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Love Bites: Short Story Collection
“Both delicate and tough” — Joan Barfoot, Man Booker longlisted author of Critical Injuries
“Lyrical, moving and unexpected” — Erinna Mettler, author of Fifteen Minutes
Love Bites is a collection of 13 stories that trace the paths of foreigners, drifters and eccentrics linked by their need for acknowledgment and how do they cope on unfamiliar ground? Themes of isolation, loss, and a desire for connection recur when strangers reach out to other strangers for stability.
A mysterious older woman and an alienated foreigner, lost on a crowded London street, bond in their search for home. A single woman consults a soothsayer about family problems before he lures her into his own conflict. A former life model and her overgrown son prey on a tourist in a Parisian garden. Interconnected scenes in Montreal, Paris and Toronto are linked by bizarre accidents and those who witness them.
Love Bites reveals a kaleidoscope of human experience wherein the reader witnesses everyday exiles.
Beguiling, fleeting glimpses of the lives of others. - Goodreads reviewer
It’s a marvellous gallery of characters and situations, short stories set mostly in cities such as Paris and London, which draw you in intimately and leave you wanting more. - Goodreads reviewer
Elena Kaufman has a real gift for tiptoeing along the knife edge of comedy and tragedy. - Goodreads reviewer
“Lyrical, moving and unexpected” — Erinna Mettler, author of Fifteen Minutes
Love Bites is a collection of 13 stories that trace the paths of foreigners, drifters and eccentrics linked by their need for acknowledgment and how do they cope on unfamiliar ground? Themes of isolation, loss, and a desire for connection recur when strangers reach out to other strangers for stability.
A mysterious older woman and an alienated foreigner, lost on a crowded London street, bond in their search for home. A single woman consults a soothsayer about family problems before he lures her into his own conflict. A former life model and her overgrown son prey on a tourist in a Parisian garden. Interconnected scenes in Montreal, Paris and Toronto are linked by bizarre accidents and those who witness them.
Love Bites reveals a kaleidoscope of human experience wherein the reader witnesses everyday exiles.
Beguiling, fleeting glimpses of the lives of others. - Goodreads reviewer
It’s a marvellous gallery of characters and situations, short stories set mostly in cities such as Paris and London, which draw you in intimately and leave you wanting more. - Goodreads reviewer
Elena Kaufman has a real gift for tiptoeing along the knife edge of comedy and tragedy. - Goodreads reviewer
- GenresShort Stories
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2018
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 22, 2021
4.5
Love Bites is a well-written, unique and thought-provoking short-story collection, with divers characters and inspiring tales of love, loss, despair, courage, hope and life.
Love Bites is a well-written, unique and thought-provoking short-story collection, with divers characters and inspiring tales of love, loss, despair, courage, hope and life.
April 8, 2018
Brilliant short stories, there is something for everyone..
April 6, 2018
This was a book of short stories, some I really enjoyed and some that left me wondering what I had just read and had I missed the point.
Thanks to Pigeonhole and Elena Kaufman for the chance to read it.
Thanks to Pigeonhole and Elena Kaufman for the chance to read it.
November 3, 2022
A beautiful collection of stories and characters. Elena does a wonderful job of creating sensorial, engrossing settings and characters that stick with you. My favourites were the unstoppable Iris Katz and her mouse nibbles; and dear Lotte, spilling her soul out, on the CB radio.
April 6, 2018
This is a collection of short stories that follow various people who are not where they started out. They are immigrants, eccentrics and those who really don't want to be where they are. Themes include loss, isolation/ loneliness and difference.
Stories that particularly stood out for me, were the story about a girl who loses her leg, the elderly woman trying to escaper her old people's home if only she could remember what she's supposed to be doing, and the woman who goes to see a 'Sheikh' for family relationship advice.
All of the stories made me stop and think - mainly about what I would have done in their circumstances. Very thought provoking.
Stories that particularly stood out for me, were the story about a girl who loses her leg, the elderly woman trying to escaper her old people's home if only she could remember what she's supposed to be doing, and the woman who goes to see a 'Sheikh' for family relationship advice.
All of the stories made me stop and think - mainly about what I would have done in their circumstances. Very thought provoking.
April 19, 2018
I really enjoyed these sometimes strange, sometimes delicate, sometimes eerie 13 little stories. The common theme of the characters in each story was their aloneness and how they found whatever companionship and answers they needed. The range of situations was greatly varied and very well created with an emphasis on visual. I would love to read more from this author.
April 6, 2018
A collection of darkly humorous and heart-wrenching tales that sometimes achieve both those things in the same sentence! The stories have a fantastic, evocative sense of place that's hugely transporting. My favourites were the ones about a missing limb and a really involving tale set in an old people's home. Elena Kaufman has a real gift for tiptoeing along the knife edge of comedy and tragedy. Can't wait to read more of her stuff.
April 5, 2018
I‘ve just finished reading Love Bites by Elena Kaufman, stave by stave with The Pigeonhole. It’s a marvellous gallery of characters and situations, short stories set mostly in cities such as Paris and London, which draw you in intimately and leave you wanting more. I enjoyed them all but, in particular, loved the one about a girl with one leg and another entitled ‘Infertile Land’ about carrots, groundhogs and hope. I’ll be looking out for more of Elena Kaufman’s writing.
April 6, 2018
This collection of stories was like a platter loaded with tasty empanadas. You were never quite sure whether it was going to be a tasty bite, or it would blow your mind with spice and linger long in the memory. Some were filling but not quite so tasty but on the whole this collection offers something for everyone. Thank you Elena for your comments and insights.
April 5, 2018
This is a collection of short stories based in different countries. Some of the stories were easy to follow and appreciate whilst others left me a little baffled as if I had missed the purpose or the punchline of the plot. Nevertheless I did enjoy reading the Love Bite collection of short stories.
With thanks to Pigeonhole for releasing the stories in sections.
With thanks to Pigeonhole for releasing the stories in sections.
April 9, 2018
Captivating short stories, some intriguing, some shocking, some hopeful and full of promise, some just plain bizarre! I enjoyed this collection, thankyou to pigeonhole for the free copy.
April 5, 2018
Beguiling, fleeting glimpses of the lives of others.
April 13, 2018
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this book which I truly loved . While a variation on a theme , each story was quite different . Quirky , surprising , unique and fascinating, I was sorry when it was finished . Looking forward to reading more of Elena’s books .
August 18, 2018
This is a thought-provoking collection of extremely well-written short stories. Each is an intimate snapshot. Some end openly leaving the reader to mull over any unanswered questions, as if to let them complete the tale.
I did wonder about the title. The running theme is love, but then love runs through nearly all short stories in one form or another. But these stories are bite-sized. Perhaps the word “bites” is a verb? This would be fitting for some, but alas not all, of the stories.
By their very nature, some of these tales hit the reader’s buttons, others not so much. However, all the stories are carefully written, have class and linger in the reader’s mind long after the reading. Indeed, many of them would benefit from a second reading.
Outlining the stories would not do them justice (like describing a Gabriel Garcia Marquez story), but to show the thematic variety I will mention just four, one from each of the four sections. In the opening section titled “Paris” is Sunday in the park with Betty. This is such a bizarre story it simply must be true. In “Vancouver (and further afield)” the psychology of a schoolgirl who’s lost a limb is detailed. In “London” the story Un-united/Re-united addresses several issues in a very human way that is poignant and brutal. Finally, the story Poisonwood Gods under “Hawaii” is a study in suspense.
All in all, there is something for everyone in this volume. Well done, Elena.
I did wonder about the title. The running theme is love, but then love runs through nearly all short stories in one form or another. But these stories are bite-sized. Perhaps the word “bites” is a verb? This would be fitting for some, but alas not all, of the stories.
By their very nature, some of these tales hit the reader’s buttons, others not so much. However, all the stories are carefully written, have class and linger in the reader’s mind long after the reading. Indeed, many of them would benefit from a second reading.
Outlining the stories would not do them justice (like describing a Gabriel Garcia Marquez story), but to show the thematic variety I will mention just four, one from each of the four sections. In the opening section titled “Paris” is Sunday in the park with Betty. This is such a bizarre story it simply must be true. In “Vancouver (and further afield)” the psychology of a schoolgirl who’s lost a limb is detailed. In “London” the story Un-united/Re-united addresses several issues in a very human way that is poignant and brutal. Finally, the story Poisonwood Gods under “Hawaii” is a study in suspense.
All in all, there is something for everyone in this volume. Well done, Elena.
July 18, 2018
In this book of wonderfully written short stories I found myself relating to characters I never thought I could have anything in common with. The book really subverted my expectations and is full of interesting characters that find themselves — in one way or another — in challenging situations.
The stories range from whimsical, through mysterious, to weird & emotional, and they challenged at times — and thus widened — my definition of what love is (in a good way).
The "Candyman", for example, had quite a whimsical feel to it. The mystery with a tinge of darkness left wanting more.
My favourite story probably was "Phantom Appendage". Without revealing too much: it's a refreshing, apolitical take on the topic of gender.
I truly enjoyed reading the book and loved the style of the author. She really creates an enticing atmosphere with her words and I've re-read my favourite stories a few times since.
Love "bites" in many ways, but I was excited that I learned even more ways through this book, that I would have never thought about.
The stories range from whimsical, through mysterious, to weird & emotional, and they challenged at times — and thus widened — my definition of what love is (in a good way).
The "Candyman", for example, had quite a whimsical feel to it. The mystery with a tinge of darkness left wanting more.
My favourite story probably was "Phantom Appendage". Without revealing too much: it's a refreshing, apolitical take on the topic of gender.
I truly enjoyed reading the book and loved the style of the author. She really creates an enticing atmosphere with her words and I've re-read my favourite stories a few times since.
Love "bites" in many ways, but I was excited that I learned even more ways through this book, that I would have never thought about.
May 31, 2018
I read this book of wonderful short stories in the same way I read Maupassant's Quinze Contes while studying them for 'A' level many, many years ago. That is; I dipped in and out, often went back to re-read an earlier story and always put the book down for a day or two at the end of a story to think about what I had read.
Elena's collection was just as intriguing and varied as the one by the writer we used to call "The French Guy". Set in locations as varied as remote Hawaii and a bustling London, Toronto or Paris, each story in Love Bites is a beautifully crafted thing, like one of those tiny boxwood carvings from 16th century Flanders.
Highlights, for me at least, include: the accurate whilst still sympathetic portrait of a dementia sufferer in Love Bites; the fatuous list of things - according to her friends - that Carmen should be doing in Paris (and I loved the name of the café) in 'Lost Time'. A special mention for the menace of the final tale 'Poisonwood Gods.
In all honesty, I could have reeled off some exquisite detail or outlined each clever premise for every story in "Love Bites" but that would, I think, have denied any new reader of the immense pleasure of discovering them for themselves. I started this review by mentioning the author of some of the greatest short stories I know, Elena Kaufman's stories are no less worth the reading.
Elena's collection was just as intriguing and varied as the one by the writer we used to call "The French Guy". Set in locations as varied as remote Hawaii and a bustling London, Toronto or Paris, each story in Love Bites is a beautifully crafted thing, like one of those tiny boxwood carvings from 16th century Flanders.
Highlights, for me at least, include: the accurate whilst still sympathetic portrait of a dementia sufferer in Love Bites; the fatuous list of things - according to her friends - that Carmen should be doing in Paris (and I loved the name of the café) in 'Lost Time'. A special mention for the menace of the final tale 'Poisonwood Gods.
In all honesty, I could have reeled off some exquisite detail or outlined each clever premise for every story in "Love Bites" but that would, I think, have denied any new reader of the immense pleasure of discovering them for themselves. I started this review by mentioning the author of some of the greatest short stories I know, Elena Kaufman's stories are no less worth the reading.
May 11, 2018
Love Bites is an engrossing and titillating collection of short stories set in Elena Kaufmann's native Canada, France and England. I am always drawn to stories set in different places of the world as they address the international and universal nature of the themes and characters. There is startling imagery everywhere, but particularly in the titular Love Bites and Candyman. In another, a woman who meets an ex-lover drinks wine with him, wine that smelled like "strawberries and freshly chopped wood". There were "tears that sprang like little bombs" in the story about a recent amputee, a schoolgirl who now has to cope with her $3000 prosthetic leg and blames her mother for her accident. This story also had a gripping teenage narrator voice. Elena Kaufmann is particularly good at writing about the elderly, and infirmed, again in Love Bites and in another, set in a nursing home where an elderly Jewish lady was planning her escape. I found this collection moving, gripping and entertaining. I highly recommend it.
April 22, 2018
First off, I feel like I need say for the sake of transparency that I know the author personally. That being said, I have tried not to let that influence my thoughts on Love Bites, as much as I can control.
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. They are varied, and while the theme broadly stated in the introduction is protagonists looking for a home, it is expressed in enough different ways that each story is unique and interesting. The flip side of this is that some stories were stronger than others, some resonated with me more than others, but all in all a very strong collection and an enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. They are varied, and while the theme broadly stated in the introduction is protagonists looking for a home, it is expressed in enough different ways that each story is unique and interesting. The flip side of this is that some stories were stronger than others, some resonated with me more than others, but all in all a very strong collection and an enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews