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Barrelling Forward
Shortlisted for the RBC Fresh Fish Award for Emerging Writers, Barrelling Forward is a brilliantly crafted debut collection set against the backdrop of the crashing oil economy in contemporary Newfoundland.
Financial uncertainty leads to interpersonal insecurity as an assortment of youthful protagonists navigate the everyday challenges of life — and making a living — on the island. What happens when the man interviewing you for a job takes you on a date to see a hypnotist? How do you get rid of a psychosomatic case of bedbugs? What’s the best way to get rid of a beaver dam? How do you tell someone you just started seeing that you didn’t know you had scabies when you hooked up? In the Cuffer Prize–winning story, “Skin and Mud,” two boys have an intimate encounter as they wander through the barrens one day after school.
Barrelling Forward is packed with unforgettable characters, vibrant humour, and acute insight into the overwhelming anxieties of new adults living their lives in the midst of a crumbling old economy.
Financial uncertainty leads to interpersonal insecurity as an assortment of youthful protagonists navigate the everyday challenges of life — and making a living — on the island. What happens when the man interviewing you for a job takes you on a date to see a hypnotist? How do you get rid of a psychosomatic case of bedbugs? What’s the best way to get rid of a beaver dam? How do you tell someone you just started seeing that you didn’t know you had scabies when you hooked up? In the Cuffer Prize–winning story, “Skin and Mud,” two boys have an intimate encounter as they wander through the barrens one day after school.
Barrelling Forward is packed with unforgettable characters, vibrant humour, and acute insight into the overwhelming anxieties of new adults living their lives in the midst of a crumbling old economy.
264 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2017
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226 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 12, 2017
This debut collection of short stories are usually set in St. John's and feature twenty-something and middle aged working class Newfoundlanders. It has some lovely understated writing, well drawn characters, and many interesting moments. My problem is that none of the stories had a narrative arc or tension. I'm all for short snapshots of everyday life, but you have to add significance. The ending of every story felt abrupt and arbitrary. Full review to come on my blog.
June 5, 2017
Funny because it's true. Heartbreaking because it's true. Surging with anxiety because it's true. Through the clatter of busing trays full of dishes and the deep silences of things unsaid, and Crocker cuts uncomfortably close to the bone. Well worth the read.
February 3, 2017
I clicked the "I'm Finished" link even though I could not finish this volume of pointless short stories. I really tried. I tried to find some meaning in each story but was rarely successful. Perhaps I just 'don't get it' but I searched and searched for imagery, symbolism and all the other ingredients to a good short story. In Barreling Forward each story has at least one sex act, which gets tedious after a while. The stories end abruptly, coming to no reasonable conclusion that makes you say to yourself: "now that was a great story". Nevertheless, I resolutely plodded on to the next story, always searching, barrelling forward, as it were. Hey, wait! Maybe that was the author's purpose: that I should use each story as a stepping stone to the next, each one getting closer to the final goal: one good short story. Sorry, Ms Crocker. There were some good moments, but not enough to make a collection like this likeable. I am curious to see what other "Goodread-ers" have to say about the book.
April 17, 2017
Wonderful stories with peculiar endings. Abrupt.
July 19, 2021
Maybe I didn’t “get” these short stories. Or maybe there was nothing to get?
March 19, 2019
Crocker is a good writer, no doubt about it. But most stories leave me wanting something more. Of course, this might be an intentional choice but sometimes it would be nice to have a conclusion. Story after story presents characters who are barrelling forward and sometimes the lack of conclusion to their stories is quite effective. Other times, it seems like a crutch to rest on for when it would be too challenging to think of an ending. Favourite stories: Dealing With Infestation, Auditioning, The Landlord, Star of the Sea. Honourable Mention: All Good, Having A Great Time. Perusing through the book now, I realize that while I enjoyed all of the stories, I have already forgotten many of their details. Overall, would recommend to anybody with an interest in up-and-coming NL writers.
February 10, 2018
A winner of a collection. Crocker’s menagerie of Newfoundland misfits dwell in almost plotless narratives that create more suspense than most Hollywood mysteries. “The Landlord” is a wonderful exercise is sustained personal paranoia.
Read more at the Redeblog.
Read more at the Redeblog.
April 6, 2017
Great collection of stories.
Contemporary St. John's done in a direct, chilling and unforgettable way.
Contemporary St. John's done in a direct, chilling and unforgettable way.
August 10, 2017
These stories were great, Eva Crocker writes with an edge and each story leaves you hungry for more. Looking forward to following this new author and reading a lot more by her!
January 6, 2019
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
It's a book of 14 short stories that are snapshots of the lives of the characters. They range from melancholic to slightly less melancholic. But mostly, they're stories about people dealing with some sort of personal hardship, as is the norm with this kind of collection. I see people upset that there's no real endings or there's no real character development. For the short amount of time we get to see these characters in their lives, it makes sense. It's a short glimpse into their lives and that's that.
Dealing with Infestation - A young teacher with a possibly imagined scabies infection dealing with his first real job and possible relationship. 3/5
Auditioning - The rebellion of a teen as she and her twin are being stage mommed into various auditions to get their big break in commercials. 4/5
The Lodge - A young male moving into his first apartment as he starts his first gay relationship. 3/5
Full-Body Experience - A woman trying to reclaim her life after the death of her boyfriend and her dog. 3/5
Serving - A family slowly drifting apart. 3/5
The Hypnotist - A woman interviewing for her first job and the date that follows. 2.5/5
Sightings - A woman at a crossroads in life is at the bachlorette party of her future sister in law. 3/5
All Good, Having a Great Time - A young model experiencing freedom from her parents for the first time. 3.5/5
All Set up - A man starting a new job to support his young family. 2.5/5
The Landlord - A college student slowly hitting rock bottom. 3/5
Star of the Sea - A man realizing that his family is moving on without him post-divorce. 3/5
Lucky Ones - A woman trying to change her lot in life by playing the lottery. 3.5/5
Dead Skin - A young man thinking of his first kiss. 3/5
Barreling Forward - A young woman and her life after her mother's death. 4/5
44/70 points = 62.8% = 3.1/5
It's a book of 14 short stories that are snapshots of the lives of the characters. They range from melancholic to slightly less melancholic. But mostly, they're stories about people dealing with some sort of personal hardship, as is the norm with this kind of collection. I see people upset that there's no real endings or there's no real character development. For the short amount of time we get to see these characters in their lives, it makes sense. It's a short glimpse into their lives and that's that.
Dealing with Infestation - A young teacher with a possibly imagined scabies infection dealing with his first real job and possible relationship. 3/5
Auditioning - The rebellion of a teen as she and her twin are being stage mommed into various auditions to get their big break in commercials. 4/5
The Lodge - A young male moving into his first apartment as he starts his first gay relationship. 3/5
Full-Body Experience - A woman trying to reclaim her life after the death of her boyfriend and her dog. 3/5
Serving - A family slowly drifting apart. 3/5
The Hypnotist - A woman interviewing for her first job and the date that follows. 2.5/5
Sightings - A woman at a crossroads in life is at the bachlorette party of her future sister in law. 3/5
All Good, Having a Great Time - A young model experiencing freedom from her parents for the first time. 3.5/5
All Set up - A man starting a new job to support his young family. 2.5/5
The Landlord - A college student slowly hitting rock bottom. 3/5
Star of the Sea - A man realizing that his family is moving on without him post-divorce. 3/5
Lucky Ones - A woman trying to change her lot in life by playing the lottery. 3.5/5
Dead Skin - A young man thinking of his first kiss. 3/5
Barreling Forward - A young woman and her life after her mother's death. 4/5
44/70 points = 62.8% = 3.1/5
January 14, 2023
The stories are nice and honest and realistic. The author cares about people and has a lot of compassion to them.
Unfortunately, almost none of the stories have any clear ending. A typical Eva Crocker’s story starts in the middle of something and finishes in the middle of something else with no apparent reason.
The author is good in describing everything her characters see. As a result, the stories are full of interesting details and random people. Most of these details are unnecessary and add nothing to the story.
The plots often look random. Like:
“I went to Montréal – spent the whole summer drinking and partying – went to New York – came back – saw a child in a park and decided to go home”.
Or:
“My boyfriend went to my dad’s cottage to help to get rid of beavers – but we couldn’t find any beavers – so, we returned home”.
The main exception is the first story where the plot seems logical.
(By the way, needless to say that when characters go to live in Montréal it never crosses their mind to learn at least some French: they are too busy with drinking and walking around to care about some “local” culture).
Rather often, it is not quite clear why a character did this or that. The author expects readers to guess… or she is not quite sure herself.
Overall, the stories are interesting as they are always about humans, their feeling, challenges, hesitations, adventures, etc. Some characters have families and/or jobs, some are very young, and still others are in their mid-twenties, but are rather immature. The later type became the main character of the next Eva Crocker’s novel, “All I Ask”, about a young woman who neither really works, nor studies and is not quite sure what to do with her life.
As a reader, I would rather prefer a novel about people who are actually doing something, but that’s the author’s choice :)
Overall, I enjoyed the book.
Unfortunately, almost none of the stories have any clear ending. A typical Eva Crocker’s story starts in the middle of something and finishes in the middle of something else with no apparent reason.
The author is good in describing everything her characters see. As a result, the stories are full of interesting details and random people. Most of these details are unnecessary and add nothing to the story.
The plots often look random. Like:
“I went to Montréal – spent the whole summer drinking and partying – went to New York – came back – saw a child in a park and decided to go home”.
Or:
“My boyfriend went to my dad’s cottage to help to get rid of beavers – but we couldn’t find any beavers – so, we returned home”.
The main exception is the first story where the plot seems logical.
(By the way, needless to say that when characters go to live in Montréal it never crosses their mind to learn at least some French: they are too busy with drinking and walking around to care about some “local” culture).
Rather often, it is not quite clear why a character did this or that. The author expects readers to guess… or she is not quite sure herself.
Overall, the stories are interesting as they are always about humans, their feeling, challenges, hesitations, adventures, etc. Some characters have families and/or jobs, some are very young, and still others are in their mid-twenties, but are rather immature. The later type became the main character of the next Eva Crocker’s novel, “All I Ask”, about a young woman who neither really works, nor studies and is not quite sure what to do with her life.
As a reader, I would rather prefer a novel about people who are actually doing something, but that’s the author’s choice :)
Overall, I enjoyed the book.
February 25, 2019
Really nice Munro-y understated stories with nice weird moments that zoom in on weird details and moments. Pretty plain stylistically, and only two stories with the kind of literary transcendental ending we’re trained to crave as readers (which I think might be a real problem, because if the endings aren’t doing the transcendental and/or horizontal movement at the end, what are they doing? Mostly, nothing at all, and that gets thin and conspicuous). Some pieces are stronger, and the two best stories are “All Set Up,” and the title-story. I look forward to seeing how Crocker’s future writing develops. Worth checking out if you like literary writing, writing set in St. John’s or MTL, or that aforementioned kind of frank Munro-y kind of feminine treatment of the everyday in great detail.
March 24, 2019
i am giving this book of short stories a grade of three, only because I found myself relating to the characters in each story - they were portrayed in a manner that the reader could somehow feel a bond with. Each main character was an underdog that I found myself rooting for. Having said that, I really did not enjoy the way that each tale just sort of dropped off into an abyss, with the story partly told and absolutely no conclusions offered. We get a beginning and a middle, but no ending to these stories. Perhaps some find that artistic and charming..... I do not. If I wanted to enjoy half of a story I would watch part of a tv program and then shut it off part way through. The author does have an obvious talent, but the style of these story endings just was not my cup of tea.
May 3, 2020
Barrelling Forward is the perfect name for this collection. These are stories that have momentum. Regardless of the setting or the characters' relationships or employment status, every story moves relentlessly forward.
I really enjoyed reading this collection. While the endings of the stories did often feel unfinished, or perhaps more accurately open-ended, I think that is what lended this book the pace it has. Each story feels like a momentary zoom in on a character or characters' lives, and we pull back to meet up with someone else, knowing that the stories are not yet finished and they will carry on without us. It feels like a very intelligent structure to the collection.
Very much looking forward to reading more from Eva Crocker.
I really enjoyed reading this collection. While the endings of the stories did often feel unfinished, or perhaps more accurately open-ended, I think that is what lended this book the pace it has. Each story feels like a momentary zoom in on a character or characters' lives, and we pull back to meet up with someone else, knowing that the stories are not yet finished and they will carry on without us. It feels like a very intelligent structure to the collection.
Very much looking forward to reading more from Eva Crocker.
July 8, 2020
Each story in this collection feels like part of a novel, and feels like it could keep going for hundreds of pages. Most of the time, I wanted them to. They don't really have endings--I got the feeling plot is not Crocker's strong suit--but the young women and men struggling through them are so vivid, I felt pretty forgiving.
As in any collection, there are winners and losers. A handful (maybe three?) of the stories dragged enough that I skipped through. Most, however, are just excellent. Deep dives into problems that don't get fixed and lives that, I sensed, would keep running long after I turned the page.
As in any collection, there are winners and losers. A handful (maybe three?) of the stories dragged enough that I skipped through. Most, however, are just excellent. Deep dives into problems that don't get fixed and lives that, I sensed, would keep running long after I turned the page.
March 16, 2018
I wish I could have enjoyed this more. It felt like it held so much potential and then was cut short before you could grasp the significance. Interesting scenarios and characters that ended so abruptly that it left me wondering if I skipped paragraphs or entire pages. Slice of life is wonderful but it felt like it was barely scratching the surface as to the meaning of it all. Or maybe the meaning is that there is no meaning to be had, just things that happen... maybe to that I would say, I need something a little more.
November 11, 2017
Lovely! I completely disagree with the reviewers who say there are no plots and no character development in these stories. It's all there in the details, it's all so heartbreakingly there. I love the snapshot style and the abrupt endings - if each story is a photograph, the reader can read in between the lines by studying what the character is looking at or thinking about for example, and piece it all together. Just great!
January 1, 2018
A few hours of my life that I can never recapture. I am not a fan of random short stories to begin with and my feeling is this book is for people much, much younger than I am. Found absolutely nothing to relate to in any of the stories. If giving it no stars was an option that is what I would choose.
Only read as it was library book club for January.
Only read as it was library book club for January.
June 8, 2017
The characters in these short stories are so real and believable to me. I was enthralled by every story and couldn't put the book down, even though when I reflect on the plot, they are all such normal situations. I look forward to reading more from this author.
August 4, 2017
Crocker's writing is lovely--smooth, dynamic, easy to read--but the stories themselves felt incomplete to me. They were snapshots of moments in life, but I didn't get any sense of an arc, or metaphor/symbolism.
November 23, 2022
Every single story left me with feelings of discomfort - probably because they were all so rough and realistic. Definitely not a feel-good book but well written and provides good representation of unromantic jobs and lifestyles.
June 29, 2017
Liked it ok - didn't love it.
Mostly 'meh'.
Think it is way over-hyped.
Mostly 'meh'.
Think it is way over-hyped.
August 5, 2017
I enjoyed these lovely short stories. I loved how abrupt the endings were and how they left me wanting more.
August 25, 2017
4.2/5.0
September 8, 2017
A collection of snippets. No character development, no plot.
This is the first book of short fiction where I have found not one story to make it worth the death of trees.
This is the first book of short fiction where I have found not one story to make it worth the death of trees.
June 6, 2018
Very strange short stories...
July 11, 2019
I really wanted to enjoy these short stories... but it wasn't my cup of tea. Lots of darkness and zero resolution.
January 25, 2024
Great stories. Felt some ended too quickly, but nice slice of life.
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April 26, 2025Yes to Eva Crocker. Writing about the mundane is difficult to add such color and imagination
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews