene af veninderne, har haft et nært forhold til Erica’s mand førhen og tror ikke på det. De 3 veninder bliver derfor enige om at Erica har alopeki, en sygdom hvor man taber håret. Den ene af veninderne fatter dog sympati med Erica efterhånden som det bliver værrere gennem årene.
Det jeg elskede ved novellen er uvisheden, at vi kender først sandheden til sidst! På den ene side kan Erica jo godt lyve om hvad der sker i hjemmet, men på den anden side ser man også tit at vellidte mænd kan slippe af sted med at mishandle deres koner. Du får lov til at forme din egen mening og syn på sagen uden indblandinger, og det sætter jeg pris på.
Det er også utrolig fedt med en novelle som spænder sig over så lang tid! Det ser man ikke så tit.
Den bedste novelle ud af de 20 er dog Lily Barts hatteforretning, efter min mening! Den bedste måde jeg kan udtrykke mine følelser omkring historien historien er, at betegne det som et kærlighedsbrev til litteraturen, for det synes jeg virkelig at det er!
I mine noter, som jeg hastigt skrev ned efter at have læst novellen står der; den sætter litteraturen på en pedestal samtidig med at den vækker den til live.
Den er lidt svær at forklare men jeg skal da prøve, først skal dog nævnes at den handler om litterære karakterer. Emma Bovary (fra Madam Bovary) rejser efter sin fængselsdom til New York hvor hun får arbejde i Lily Barts hatteforretning. Her møder hun andre litterære karakterer.
Denne novelle sætter litteraturen i fokus på en måde jeg aldrig har mødt før og jeg må erkende at jeg elsker det! Helt klart en novelle som vil blive hos mig resten af livet. Et must-read for enhver læser.Jeg mente at jeg havde læst en enkelt novelle af Weldon i gymnasiet men det viser sig at jeg kun har hørt en fremlæggelse om Breakages. Den er dog ikke at finde i denne samling. Jeg har i lang tid haft en interesse i Weldon, og jeg ved ikke hvad der ligger til grund for denne interesse. Måske har jeg set hendes bøger vidt omkring og har bidt mærke i det, eller måske er det fordi jeg var overbevist om at jeg havde læst og nydt en af hendes noveller førhen. Jeg har dog ejet Joannas kloning siden 1.g. men den er stadig ikke læst. Jeg håber dog at jeg kan finde flere af hendes værker som er i stil med Alopeki eller Lily Barts hatteforretning.
January 15, 2018
Fay Weldon's short stories have been a big influence on me in the past and I loved this selection of her work over the decades and a new knockout of a novella. Some of the stories seem to be 'of their time' when it comes to the attitudes of women, and then I remember that people still do daft things when they're in love, and wonder how they got into situations that are just not working for them. The Ted Dreams, a new novella, puts some of the control back in the woman's hands - by the power of her mind. Most of all I love Fay Weldon's risktaking and her fluid turns of phrase. Mischief and wonder.
August 22, 2022
A collection of short stories that I spotted in a library earlier this summer. The stories from the 1970s and 1980s are quite bleak, not only reflecting the unhappy domestic lives of the characters but also the economic situation of England at the time. The stories get more playful closer to the present time and the final novella is an unexpected foray into science fiction and a dystopian future. Lots of stories contrasting life in England with the United States and various countries in Europe.
November 7, 2021
3.5 stars. There was a time when I read everything by Fay Weldon that I could get my hands on. It was nice to revisit her work through these stories from throughout her writing life. I liked the stories but did not love the novella at the end of the book.
I bought this book used and the copy I received was signed by Fay Weldon—I love it when that happens!
I bought this book used and the copy I received was signed by Fay Weldon—I love it when that happens!
November 13, 2017
A must for Fay Weldon fans if only to enjoy her going sci fi in the novella at the end
January 20, 2019
Interesting how the position of women subtly changes as these stories advance through the years from the 1970's to 2015. Really enjoyed the novella.
November 11, 2019
I love the way these stories move through the decades, finishing with the Ted Dreams...a novella definitely for the times...
February 7, 2021
No one does vicious black comedy about sexual politics quite like Fay Weldon...
April 8, 2016
oh, ouch and oh again! How could I forget the incisive intelligent writing of Fay Weldon? She cuts like a scalpel through sexual relationships and social mores. This collection of short stories, dating from the 70s, had me wincing and sighing and nodding in agreement. How could women allow themselves to get in such situations? Well, read these stories and see what Faye Weldon makes of humanity.
Great writing in most cases. Heaps to think about and a lot to sigh over. Intelligent readers will really enjoy reading the stories. They area good read but a thinking read.
Great writing in most cases. Heaps to think about and a lot to sigh over. Intelligent readers will really enjoy reading the stories. They area good read but a thinking read.
July 24, 2016
A witty and enjoyable tour through the ages: Wedon's sharp insight into the lives of women make for good reading and show attitudes and aspects of womens' lives across decades past. The stories are selected from different collections and each tells the story of its own age in one way or another. I like the way Fay Weldon will suddenly veer off into unexpected realms and how the stories keep a magical element even when they are seemingly focusing on the mundane. I read this book for fun, insight and a flight of fantasy and I wasn't disappointed.
April 30, 2018
I adored Fay Weldon as soon as I picked up my first book of hers. I was about to step on a plane for my first big trip overseas and was much more excited about the book than the flight much to my husband's disgust! To be sure I am still picky about my inflight entertainment. So reading her books takes me back in time, is a comfort read and always makes me laugh.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews