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A Portable Shelter
In their tiny, sea-beaten cottage on the north coast of Scotland, Liska and Ruth await the birth of their first child.
Each passes the time by telling the baby stories, trying to pass on the lessons they’ve learned: tales of circuses and stargazing, selkie fishermen and domestic werewolves, child-eating witches and broken-toothed dragons.
But they must keep their storytelling a secret from one another, as they’ve agreed to only ever tell the plain truth. So to cloak their tales, Ruth tells her stories when Liska is at work, to a background of shrieking seabirds; Liska tells hers when Ruth is asleep, with the lighthouse sweeping its steady beam through the window.
Each passes the time by telling the baby stories, trying to pass on the lessons they’ve learned: tales of circuses and stargazing, selkie fishermen and domestic werewolves, child-eating witches and broken-toothed dragons.
But they must keep their storytelling a secret from one another, as they’ve agreed to only ever tell the plain truth. So to cloak their tales, Ruth tells her stories when Liska is at work, to a background of shrieking seabirds; Liska tells hers when Ruth is asleep, with the lighthouse sweeping its steady beam through the window.
166 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2015
19 people are currently reading
3586 people want to read
About the author
Kirsty Logan
80 books1,472 followersKirsty Logan is a professional daydreamer. She is the author of two novels, The Gloaming and The Gracekeepers, and two story collections, A Portable Shelter and The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales. Her fifth book, Things We Say in the Dark, will be published on Halloween 2019.
Kirsty lives in Glasgow with her wife and their rescue dog. She has tattooed toes.
Kirsty lives in Glasgow with her wife and their rescue dog. She has tattooed toes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
July 23, 2015
I didn't think I'd be saying this but I loved this more than The Gracekeepers. Damn. She just keeps getting better and better.
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May 15, 2019
This short story collection is a bit like a novel in disguise: the stories are linked through the two storytellers-the mothers of the unborn child-and they all claim to be truths wrapped up in stories with no lies. Each story is preceded by a short introduction from either the mother carrying the child, or the other one whilst the carrier is asleep.
This premise is, at first, nice and calming, and introduces the meaning of all the stories. They're meant to teach something to the unborn foetus, which explains why they're all a little bit preachy. And, at first, the introduction by both mothers is nice and adds to the overall experience, but I found each intro on every story heavily repetitive and they didn't seem to add much at all. It would have been preferable if there were only an introduction at the beginning of the stories, or perhaps one at the end.
The stories themselves were magical mixtures of poetical metaphors and folklore inspirations. The imagery was better in the first few stories, and then the description tended to be invisible and the odd endings started to infuriate me. A lot of them felt disjointed at some point.
My main issue throughout each story was the ridiculous need to use metaphor and to teach something. Although I understand the premise of the book is to teach a lesson to the unborn child (and in that, also to you the reader) but, along with most of the stories being rather dull, this turned in to a pointless endeavour. The metaphors went unexplained (as metaphors always should) but with that came unexplained stories.
This kind of writing reminded me of White is For Witching in the same way that nothing was ever truly explained. I'm sure there's a name for this kind of writing; for now, I will call it Contemporary and say I do not like it. It seems nice at first, almost poetical-lyrical-and it lulls you in to a false sense of security and then denies any closure, any kind of ending.
I'm sure that's probably the point of the stories in general. Always keep them guessing: be different. But I dislike it intensely. Bring me my classics.
The following are mini reviews of each story:
'Cutting Teeth', 3 Stars: A story of a hunter who brings home a wolf: much to her husband's dismay. But a baby is coming, so can she no longer hunt with a wolf?
A really nice start with lovely imagery. Written so well that it made my heart sing after reading so many disappointing books lately, but I found it a little odd. I'm not one to shy away from the word cunt (favourite word in the English language) but the fact it was just plonked in the middle of this story with no build-up was incredibly disjointing. I assume that was the point, but it didn't fit in with the rest of the story, which was almost poetical in places.
I get the vibe of the story and the "moral" was delivered nicely, but it did feel a little too much like a lesson.
'The Keep', 2 Stars: A relatively short one, full of metaphors and symbolism. Written well, again, but I wasn't quite feeling it. It felt as if the author was trying too hard for this one. I'm not a huge fan of metaphorical fiction in any case.
'Ex-', 2 Stars: Ah. These stories are conflicting. They're written so well, but sometimes the poetical flow gets in the way of the story. I wonder if I should call them "parables".
These are the kind of stories-and the kind of writing-that I sometimes wish I understood. Modern fiction, you know? Trying to be different, maybe. Or just different anyway but not what I like. I like trying it, though.
'The Perfect Wife', 2 Stars: I don't like it when I have to guess what a story is about. Metaphors, symbolism. Though I understand that this is love from a different perspective: I found it boring. And, yeah, I get what it's saying about marriage and the idea of devoting oneself (usually a woman to a man) to a single person and almost dismissing every other aspect of life, but it seemed a little heavy-handed and slightly bitter.
It's written well. They're all written well. But they are metaphors stretched out in to poetry, to say one thing with lots of words. To try and be a little profound.
'The Animals Went in Two by Two', 1 Star: A man reminiscing about the lies his Uncle told him as a boy, defying anyone to disbelieve him.
I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary fiction on the best of days and I found this story just a waste of words. Bland, boring; just meh. "Real life" (everyone knows real life is boring and shit anyway).
'Flinch', 1 Star: I was really enjoying this until the very end. A young fisherman, keeping his own business close to his chest, but harbouring a secret.
The writing was lovely and, despite it being in first person narrative (which I mostly despise) it captivated me at the beginning. It seemed to slow a little, and the secrets were fun.
But again, metaphors and hinting. The elements of folklore throughout these stories is a nice touch, but ultimately they're just boring. Trying to be different and boring. And I hated that ending so much.
'The Exact Sound of Grief', 1 Star: Very clever. James Joyce would be proud.
'Stars, Witch, Bear', 1 Star: Each day the father goes to the city to find his lost children, but one day it's the mother's turn, and she has in to the forest...
I'm just beginning to feel meh with these stories now. So many metaphors and I'm bored of them. I'm sure I've enjoyed metaphorical stories before, but these are repetitive, preachy and dull.
'Cold Enough to Start Fires', 2 Stars: Written nicely, we follow someone from man to boy as he wonders whether he should become like his abusive, cheating father.
Still with the metaphors, though this one seemed a more poetical version rather than an infuriating one. I still found it boring, however.
'The Mother of Giants', 2 Stars: A nice allegorical story about a community that tells stories to soften the truth of death during famine.
The poetry is there, and the metaphors are less so, but I feel it lacked a little imagination and some true structure. I would have liked some more description of the world, though I get that wasn't really what the story wanted.
'Small World', 2 Stars: A woman debates whether to leave her new husband or not.
Mixed in with this tale-and with most in this book-are nice folklore references, and that keeps them interesting and rather poetical at times. It's a look to the past when stories were made up to explain odd behaviour or things people would rather not talk about.
Despite that, I still find most of these stories boring.
'Elephant Dance', 2 Stars: A woman muses on her life with the circus...
I'm still feeling like I'm being preached to with these stories. Like I need to learn something from each one (not necessarily about gods-or at all) and that I'm kind of stupid for either not seeing what the metaphor is, or indeed for not liking the metaphors themselves.
It's written well, like they all are, but as I say, the stories aren't particularly engrossing.
'The Ghost Club', 4 Stars: In a room, haunted people met to talk about their ghosts, and prove that they do not exist.
An excellent story, written well and with a nice atmosphere, but I fear it has come too late in the book to save it. There are still metaphors (of course, why wouldn't there be?) but they are gentle and rather soothing other than infuriating like the rest of them.
There is a gentler preach to this one as well, but it seems to be a nicer preach as well.
This premise is, at first, nice and calming, and introduces the meaning of all the stories. They're meant to teach something to the unborn foetus, which explains why they're all a little bit preachy. And, at first, the introduction by both mothers is nice and adds to the overall experience, but I found each intro on every story heavily repetitive and they didn't seem to add much at all. It would have been preferable if there were only an introduction at the beginning of the stories, or perhaps one at the end.
The stories themselves were magical mixtures of poetical metaphors and folklore inspirations. The imagery was better in the first few stories, and then the description tended to be invisible and the odd endings started to infuriate me. A lot of them felt disjointed at some point.
My main issue throughout each story was the ridiculous need to use metaphor and to teach something. Although I understand the premise of the book is to teach a lesson to the unborn child (and in that, also to you the reader) but, along with most of the stories being rather dull, this turned in to a pointless endeavour. The metaphors went unexplained (as metaphors always should) but with that came unexplained stories.
This kind of writing reminded me of White is For Witching in the same way that nothing was ever truly explained. I'm sure there's a name for this kind of writing; for now, I will call it Contemporary and say I do not like it. It seems nice at first, almost poetical-lyrical-and it lulls you in to a false sense of security and then denies any closure, any kind of ending.
I'm sure that's probably the point of the stories in general. Always keep them guessing: be different. But I dislike it intensely. Bring me my classics.
The following are mini reviews of each story:
'Cutting Teeth', 3 Stars: A story of a hunter who brings home a wolf: much to her husband's dismay. But a baby is coming, so can she no longer hunt with a wolf?
A really nice start with lovely imagery. Written so well that it made my heart sing after reading so many disappointing books lately, but I found it a little odd. I'm not one to shy away from the word cunt (favourite word in the English language) but the fact it was just plonked in the middle of this story with no build-up was incredibly disjointing. I assume that was the point, but it didn't fit in with the rest of the story, which was almost poetical in places.
I get the vibe of the story and the "moral" was delivered nicely, but it did feel a little too much like a lesson.
'The Keep', 2 Stars: A relatively short one, full of metaphors and symbolism. Written well, again, but I wasn't quite feeling it. It felt as if the author was trying too hard for this one. I'm not a huge fan of metaphorical fiction in any case.
'Ex-', 2 Stars: Ah. These stories are conflicting. They're written so well, but sometimes the poetical flow gets in the way of the story. I wonder if I should call them "parables".
These are the kind of stories-and the kind of writing-that I sometimes wish I understood. Modern fiction, you know? Trying to be different, maybe. Or just different anyway but not what I like. I like trying it, though.
'The Perfect Wife', 2 Stars: I don't like it when I have to guess what a story is about. Metaphors, symbolism. Though I understand that this is love from a different perspective: I found it boring. And, yeah, I get what it's saying about marriage and the idea of devoting oneself (usually a woman to a man) to a single person and almost dismissing every other aspect of life, but it seemed a little heavy-handed and slightly bitter.
It's written well. They're all written well. But they are metaphors stretched out in to poetry, to say one thing with lots of words. To try and be a little profound.
'The Animals Went in Two by Two', 1 Star: A man reminiscing about the lies his Uncle told him as a boy, defying anyone to disbelieve him.
I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary fiction on the best of days and I found this story just a waste of words. Bland, boring; just meh. "Real life" (everyone knows real life is boring and shit anyway).
'Flinch', 1 Star: I was really enjoying this until the very end. A young fisherman, keeping his own business close to his chest, but harbouring a secret.
The writing was lovely and, despite it being in first person narrative (which I mostly despise) it captivated me at the beginning. It seemed to slow a little, and the secrets were fun.
But again, metaphors and hinting. The elements of folklore throughout these stories is a nice touch, but ultimately they're just boring. Trying to be different and boring. And I hated that ending so much.
'The Exact Sound of Grief', 1 Star: Very clever. James Joyce would be proud.
'Stars, Witch, Bear', 1 Star: Each day the father goes to the city to find his lost children, but one day it's the mother's turn, and she has in to the forest...
I'm just beginning to feel meh with these stories now. So many metaphors and I'm bored of them. I'm sure I've enjoyed metaphorical stories before, but these are repetitive, preachy and dull.
'Cold Enough to Start Fires', 2 Stars: Written nicely, we follow someone from man to boy as he wonders whether he should become like his abusive, cheating father.
Still with the metaphors, though this one seemed a more poetical version rather than an infuriating one. I still found it boring, however.
'The Mother of Giants', 2 Stars: A nice allegorical story about a community that tells stories to soften the truth of death during famine.
The poetry is there, and the metaphors are less so, but I feel it lacked a little imagination and some true structure. I would have liked some more description of the world, though I get that wasn't really what the story wanted.
'Small World', 2 Stars: A woman debates whether to leave her new husband or not.
Mixed in with this tale-and with most in this book-are nice folklore references, and that keeps them interesting and rather poetical at times. It's a look to the past when stories were made up to explain odd behaviour or things people would rather not talk about.
Despite that, I still find most of these stories boring.
'Elephant Dance', 2 Stars: A woman muses on her life with the circus...
I'm still feeling like I'm being preached to with these stories. Like I need to learn something from each one (not necessarily about gods-or at all) and that I'm kind of stupid for either not seeing what the metaphor is, or indeed for not liking the metaphors themselves.
It's written well, like they all are, but as I say, the stories aren't particularly engrossing.
'The Ghost Club', 4 Stars: In a room, haunted people met to talk about their ghosts, and prove that they do not exist.
An excellent story, written well and with a nice atmosphere, but I fear it has come too late in the book to save it. There are still metaphors (of course, why wouldn't there be?) but they are gentle and rather soothing other than infuriating like the rest of them.
There is a gentler preach to this one as well, but it seems to be a nicer preach as well.
February 13, 2016
This collection, sadly, really didn't work for me. I didn't like any of the stories much and would only rate them at a 1*, 2* or 3*. l think that most of them were 1 or 2*s as I just didn't feel as if I could connect to any. This whole collection had potential, every story, but they nearly all finished inconclusively or didn't have a real ending. This was a major source of frustration for me as it felt as if the author didn't know what she wanted to get across and just left it open.
I like open endings sometimes and I like magical realism sometime but for me, this collection really didn't do justice to either of those things.
I found myself constantly frustrated that Logan would graze a topic and not go any further with it. We see many themes of death, grief, love, kindness, sadness etc. covered, but none fully explored in my opinion.
I also have to say that the set up of this, with the two women explaining how they are telling their unborn child stories, between each one, really didn't work for me as I just found the women narrators kind of silly too.
Honestly I know a ton of people love this collection so maybe I missed all the good bits but for me it just wasn't good and really was a bit of a waste of reading time. Sadly a 1* overall as I just didn't like it.
I like open endings sometimes and I like magical realism sometime but for me, this collection really didn't do justice to either of those things.
I found myself constantly frustrated that Logan would graze a topic and not go any further with it. We see many themes of death, grief, love, kindness, sadness etc. covered, but none fully explored in my opinion.
I also have to say that the set up of this, with the two women explaining how they are telling their unborn child stories, between each one, really didn't work for me as I just found the women narrators kind of silly too.
Honestly I know a ton of people love this collection so maybe I missed all the good bits but for me it just wasn't good and really was a bit of a waste of reading time. Sadly a 1* overall as I just didn't like it.
January 25, 2016
“The Cruellest things do not hide in the dark.”
A long time ago, when there was still summer in the air and leaves on the trees, I sat across a little pond and read. And while I read I was enveloped by the waves coming from the book. I drowned in a sea of words, of wonder and magic. I fell in love with a writer, and it was no silent thing.
Now, it's winter. The streets are not bathed in light, but covered in fog and mist. And I've finally found the time to revisit the writer who has such an impact on me during the summer. Only to be disappointed. Only to find that some of the magic had faded away, along with the summer. I do not consider "A Portable Shelter" to be nearly as beautiful as "The Gracekeepers". Perhaps the fault lies in the comparison itself; in the fact that "A Portable Shelter" doesn't even try to mimic "The Gracekeepers". Perhaps the fault is entirely mine. But it's there, nonetheless.
These stories are beautiful. Gorgeous. Well-crafted and filled with mystery. But they are also lifeless things, obvious constructions of beauty. The entire framework for the story irked me; the narrators need for secrecy and their complete acceptance when the secrecy was revealed made it all seem so pointless. The stories were only whispered in the stillness of the night, for the sake of the stillness itself. It was tiresome.
And the stories themselves? Most of them were interesting. Mystical. Weird and haunting. But I also found myself wishing that they were braver, bolder and much more sinister. Perhaps this is due to me finishing some of Joyce Carol Oates' short stories on the day before I started this. I cannot tell. I just found them tame. Safe. Simple.
“It's only after the fact that we trace the lines, join dots between things, skip over anything that doesn't fit. We make stories to account for everything that's happened. It's nice to think the world makes sense. It's nice to think that you make sense. But sometimes things just happen.”
A long time ago, when there was still summer in the air and leaves on the trees, I sat across a little pond and read. And while I read I was enveloped by the waves coming from the book. I drowned in a sea of words, of wonder and magic. I fell in love with a writer, and it was no silent thing.
Now, it's winter. The streets are not bathed in light, but covered in fog and mist. And I've finally found the time to revisit the writer who has such an impact on me during the summer. Only to be disappointed. Only to find that some of the magic had faded away, along with the summer. I do not consider "A Portable Shelter" to be nearly as beautiful as "The Gracekeepers". Perhaps the fault lies in the comparison itself; in the fact that "A Portable Shelter" doesn't even try to mimic "The Gracekeepers". Perhaps the fault is entirely mine. But it's there, nonetheless.
These stories are beautiful. Gorgeous. Well-crafted and filled with mystery. But they are also lifeless things, obvious constructions of beauty. The entire framework for the story irked me; the narrators need for secrecy and their complete acceptance when the secrecy was revealed made it all seem so pointless. The stories were only whispered in the stillness of the night, for the sake of the stillness itself. It was tiresome.
And the stories themselves? Most of them were interesting. Mystical. Weird and haunting. But I also found myself wishing that they were braver, bolder and much more sinister. Perhaps this is due to me finishing some of Joyce Carol Oates' short stories on the day before I started this. I cannot tell. I just found them tame. Safe. Simple.
“It's only after the fact that we trace the lines, join dots between things, skip over anything that doesn't fit. We make stories to account for everything that's happened. It's nice to think the world makes sense. It's nice to think that you make sense. But sometimes things just happen.”
September 19, 2015
Absolutely beautiful.
May 14, 2019
There are some books that don’t hold up to rereads. And then there are the ones that get even better upon revisiting them. Such was A Portable Shelter.
Was a five star, still a five star, will always be a five star.
I still hope to review this collection properly soon, but as with many favourites, I’m not quite sure how to approach that.
Was a five star, still a five star, will always be a five star.
I still hope to review this collection properly soon, but as with many favourites, I’m not quite sure how to approach that.
November 18, 2018
2.5 out of 5 stars! ⭐ I must say that I really loved the first book by Kirsty Logan that I have read a while ago, but this one wasn't as good unfortunately, it was very confusing at times and there was no clear common thread throughout the novel - which made me really angry whilst reading... 😢😪😯 At the beginning of the novel, the readers are introduced to Ruth and her partner, Liska, who have escaped to the north coast of Scotland to await the birth of their first child. Having promised each other to only tell “plain truths”, and no stories, to Coorie – the name is the Scots word for snuggle – both go back on their word. Each story has an introduction from either narrator. It is quite problematic because as readers, we never quite find out who Ruth is, who Liska is. At times the stories are clear in what they are, fairy tales with beginnings, ends and a moral. At other times they blur at the edges, weave themselves in and out of memory and magic and folklore. To be frank, I was just so confused that I did not get what the author was trying to convey through the stories:
So here is what the book is about: "I’m going to tell you a story", Ruth announces to her unborn baby, one day when her wife, Liska, is at work. In their tiny, sea-beaten cottage on the north coast of Scotland, Liska and Ruth await the birth of their first child. It must be done this way, in secret, because Ruth and Liska have made a promise to one another: only truths, no stories for this Coorie, this tiny clam, this fattening mollusc. And so Ruth begins one day, a truth wrapped in a story, just so the hermit crab of a growing child within her will know of love, and why it doesn’t always work out. So the ritual begins. A story during the day, in the shelter of their sea-beaten cottage in the north coast of Scotland; and at night, under a different cloak of secrecy, another story, one told by Liska—whispered in bed to the pregnant belly of her wife. So to cloak their tales, Ruth tells her stories when Liska is at work, to a background of shrieking seabirds; Liska tells hers when Ruth is asleep, with the lighthouse sweeping its steady beam through the window.
“Some people are happy with treasures and wide oceans. Some people are happy with a single stone. It doesn't matter what others want if it's not what you want.” ― Kirsty Logan, 'A Portable Shelter'
So here is what the book is about: "I’m going to tell you a story", Ruth announces to her unborn baby, one day when her wife, Liska, is at work. In their tiny, sea-beaten cottage on the north coast of Scotland, Liska and Ruth await the birth of their first child. It must be done this way, in secret, because Ruth and Liska have made a promise to one another: only truths, no stories for this Coorie, this tiny clam, this fattening mollusc. And so Ruth begins one day, a truth wrapped in a story, just so the hermit crab of a growing child within her will know of love, and why it doesn’t always work out. So the ritual begins. A story during the day, in the shelter of their sea-beaten cottage in the north coast of Scotland; and at night, under a different cloak of secrecy, another story, one told by Liska—whispered in bed to the pregnant belly of her wife. So to cloak their tales, Ruth tells her stories when Liska is at work, to a background of shrieking seabirds; Liska tells hers when Ruth is asleep, with the lighthouse sweeping its steady beam through the window.
“Some people are happy with treasures and wide oceans. Some people are happy with a single stone. It doesn't matter what others want if it's not what you want.” ― Kirsty Logan, 'A Portable Shelter'
August 27, 2018
This book follows Ruth and Liska as they secretly tell stories to their unborn child from their sea-beaten cottage in the north of Scotland. Many of the stories were set in Scotland or featured Scottish folklore and they were very interesting to read. The stories all had quite sad and dark moments, and this book seemed to be exploring themes of life and death.
I must admit that I read this book on four hours sleep so I think most of the deeper meanings went over my head. I'm still quite new to short stories so I am no expert, I just know that I enjoyed this collection and really enjoyed my first dive into Kirsty Logan's writing. Next up I will be reading her first full novel The Gracekeepers!
I must admit that I read this book on four hours sleep so I think most of the deeper meanings went over my head. I'm still quite new to short stories so I am no expert, I just know that I enjoyed this collection and really enjoyed my first dive into Kirsty Logan's writing. Next up I will be reading her first full novel The Gracekeepers!
August 13, 2015
This is probably the best short story collection I've read in a long time, if not ever. I had a good feeling when I heard about this book and I didn't think my high-hopes would be lived up to, but in fact they were exceeded and I adored this. Every story was beautiful but the last one really hit me and, well, I cried.
Preordering this was the best idea I've had in a long time!
Preordering this was the best idea I've had in a long time!
December 31, 2018
Aesthetically, this collection of short stories is a 10/10. It's gorgeous. The cover is soft as velvet and sort of quietly shimmering.
The insides however range from "really good" to "what the hell was that?"
So I'm going with 3 stars overall. But to be honest, at least 1/2 star is based on the cover. I'm shallow. Sue me.
The insides however range from "really good" to "what the hell was that?"
So I'm going with 3 stars overall. But to be honest, at least 1/2 star is based on the cover. I'm shallow. Sue me.
November 12, 2015
3.5 stars.
I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy this collection as much as Logan's first collection The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales. It started off incredibly strong with my favourite story of the collection, Cutting Teeth, but after that I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag.
Logan's trademark lyrical, poetic writing is still there, so that doesn't disappoint. I just found this collection a little too whimsical for my tastes, and the fairytale, telling stories round the fire feel was a lot stronger in this collection, which isn't really my thing. It almost felt more like I was a child again reading, and let me just state that this isn't a children's book - there are a lot of adult themes in here - but it felt more like one in the way most of the stories were told.
I also found the way it was constructed a little odd at times - each story is told by either Ruth or Liska, a couple who are awaiting the birth of their first child who they secretively tell the stories too - but I found the secretive element not particularly present, and I didn't think Ruth or Liska had particularly distinctive voices from each other. It was an interesting concept but it didn't quite work for me.
My favourites from the collection were Cutting Teeth, Ex-, Stars, Witch, Bear, and Small World. And I did enjoy this collection for the most part - the illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment in this edition, and I loved the inclusion of again more LGBT content. However, compared to her first collection, I just didn't become enveloped in this one as much.
I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy this collection as much as Logan's first collection The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales. It started off incredibly strong with my favourite story of the collection, Cutting Teeth, but after that I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag.
Logan's trademark lyrical, poetic writing is still there, so that doesn't disappoint. I just found this collection a little too whimsical for my tastes, and the fairytale, telling stories round the fire feel was a lot stronger in this collection, which isn't really my thing. It almost felt more like I was a child again reading, and let me just state that this isn't a children's book - there are a lot of adult themes in here - but it felt more like one in the way most of the stories were told.
I also found the way it was constructed a little odd at times - each story is told by either Ruth or Liska, a couple who are awaiting the birth of their first child who they secretively tell the stories too - but I found the secretive element not particularly present, and I didn't think Ruth or Liska had particularly distinctive voices from each other. It was an interesting concept but it didn't quite work for me.
My favourites from the collection were Cutting Teeth, Ex-, Stars, Witch, Bear, and Small World. And I did enjoy this collection for the most part - the illustrations are a beautiful accompaniment in this edition, and I loved the inclusion of again more LGBT content. However, compared to her first collection, I just didn't become enveloped in this one as much.
January 12, 2020
Maza, bet ietilpīga grāmatiņa. Ruth un Liska gaida sava bērna piedzimšanu. Abas vienojušās, ka bērnam vienmēr teiks tikai patiesību, nekādu māņu un “pasaciņu”, bet viena no otras paslepus stāsta vēl nepiedzimušajam bērnam stāstus, kas pilni ar maģiju, noslēpumainību un dzīves patiesībām.
Katrs stāsts ir šķietami savstarpēji nesaistīts, bet tos vieno kopējā tēma par patvērumu – mātes radītais patvērums bērniem, ģimenes locekļi, kas rada mums drošību, iedvesmo dzīvei, vai tieši otrādi – apspiež un iesloga, gara brīvība un godīgums pret sevi – paša radīts patvērums šajā pasaulē, un nepatīkamās izvēles, kas dažreiz jāizdara lai pasargātu sevi, savus mīļotos cilvēkus. Stāsti apvieno pasaku maģiskās realitātes ar mūsdienu situācijām, ikdienišķiem tēliem un liek padomāt par dzīvē svarīgo, un ko tu vēlētos nodot nākošajām paaudzēm.
Burvīgs literārs piedzīvojums, kas ir jālasa lēnām un ar baudu. Iesaku.
Katrs stāsts ir šķietami savstarpēji nesaistīts, bet tos vieno kopējā tēma par patvērumu – mātes radītais patvērums bērniem, ģimenes locekļi, kas rada mums drošību, iedvesmo dzīvei, vai tieši otrādi – apspiež un iesloga, gara brīvība un godīgums pret sevi – paša radīts patvērums šajā pasaulē, un nepatīkamās izvēles, kas dažreiz jāizdara lai pasargātu sevi, savus mīļotos cilvēkus. Stāsti apvieno pasaku maģiskās realitātes ar mūsdienu situācijām, ikdienišķiem tēliem un liek padomāt par dzīvē svarīgo, un ko tu vēlētos nodot nākošajām paaudzēm.
Burvīgs literārs piedzīvojums, kas ir jālasa lēnām un ar baudu. Iesaku.
November 2, 2018
“Our ghosts make us who we are. When we do not like our ghosts, we do not like ourselves. If no one ever died, maybe we would never learn what it meant to miss them. Maybe then we would not learn how to live life that would be missed.”
Stāsti ir daiļliteratūras forma, kas man patīk vismazāk. Un tad man ļoti patika šis krājums. Ej nu saproti. Daži no stāstiem man patika ievērojami vairāk par citiem. Bet vislabākais tajā visā bija just, ka autore taupās. Ka viņa atturas izlikt visu, kas viņai ir. Un izlikt maksimāli. Tomēr vienlaikus ir mazliet biedējoši iedomāties, cik laba viņa būtu, ja mauktu uz pilnu klapi. Bet es ielikšu 5, nevis 4 zvaigznes tieši šī netiešā apsolījuma pēc. Ka viņa var vēl... krutāk? Un gaidīšu, kad tas nāks.
Nedaudz izrakstījos arī blogā - https://oysternotes.wordpress.com/201...
Stāsti ir daiļliteratūras forma, kas man patīk vismazāk. Un tad man ļoti patika šis krājums. Ej nu saproti. Daži no stāstiem man patika ievērojami vairāk par citiem. Bet vislabākais tajā visā bija just, ka autore taupās. Ka viņa atturas izlikt visu, kas viņai ir. Un izlikt maksimāli. Tomēr vienlaikus ir mazliet biedējoši iedomāties, cik laba viņa būtu, ja mauktu uz pilnu klapi. Bet es ielikšu 5, nevis 4 zvaigznes tieši šī netiešā apsolījuma pēc. Ka viņa var vēl... krutāk? Un gaidīšu, kad tas nāks.
Nedaudz izrakstījos arī blogā - https://oysternotes.wordpress.com/201...
August 16, 2021
2021. This is why I reread: I found even more magic between these pages this time around.
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Kirsty Logan's writing is just magical.
'But life is not a fairy tale. It's brighter and darker, longer and briefer, duller and more magical. It's full of contradictions, but one thing it's not is neat.'
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Kirsty Logan's writing is just magical.
'But life is not a fairy tale. It's brighter and darker, longer and briefer, duller and more magical. It's full of contradictions, but one thing it's not is neat.'
January 6, 2017
A Portable Shelter is about two women who are expecting a baby and decide to each spend time alone with the unborn child reciting stories and tales. It is a mixture of folklore, fairytales, and myth, one I expected to enjoy after enjoying Logan’s previous novel, The Gracekeepers, but had to abandon midway through.
Kirsty Logan is a beautiful writer, however the things she writes lack any meaning for me. One of the major weakness of a short story collection is the potential of feeling emotionally detached with the stories and it’s characters—a reasonable worry as they are short stories—and this is my main issue with A Portable Shelter. After just 81 pages, I ended up giving up.
Absolutely nothing was remarkable about this book. I was bored for most of the stories I read (having enjoyed only one) and felt completely indifferent to everything. Even with the unnamed narrators and vague premises, I expected something, at least one thing, which might latch me onto the stories but alas, I remained grimly neutral.
This was my first let down of 2017. I was truly looking forward to some very quiet short stories that might carry me away but this one just let me feeling sullen.
Kirsty Logan is a beautiful writer, however the things she writes lack any meaning for me. One of the major weakness of a short story collection is the potential of feeling emotionally detached with the stories and it’s characters—a reasonable worry as they are short stories—and this is my main issue with A Portable Shelter. After just 81 pages, I ended up giving up.
Absolutely nothing was remarkable about this book. I was bored for most of the stories I read (having enjoyed only one) and felt completely indifferent to everything. Even with the unnamed narrators and vague premises, I expected something, at least one thing, which might latch me onto the stories but alas, I remained grimly neutral.
This was my first let down of 2017. I was truly looking forward to some very quiet short stories that might carry me away but this one just let me feeling sullen.
January 24, 2016
Literally everyone and their mother loves this book. I actually borrowed the limited edition hardcover from my mum. I have to be honest though and say that I didn't really enjoy this collection of short stories.
The writing was beautiful in parts but I found it a little clunky at points; there was something about the writing that distanced me from all of the stories.
The stories themselves were okay but I found the majority of them to be extremely slow. However the second half of the book was much better for me and I particularly liked 'Flinch'. I found that this was the most developed of the short pieces and the one that I felt a connection with.
The fairytale and magical realism elements were woven through each story in a way that gave them all a disconcerting atmosphere, something that I enjoyed in some stories but in others it felt forced.
Overall I was disappointed by this book and although I'm glad I read it to see what I thought of it for myself, it's not something I would personally recommend, though I understand why people love this book.
The writing was beautiful in parts but I found it a little clunky at points; there was something about the writing that distanced me from all of the stories.
The stories themselves were okay but I found the majority of them to be extremely slow. However the second half of the book was much better for me and I particularly liked 'Flinch'. I found that this was the most developed of the short pieces and the one that I felt a connection with.
The fairytale and magical realism elements were woven through each story in a way that gave them all a disconcerting atmosphere, something that I enjoyed in some stories but in others it felt forced.
Overall I was disappointed by this book and although I'm glad I read it to see what I thought of it for myself, it's not something I would personally recommend, though I understand why people love this book.
December 30, 2018
Laikam sarežģītākas literatūras lasīšana būs jāatliek uz mazāk intensīvu dzīves posmu - šobrīd grūti koncentrēties kaut kam daudzdimensionālam. Un tāpēc, varbūt, man ar šo stāstu krājumu nebija pa ceļam. Kaut varētu domāt - tēma ļoti atbilstoša, arī es ar sevī augošo bumbulīti ikdienā sarunājos, bet man ne prātā nenāk viņu apgrūtināt ar iepriekšējo paaudžu smagākajiem stāstiem. Tāpēc jau mazs bērniņš ir tīra, balta lapa - viņam ir iespēja sākt visu no sākuma, un kad paaugsies, tad jau sāks lobīt to sāpju sīpolu - kad būs pietiekami stiprs, un gatavs mainīt pasauli.
Gaidīju, ka grāmatā būs vairāk no skotu mitoloģijas - tā vismaz solīja vāciņš (un daži lasītāji), un šī vilšanās arī atņēma zvaigznes pozitīvam vērtējumam.
Gaidīju, ka grāmatā būs vairāk no skotu mitoloģijas - tā vismaz solīja vāciņš (un daži lasītāji), un šī vilšanās arī atņēma zvaigznes pozitīvam vērtējumam.
June 3, 2016
While two stories were interesting the rest in contrast were poor. When reading this one can tell the very amateur nature of the writing, unpolished and many with no discernable endings. Compared to The Gracekeepers this book comes across as the clumsy work of someone who hopes to be a big name writer.
In conlusion it is understandable as to the reason why this book is fund published and not by one of the big mainstream publishers. Come on Miss Logan you have an amazing potential that is wasted here, everyone and you know this. Name checking goodreads authors and booksellers is desperate at best.
In conlusion it is understandable as to the reason why this book is fund published and not by one of the big mainstream publishers. Come on Miss Logan you have an amazing potential that is wasted here, everyone and you know this. Name checking goodreads authors and booksellers is desperate at best.
September 14, 2018
I don’t know how to explain eloquently that every story in this collection has so much soul and magic put into it that it often took my breath away, made my heart hurt or just feel so full of emotions. It’s so human, while also being so fantastical.
I think you should just find out for yourself what it does to you.
I think you should just find out for yourself what it does to you.
dnf
January 17, 2018DNF @ 24%
Despite my better judgement I picked this up from the library the other day (probably the pretty cover...) and I was going to force myself through it but decided life is too short. The stories I did read (I think 3?) were so boring, had no depth, just a lot of ~pretty writing~. That may be enough for some people but not for me unfortunately!
Despite my better judgement I picked this up from the library the other day (probably the pretty cover...) and I was going to force myself through it but decided life is too short. The stories I did read (I think 3?) were so boring, had no depth, just a lot of ~pretty writing~. That may be enough for some people but not for me unfortunately!
Read
July 25, 20226/10
May 20, 2025
the final boss of tumblr posts with queer women in scotland, warewolves & magic 🌙
February 22, 2019
Lyrical, haunting and beautiful.
It's not often that you come across a short story collection where all of the stories are a pleasure to read but this book is a rare gem. You feel for all of Logan's characters; she has a real flair for creating distinct lives amidst fantastical scenarios all embellished with a poetic fairy-tale narrative.
A wonderful and exquisite read.
It's not often that you come across a short story collection where all of the stories are a pleasure to read but this book is a rare gem. You feel for all of Logan's characters; she has a real flair for creating distinct lives amidst fantastical scenarios all embellished with a poetic fairy-tale narrative.
A wonderful and exquisite read.
October 14, 2015
A magical and mysterious collection, very fascinating.
October 9, 2017
This is the second book that I’ve read by Kirsty Logan. The first was The Gracekeepers - a beautifully imagined novel about a floating circus and a world where land was scarce. I loved that novel - the dreamy atmosphere, the creativity, the stunning prose - but I was disappointed by the ending. Fortunately for me, Logan also wrote this short story collection - which has all the magic and dreaminess of The Gracekeepers, with a much better ending.
A Portable Shelter features a collection of stories told by two women, Ruth and Liska, to their unborn baby. Since both have promised not to tell the baby anything but “plain truths,” they must tell their stories in secret. Ruth tells the baby stories while Liska is at work and Liska tells the baby stories at night, while Ruth is sleeping. The stories they tell contain life lessons - and they are both beautiful and dark.
There are a lot of similarities between this collection and The Gracekeepers - some of the stories are similar; specifically, stories about bears and mermaids take place in both books. Further, both books are reminiscent of fairy tales and folklore and both were an absolute joy to read.
This will definitely not be my last Kirsty Logan book. I love her stories about queer women, her way of writing about the fluidity of gender, her prose, and the overall atmosphere of her works. I’d highly recommend this collection to anyone who is a fan of magical realism.
A Portable Shelter features a collection of stories told by two women, Ruth and Liska, to their unborn baby. Since both have promised not to tell the baby anything but “plain truths,” they must tell their stories in secret. Ruth tells the baby stories while Liska is at work and Liska tells the baby stories at night, while Ruth is sleeping. The stories they tell contain life lessons - and they are both beautiful and dark.
There are a lot of similarities between this collection and The Gracekeepers - some of the stories are similar; specifically, stories about bears and mermaids take place in both books. Further, both books are reminiscent of fairy tales and folklore and both were an absolute joy to read.
This will definitely not be my last Kirsty Logan book. I love her stories about queer women, her way of writing about the fluidity of gender, her prose, and the overall atmosphere of her works. I’d highly recommend this collection to anyone who is a fan of magical realism.
March 29, 2019
*3.5 stars
I'm having a hard time rating this. One side of me wants to give it 3 stars but the other side of me did really really love some of the stories in here and I am conflicted.
I have to be honest, I was hoping to love this book a lot more, I was expecting this to be a 4- or 5-star book and it ended up not being that for me. Which saddens me a little.
The story is about two women who are expecting a baby together and they have promised each other they will only ever tell their child the truth and nothing but the truth. Which means that stories are out of the question. But it's exactly something that neither of them can let go.
Which makes this book something almost out of the perspective of their unborn child. Where one of the mums to tell stories to the baby when the mum to be who is carrying the baby is asleep.
And the mum to be carrying the baby tells stories when the other mum to be is at work.
And to be honest, there was absolutely no connection to be made between the reader of this book and those women. We learn absolutely freaking nothing, and I mean, nothing about them. Some vague things are hinted at but never further explained or looked at. I kept expecting one of the stories to be their life stories and at one point it kind of?? happened?? but not in the way I wanted. I wanted to connect with them.
It was pretty interesting when after a while I noticed every single story was written in a different storytelling way and not one format ended up being the same which was really interesting.
But it was also really confusing how much the stories differed, we went from stories with magic, that felt old and definitely not contemporary. To a contemporary story where they had all these modern things. I understand that the stories are not meant to be cohesive but it honestly made the book feel a bit all over the place.
Some stories I tremendously enjoyed and some I couldn't wait to be over and really disliked.
I do have to say, as you can hopefully see by the rating that even after mentioning quite some negative things I did enjoy most of the stories as to not enjoying them.
Definitely want to pick up another book by Logan but maybe not one that doesn't have a real storyline.
I'm having a hard time rating this. One side of me wants to give it 3 stars but the other side of me did really really love some of the stories in here and I am conflicted.
I have to be honest, I was hoping to love this book a lot more, I was expecting this to be a 4- or 5-star book and it ended up not being that for me. Which saddens me a little.
The story is about two women who are expecting a baby together and they have promised each other they will only ever tell their child the truth and nothing but the truth. Which means that stories are out of the question. But it's exactly something that neither of them can let go.
Which makes this book something almost out of the perspective of their unborn child. Where one of the mums to tell stories to the baby when the mum to be who is carrying the baby is asleep.
And the mum to be carrying the baby tells stories when the other mum to be is at work.
And to be honest, there was absolutely no connection to be made between the reader of this book and those women. We learn absolutely freaking nothing, and I mean, nothing about them. Some vague things are hinted at but never further explained or looked at. I kept expecting one of the stories to be their life stories and at one point it kind of?? happened?? but not in the way I wanted. I wanted to connect with them.
It was pretty interesting when after a while I noticed every single story was written in a different storytelling way and not one format ended up being the same which was really interesting.
But it was also really confusing how much the stories differed, we went from stories with magic, that felt old and definitely not contemporary. To a contemporary story where they had all these modern things. I understand that the stories are not meant to be cohesive but it honestly made the book feel a bit all over the place.
Some stories I tremendously enjoyed and some I couldn't wait to be over and really disliked.
I do have to say, as you can hopefully see by the rating that even after mentioning quite some negative things I did enjoy most of the stories as to not enjoying them.
Definitely want to pick up another book by Logan but maybe not one that doesn't have a real storyline.
October 18, 2020
Kirsty Logan vertelt vreemde, ietwat magische verhalen binnen een raamvertelling waarin de twee moeders van een kindje dat nog geboren moet worden (maar wel al groeit in de buik van één van hen) elk om beurten, verborgen voor elkaar verhalen vertellen aan dat kind. Dat ze dat in het geheim doen, is omdat ze elkaar beloofden hun kind enkel de waarheid te vertellen, geen verhalen. Maar verhalen blijken meer waarheid te bevatten dan de naakte waarheid zelf.
Naarmate het boek vordert, grijpen de verhalen je meer en meer. Hier en daar is de verborgen waarheid van het verhaal wat moeilijk te ontcijferen maar al in al is dit een mooie verzameling geworden.
Naarmate het boek vordert, grijpen de verhalen je meer en meer. Hier en daar is de verborgen waarheid van het verhaal wat moeilijk te ontcijferen maar al in al is dit een mooie verzameling geworden.
January 12, 2019
I’m utterly in awe of Kirsty Logan’s writing skills. This little short story collection was just packed with originality and folklore. My favourites were The Keep and Flinch, but really I liked all of them.
April 16, 2022
Lovely.
November 10, 2017
When I was little, I thought that everyone's past was a series of steps, like a board game. I know now that it's not so simple. Real life is beautiful because it isn't neat. Are you ready, Coorie? The sea is quiet. The birds float, wings tucked, bobbing on the waves. The sun has come out for you.
This was such a lovely read! Logan's writing really is quite breathtaking and it was a pleasure to sit down and read this by candlelight in the evening.
All in all I felt quite similarly about this as I did about The Gracekeepers. It had so much atmosphere and mood, and as I've said the prose was truly beautiful. But as a whole this little collection of stories is a bit flimsy. There were quite a few I really enjoyed and thought made for great stories, but several others that, while intriguing, didn't have much impact and felt inconclusive. And I'm not sure all the stories come together effectively.
I actually do really like the framework of the novel: two moms telling stories to their unborn child. It worked just fine for me and I thought it was really sweet! My only complaint about it is that the two soon-to-be moms, Ruth and Liska, were honestly interchangeable. If their names weren't at the beginning of their respective section, I'd have had no idea who was speaking. They didn't need to be fleshed out completely - there is certainly not enough space for that! But it would have been nice if they had more distinctive voices.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to cozy up with something enchanting during a rainstorm or on a gloomy day. It makes for a very nice experience and I'd even consider rereading parts because they were so lovely. So by no means did I dislike this! It was just a little underwhelming on the whole, a bunch of sparks that never erupted into fire.
This was such a lovely read! Logan's writing really is quite breathtaking and it was a pleasure to sit down and read this by candlelight in the evening.
All in all I felt quite similarly about this as I did about The Gracekeepers. It had so much atmosphere and mood, and as I've said the prose was truly beautiful. But as a whole this little collection of stories is a bit flimsy. There were quite a few I really enjoyed and thought made for great stories, but several others that, while intriguing, didn't have much impact and felt inconclusive. And I'm not sure all the stories come together effectively.
I actually do really like the framework of the novel: two moms telling stories to their unborn child. It worked just fine for me and I thought it was really sweet! My only complaint about it is that the two soon-to-be moms, Ruth and Liska, were honestly interchangeable. If their names weren't at the beginning of their respective section, I'd have had no idea who was speaking. They didn't need to be fleshed out completely - there is certainly not enough space for that! But it would have been nice if they had more distinctive voices.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to cozy up with something enchanting during a rainstorm or on a gloomy day. It makes for a very nice experience and I'd even consider rereading parts because they were so lovely. So by no means did I dislike this! It was just a little underwhelming on the whole, a bunch of sparks that never erupted into fire.
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