こうしてイギリスから熊がいなくなりました

by Mick Jackson, ミック・ジャクソン, 田内 志文 (Translator)

昔々、森を徘徊する悪魔と言われた「熊精霊」。通夜で豪華な食事とともに故人の罪を食べる「罪喰い熊」。服を着て綱渡りをさせられた「サーカスの熊」。ロンドンの地下に閉じこめられ、汚物を川へ運ぶ労役につかされた「下水熊」。人間に紛れて潜水士として働く「市民熊」。皮肉とユーモアを交えて独特の世界観で描かれる8つの奇妙な熊の物語。『10の奇妙な話』の著者がイギリスで絶滅してしまった熊に捧げる大人のための寓話。イラスト=デイヴィッド・ロバーツ。

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Animals, Mythology, Fiction

165 pages, 単行本

First published July 2, 2009

About the author

Mick Jackson (born 1960) is a British writer from England, best known for his novel The Underground Man (1997). The book, based on the life of William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and for the 1997 Whitbread Award for best first novel.

Mick Jackson was born in 1960, in Great Harwood, Lancashire, and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn.

Jackson worked in local theatre, studied theatre arts at Dartington College of Arts, and played in a rock band called The Screaming Abdabs. In 1990, he enrolled in a creative writing course at the University of East Anglia, and began working on The Underground Man. He has been a full-time writer since 1995.

Jackson's other works are the novels Five Boys (2002) and The Widow's Tale (2010), and the short story collections Ten Sorry Tales (2006) and The Bears of England (2009). Under the pseudonym Kirkham Jackson, he wrote the screenplay for the 2004 television film Roman Road. He lives in Brighton.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 - Afternoon Reading:
In the days before electric light and oil lamps most of England was troubled by spirit bears. But one village believed itself to be victim to an especially wicked gang and sought to find an answer.

Adapted by Booker-nominated writer Mick Jackson from his collection 'Bears Of England.'

Reader: Ian Holm

Producer: Karen Rose
A Sweet Talk production for BBC Radio 4.

[Ben Thurley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully weird collection of stories, tracing out an alternate history of England in which bears of all kinds play a strange, if often unacknowledged role. The sin-eating bears who consume offerings left for them, along with the sins of the recently deceased, in order to allow them to rest in peace. The bears, trapped in the sewers of Victorian London, who keep the city clean.

There is an understated comic-gothic beauty to Jackson's writing (matched nicely by David Roberts' illustrations). There is also – despite the offbeat subject matter – a deep and poignant yearning for a reckoning with a nation's history, a longing for the forgiveness for sins against man and beast, for a release that can only be found when bears march, unimpeded, across the English countryside.

In the days before electric light and oil lamps, the night imposed its own abysmal tyranny, and daylight’s surrender was measured out in strict division. Sunset gave way to Twilight, just as Evening preceded Candle-Time. Bedtime was hope’s last bastion. Beyond that, there was nothing but Dead of Night.

Dead of Night was like an entombment – a heavy stone slowly lowered onto every home. It eclipsed the past and obscured the future. Hope and reason crept away. And in their absence the world was altered. The night’s actions were a mystery.

Filled to the brim with every sort of ignorance and superstition, no Englishman would dare venture out at Dead of Night, for fear of being swallowed up by it. Every door was locked and bolted, and remained so right through those awful hours, until deliverance finally arrived at first cockcrow. Prior to that, every scratch and scrape, every rattle of leaf was thought to be the work of some demon, some twisted malevolence out among the trees. And in the villagers’ imagination that evil found its most common incarnation in the form of Spirit Bears.

[Sibyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a weird and wonderful book.
It's half magical realism, half pseudo-social history.
The illustrations are gorgeous.
It's about human beings as much as it is about bears. (Though I did believe utterly in the bears.)
A brilliant, utterly orginal, piece of storytelling.

[Patrick Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ostensibly a short story collection, but what a bizarre and pleasing hook to hang them on. So imaginative and well-spun, cohesive and driven. I absolutely will read everything else this man has ever written. Just delightful. And the Gorey-esque illustrations were simply wonderful accompaniment.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, this is a beautifully illustrated book, and to hold it in your hands and look through the pages is such a treat for the eyes. The stories themselves are full of pathos, horror, humour and have a way of creeping under your skin, so that you can almost believe that the bears of England truly existed.
It is a beautiful book for dipping in and out of, reading and re-reading, and letting life slow down while you escape for a while.

[Lauren Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny in some places dark and historical in others. Can suit kids but I'm an adult who read it for an evening. I have a friend with a 9-year-old son who I recommended it to and he loved it.

[Simon Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, unique, endearing, charming, clever and memorable.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this...it is split into short stories about the different types of bears so I would read one occasionally in between reading other books. However, when I got to about the half-way point I got really addicted and couldn't stop until I'd finished the whole thing. I would definitely say the last 3 stories were my favourites. I love quirky books like this and loved how it all came together at the end. I would have liked more illustrations, and maybe in colour like the beautiful cover art. However, the illustrations that are included are lovely and match the text well. I have asked for '10 Sorry Tales' for Christmas and am looking forward to reading that one.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me ages to finish, not because it wasn't readable and entertaining but - I think - because short story collections don't make me feel as though I'm in the middle of something. If I leave off at the end of a story, it feels done and I forget to go back.

The collection itself is cute and quirky - I gave an extra star just for the premise, so it's three stars for me really; I liked each story well enough but didn't love any of them particularly.

[Lacer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book, a sort of fake history of bears in England and these bears perform complex acts in circuses and then all escape or bears that clean out sewers. I enjoyed the book's conversational tone and I particularly liked the illustrations by David Roberts.

[Jane Potter]

Beautifully written! Dark and quirky short stories.
Only a British writer could pull this off.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read - whimsical yet mythic.

[Litro Magazine]

Litro Magazine's review by author Ali Shaw: http://www.litro.co.uk/?p=1485

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A queer little set of stories...cartoonish, fanciful, and sad, with strong undercurrents of social commentary.

[Robert Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing and pretty unique - reminds me a little bit of the dark fairy tale style of Tim Burton's Oyster Boy stuff.