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Being Various: New Irish Short Stories
Featuring brand new short stories from Kevin Barry, Eimear McBride, Belinda McKeon, Lisa McInerney, Danielle McLaughlin, Stuart Neville, Sally Rooney, Kit de Waal and many more.Ireland is going through a golden age of that has never been more apparent. I wanted to capture something of the energy of this explosion, in all its variousness... Following her own acclaimed short-story collection, Multitudes, Lucy Caldwell guest-edits the sixth volume of Faber's long-running series of all new Irish short stories, continuing the work of the late David Marcus and subsequent guest editors, Joseph O'Connor, Kevin Barry and Deirdre Madden.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 2, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
June 27, 2022
As one of the reviewers here has already noted, short story collections from a host of different writers tend to be a mixed bag. There is usually such a variety of voices - not all of them will appeal to every reader, but there should be at least something to cater for every taste. And Being Various is no exception to this rule, the sixth Faber volume of Irish writers.
It's compiled by Lucy Caldwell, a practitioner of the short format herself, and one of considerable renown. She hails from Belfast, and decided to assemble this selection of tales written after the Good Friday Agreement, the most seismic event in modern Irish history.
And to my mind, it starts off with one of the weakest stories (Yan Ge's endeavour), though it seems my opinion on that is in the minority. But the quality soon picks up with strong efforts from the likes of Sally Rooney and Kevin Barry. However, my favourites came from names that are perhaps less-heralded. Transactions, by Sheila Purdy, tells of a woman who is woken at night to the news of her brother in hospital, and the unsettling way in which she may have contributed to his condition. Jack's Return Home, by Adrian McKinty, is about a girl who travels back to Belfast for her father's funeral, and finds herself dragged into the family business of criminality, despite her previous efforts to escape. Strongest of all was Stuart Neville's Echoes, a haunting tale of a young boy and the ghost of a sibling that a grief-stricken household can never let go of.
It all serves as an excellent introduction to the most notable voices in modern Irish fiction. Though there were some stories I was glad to see the back of, the quality of other tales really shone through. Being Various shows that the Irish short story is in rude health right now and I look forward to the next Faber anthology with great relish.
It's compiled by Lucy Caldwell, a practitioner of the short format herself, and one of considerable renown. She hails from Belfast, and decided to assemble this selection of tales written after the Good Friday Agreement, the most seismic event in modern Irish history.
And to my mind, it starts off with one of the weakest stories (Yan Ge's endeavour), though it seems my opinion on that is in the minority. But the quality soon picks up with strong efforts from the likes of Sally Rooney and Kevin Barry. However, my favourites came from names that are perhaps less-heralded. Transactions, by Sheila Purdy, tells of a woman who is woken at night to the news of her brother in hospital, and the unsettling way in which she may have contributed to his condition. Jack's Return Home, by Adrian McKinty, is about a girl who travels back to Belfast for her father's funeral, and finds herself dragged into the family business of criminality, despite her previous efforts to escape. Strongest of all was Stuart Neville's Echoes, a haunting tale of a young boy and the ghost of a sibling that a grief-stricken household can never let go of.
It all serves as an excellent introduction to the most notable voices in modern Irish fiction. Though there were some stories I was glad to see the back of, the quality of other tales really shone through. Being Various shows that the Irish short story is in rude health right now and I look forward to the next Faber anthology with great relish.
October 9, 2022
4,5/5
genialna.
genialna.
April 16, 2025
Excellent collection. A stellar line up - I've read novels and/or short story collections by all of the following: Paul McVeigh, Kit de Waal, Wendy Erskine, Kevin Barry, David Hayden, Sally Rooney, Nicole Flattery, Danielle McLaughlin, Elsie Rahill, Jan Carson, Eimear McBride, Lisa McInerny, and they all turn in good pieces here - is complemented by many new names to me. The definition of Irishness is refreshingly broad, De Waal, e.g., was born in Birmingham (UK) and lives in England but qualifies as a parent is Irish, likewise new immigrants to Ireland are included (e.g. Yan Ge).
The title of the collection (a quote from Louis Macneice) is therefore appropriate.
The title of the collection (a quote from Louis Macneice) is therefore appropriate.
January 7, 2020
I was thoroughly impressed by Lucy Caldwell's short story collection, Multitudes, which I recently reviewed. I was therefore even more keen than I had previously been to see which stories she had selected for an edited collection, entitled Being Various: New Irish Short Stories.
When skimming through the contents page of Being Various in my local library, I found a lot of authors whom I had never heard of; this is something which I love in thematic anthologies such as this one. Amongst the new-to-me names were quite a lot of authors whom I already know and admire - Danielle McLaughlin, Louise O'Neill, Belinda McKeon, Eimear McBride, Sally Rooney, and Sinead Gleeson are particular favourites.
In Being Various, Caldwell was keen to bring together contributors from Northern Ireland and the Republic, all of whom have been published since the Good Friday Agreement. The stories here have been specially commissioned for this anthology, and therefore cannot be found anywhere else. In her introduction, Caldwell comments: 'Ireland is going through a golden age of writing: that has never been more apparent. I wanted to capture something of the energy of this explosion, in all its variousness... Writers who are truly the inheritors of Bowen and O'Faolain, telling twenty-first-century stories with effortless elegance and grace.'
Caldwell goes on to reflect: 'I thought about how far Ireland has come in my lifetime and how far it has to go.' She wanted to highlight this, and welcomed tales of 'subjects that have long been unspoken or dismissed or taboo, with a ferocity and unsentimentality that's breathtaking.' Indeed, the stories deal with a lot of pivotal and topical themes - puberty, separation, change, eating disorders, death; what it means to belong, and to grow up, and to feel.
There is some really beautiful writing to be found within Being Various. In 'A Partial List of the Saved', for instance, author Danielle McLaughlin writes: 'The last time they'd travelled this road it had been summertime, not a dull day like this one, but a glorious day with the sun beating down... and bodies, eerily pale, prostrate on lawns like pieces of salt cod left to dry. Today the fields were shrouded in drizzle. The light was otherworldly, silver on the distant surface of the bog lakes.'
I find Irish fiction entirely engaging, and this short story collection reminded me why. There are so many moments of clear-eyed brilliance here; so many fully-formed characters; so much emphasis upon what makes up real life. There are characters who move to Ireland and away, and some who return to it. The focus of Louise O'Neill's 'Legends' is a young girl with an eating disorder, her 'waistbands skimming empty spaces where flesh used to reside, the number on the weighing scales decreasing every day'; Elske Rahill's 'Stretch Marks' has at its heart a woman set adrift by her latest pregnancy: 'The baby shifts under her skin, hooking a piece of itself into her rib - a hand or a foot. It must be mid-afternoon at least. Thursday afternoon. Beside the bed, two slices of toast have cooled and warped.'
Being Various presents a bold collection of stories, the majority of them realist, but with a little magical realism creeping in from time to time. Every single story captured my attention, and I found a lot to enjoy here, and a lot to admire. Even those which I did not like as much were very good stylistically. The stories are so diverse that they can be read one after another, and still be entirely memorable. There is striking imagery, and a lot of hard-hitting content, and I cannot recommend Being Various enough.
When skimming through the contents page of Being Various in my local library, I found a lot of authors whom I had never heard of; this is something which I love in thematic anthologies such as this one. Amongst the new-to-me names were quite a lot of authors whom I already know and admire - Danielle McLaughlin, Louise O'Neill, Belinda McKeon, Eimear McBride, Sally Rooney, and Sinead Gleeson are particular favourites.
In Being Various, Caldwell was keen to bring together contributors from Northern Ireland and the Republic, all of whom have been published since the Good Friday Agreement. The stories here have been specially commissioned for this anthology, and therefore cannot be found anywhere else. In her introduction, Caldwell comments: 'Ireland is going through a golden age of writing: that has never been more apparent. I wanted to capture something of the energy of this explosion, in all its variousness... Writers who are truly the inheritors of Bowen and O'Faolain, telling twenty-first-century stories with effortless elegance and grace.'
Caldwell goes on to reflect: 'I thought about how far Ireland has come in my lifetime and how far it has to go.' She wanted to highlight this, and welcomed tales of 'subjects that have long been unspoken or dismissed or taboo, with a ferocity and unsentimentality that's breathtaking.' Indeed, the stories deal with a lot of pivotal and topical themes - puberty, separation, change, eating disorders, death; what it means to belong, and to grow up, and to feel.
There is some really beautiful writing to be found within Being Various. In 'A Partial List of the Saved', for instance, author Danielle McLaughlin writes: 'The last time they'd travelled this road it had been summertime, not a dull day like this one, but a glorious day with the sun beating down... and bodies, eerily pale, prostrate on lawns like pieces of salt cod left to dry. Today the fields were shrouded in drizzle. The light was otherworldly, silver on the distant surface of the bog lakes.'
I find Irish fiction entirely engaging, and this short story collection reminded me why. There are so many moments of clear-eyed brilliance here; so many fully-formed characters; so much emphasis upon what makes up real life. There are characters who move to Ireland and away, and some who return to it. The focus of Louise O'Neill's 'Legends' is a young girl with an eating disorder, her 'waistbands skimming empty spaces where flesh used to reside, the number on the weighing scales decreasing every day'; Elske Rahill's 'Stretch Marks' has at its heart a woman set adrift by her latest pregnancy: 'The baby shifts under her skin, hooking a piece of itself into her rib - a hand or a foot. It must be mid-afternoon at least. Thursday afternoon. Beside the bed, two slices of toast have cooled and warped.'
Being Various presents a bold collection of stories, the majority of them realist, but with a little magical realism creeping in from time to time. Every single story captured my attention, and I found a lot to enjoy here, and a lot to admire. Even those which I did not like as much were very good stylistically. The stories are so diverse that they can be read one after another, and still be entirely memorable. There is striking imagery, and a lot of hard-hitting content, and I cannot recommend Being Various enough.
April 5, 2021
Heerlijk
September 5, 2019
Tough book to rate as story collections often are. Every few years Faber & Faber bring out a collection of contemporary Irish short stories. Obviously the Irish are celebrated for the form so the expectations are always super high!
'Being Various' by Lucy Caldwell is a well-chosen tapestry of Irish life, in it's vibrant totality (Northern Ireland is represented), there's a lot of Irish abroad and in London and fantastic additions by immigrant writers to Ireland. Lucy Caldwell wrote a fantastic intro about the concept of modern Irishness and what it means. It is a thoughtful piece and as other reviewers have said it was a pity that there wasn't a short story by herself included in the collection.
I loved some stories:
'How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan' by Yan Ge, 'Pillars' by Jan Carson and 'Colour and Light' by Sally Rooney really stood out as strong, modern love stories with protagonists struggling with the alienation of the modern world and craving intimacy yet not quite being able to touch the void. '
A Partial List of the Saved' by Danielle McLaughlin was also in this vein, while cleverly working in themes of family love, legacy, marriage and tragedy in one story. It has many honest observations of the minutiae of Irish life. 'Alienation' by Arja Kajermo and 'Who' s Dead McCarthy 'by Kevin Barry were also well-observed depictions. I enjoyed' Privacy' by Belinda Mckeon, set in the states and in that twilight world of having a baby. The best story in the collection in my view was probably 'Jack' s Return Home' by Adrian McKinty. It's brilliantly darkly comic story looking ath the effects of sectarian violence on a family and subverting our expectations with a brilliant lesbian protagonist. Very much in the vein of Martin McDonagh.
There were a few stories in there that were good but that I'm bored of, I feel like I've read before in many guises.. The child abuse insinuations, the gritty life stuff, it's not my cup of tea at the moment and feels incredibly stale.
Very worthwhile collection all-in-all once again the Irish story tellers do not disappoint.
'Being Various' by Lucy Caldwell is a well-chosen tapestry of Irish life, in it's vibrant totality (Northern Ireland is represented), there's a lot of Irish abroad and in London and fantastic additions by immigrant writers to Ireland. Lucy Caldwell wrote a fantastic intro about the concept of modern Irishness and what it means. It is a thoughtful piece and as other reviewers have said it was a pity that there wasn't a short story by herself included in the collection.
I loved some stories:
'How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan' by Yan Ge, 'Pillars' by Jan Carson and 'Colour and Light' by Sally Rooney really stood out as strong, modern love stories with protagonists struggling with the alienation of the modern world and craving intimacy yet not quite being able to touch the void. '
A Partial List of the Saved' by Danielle McLaughlin was also in this vein, while cleverly working in themes of family love, legacy, marriage and tragedy in one story. It has many honest observations of the minutiae of Irish life. 'Alienation' by Arja Kajermo and 'Who' s Dead McCarthy 'by Kevin Barry were also well-observed depictions. I enjoyed' Privacy' by Belinda Mckeon, set in the states and in that twilight world of having a baby. The best story in the collection in my view was probably 'Jack' s Return Home' by Adrian McKinty. It's brilliantly darkly comic story looking ath the effects of sectarian violence on a family and subverting our expectations with a brilliant lesbian protagonist. Very much in the vein of Martin McDonagh.
There were a few stories in there that were good but that I'm bored of, I feel like I've read before in many guises.. The child abuse insinuations, the gritty life stuff, it's not my cup of tea at the moment and feels incredibly stale.
Very worthwhile collection all-in-all once again the Irish story tellers do not disappoint.
September 28, 2019
Methinks Lucy Caldwell thought she was pulling off a coup hiding one of my favorite authors within this collection of new and aspiring writers of Irish literature. There are many youthful contributions that I am a bit over the hill to fully appreciate but I did enjoy some of the stories more than others. Themes of dating, family, domestic struggles, birthing and other topics regarding life in Ireland were covered.
And then...I find "Jack's Return" by Adrian McKinty tucked in at page 237. My reward for sticking with the book! As he is one of my favorite authors I was surprised to find him in this collection but happy I stuck with it. It's a good one.
Library Loan
And then...I find "Jack's Return" by Adrian McKinty tucked in at page 237. My reward for sticking with the book! As he is one of my favorite authors I was surprised to find him in this collection but happy I stuck with it. It's a good one.
Library Loan
February 28, 2022
Daje super przekrój spojrzeń na Irlandię i współczesną „irlandzkość”, jak już mnie zachwyciło to zachwyciło bardzo, a nawet te gorsze teksty są ciekawe, czy to pod względem pomysłów, czy formy. Irlandia daje bardzo dużo literaturze <3
April 20, 2023
Takie 3,5-3,75
August 1, 2021
Lucy Caldwell zebrała w antologii opowiadań szeroki wachlarz współczesnych irlandzkich pisarzy, autorów złotego wieku irlandzkiego pisarstwa. Tych Irlandczyków z dziada pradziada. Tych z rodzin imigrantów. Tych urodzonych w Irlandii a mieszkających obecnie w innym miejcu i tych urodzonych poza wyspą, ale mocno z Irlandią związanych. Zresztą to wszystko opisane wspaniale we wstępie książki (nie przegapcie tego fragmentu!).
I jak to bywa ze zbiorem opowiadań jedne podobały mi się bardziej inne mniej, ale u mnie podzieliło się to tak, że teksty z pierwszej połowy książki podobały mi się bardzo, a te z drugiej w większości przypadły mi do gustu znacznie mniej. Być może te odczucia spowodowane zmęczeniem materiału przez krótką formę, a może zwyczajnie te początkowe były bardziej w moim stylu? Zalecam jednak nie popełniać mojego błędu i nie rzucać się na nie jednym ciągiem lecz dawkować powoli.
Niemniej sporo w tym zbiorze świeżości i nowoczesnych historii miłosnych. Historii współczesnych z problemami dzisiejszego świata. Sporo też tematów trudnych choć podobało mi się, że zazwyczaj nie podanych wprost na tacy lecz takich, które wyłapuje się między wierszami. Jest o relacjach, dojrzewaniu, wyobcowaniu, o zaburzeniach odżywiania czy stracie dziecka. Różnorodne perspektywy a nawet różne gatunki bo znajdziecie tu miejscami realizm magiczny. Piękne to pisarstwo, nie zaprzeczę, ale ta druga polowa trochę mnie zmęczyła, więc jak już wspomniałam wyżej, czytajcie małymi partiami!
Ach no i zapomniałabym, a nie można tego nie zaznaczyć - opowiadania przetłumaczone zostały przez grupę wspaniałych tłumaczy, więc nawet dla samych genialnych przekładów warto po „Niepoprawną mnogość” sięgnąć.
I jak to bywa ze zbiorem opowiadań jedne podobały mi się bardziej inne mniej, ale u mnie podzieliło się to tak, że teksty z pierwszej połowy książki podobały mi się bardzo, a te z drugiej w większości przypadły mi do gustu znacznie mniej. Być może te odczucia spowodowane zmęczeniem materiału przez krótką formę, a może zwyczajnie te początkowe były bardziej w moim stylu? Zalecam jednak nie popełniać mojego błędu i nie rzucać się na nie jednym ciągiem lecz dawkować powoli.
Niemniej sporo w tym zbiorze świeżości i nowoczesnych historii miłosnych. Historii współczesnych z problemami dzisiejszego świata. Sporo też tematów trudnych choć podobało mi się, że zazwyczaj nie podanych wprost na tacy lecz takich, które wyłapuje się między wierszami. Jest o relacjach, dojrzewaniu, wyobcowaniu, o zaburzeniach odżywiania czy stracie dziecka. Różnorodne perspektywy a nawet różne gatunki bo znajdziecie tu miejscami realizm magiczny. Piękne to pisarstwo, nie zaprzeczę, ale ta druga polowa trochę mnie zmęczyła, więc jak już wspomniałam wyżej, czytajcie małymi partiami!
Ach no i zapomniałabym, a nie można tego nie zaznaczyć - opowiadania przetłumaczone zostały przez grupę wspaniałych tłumaczy, więc nawet dla samych genialnych przekładów warto po „Niepoprawną mnogość” sięgnąć.
December 4, 2022
"Niepoprawna mnogość" to antologia 24 opowiadań współczesnych pisarzy irlandzkich pod redakcją Lucy Caldwell. Znalazły się tu opowiadania osób urodzonych w Irlandii, ale również imigrantów i emigrantów. Dominują opowiadania napisane przez kobiety. W zbiorze pojawiają się nazwiska znane już w Polsce: Sally Rooney, Eimear McBride, Louise O'Neill czy Kevin Barry.
Tłumaczenia podjęli się świetni polscy tłumacze i tłumaczki. Znajdziemy tu przekłady Agi Zano, Jerzego Kozłowskiego, Krzysztofa Cieślika, Łukasza Buchalskiego czy Dobromiły Jankowskiej.
Nie spodziewałam się, że "Niepoprawna mnogość" wywrze na mnie tak duże wrażenie. Jest ciekawie i bardzo różnorodnie zarówno pod względem gatunkowym jak i tematycznym. Jest kradzież, poród, samobójstwo, pływanie, portal randkowy i wiele innych. Są opowiadania obyczajowe, ale również takie z elementami fantastycznymi (np. kobiety zamiast dzieci rodzą literki).
Jest świeżo i intrygująco. Wiele opowiadań bardzo mi się podobało, część była w porządku, nie było żadnych większych rozczarowań. I mimo wielu autorów, "Niepoprawna mnogość" trzyma cały czas wysoki poziom. Bardzo wam polecam tę antologię, jeśli chcecie poznać twórczość współczesnych irlandzkich pisarzy i pisarek.
Moje ulubione opowiadania:
✨ "Rozstępy" Elske Rahill
✨ "Filary" Jan Carson
✨ "Jak zakochałam się w dobrze udokumentowanym życiu Alexandra Whelana" Yan Ge
✨ "Echo" Stuart Neville
✨ "Transakcje" Sheila Purdy
✨ "Alfabetowe dzieci" Sinéad Gleeson
Tłumaczenia podjęli się świetni polscy tłumacze i tłumaczki. Znajdziemy tu przekłady Agi Zano, Jerzego Kozłowskiego, Krzysztofa Cieślika, Łukasza Buchalskiego czy Dobromiły Jankowskiej.
Nie spodziewałam się, że "Niepoprawna mnogość" wywrze na mnie tak duże wrażenie. Jest ciekawie i bardzo różnorodnie zarówno pod względem gatunkowym jak i tematycznym. Jest kradzież, poród, samobójstwo, pływanie, portal randkowy i wiele innych. Są opowiadania obyczajowe, ale również takie z elementami fantastycznymi (np. kobiety zamiast dzieci rodzą literki).
Jest świeżo i intrygująco. Wiele opowiadań bardzo mi się podobało, część była w porządku, nie było żadnych większych rozczarowań. I mimo wielu autorów, "Niepoprawna mnogość" trzyma cały czas wysoki poziom. Bardzo wam polecam tę antologię, jeśli chcecie poznać twórczość współczesnych irlandzkich pisarzy i pisarek.
Moje ulubione opowiadania:
✨ "Rozstępy" Elske Rahill
✨ "Filary" Jan Carson
✨ "Jak zakochałam się w dobrze udokumentowanym życiu Alexandra Whelana" Yan Ge
✨ "Echo" Stuart Neville
✨ "Transakcje" Sheila Purdy
✨ "Alfabetowe dzieci" Sinéad Gleeson
February 8, 2022
The collection is varied from in many ways. The stories range from splendid to ones that did not click with me at all. The backgrounds and topics are varied, though there is a lot of sadness in many of them. And a lot of people in liminal spaces. Overall this was a very satisfying read.
January 26, 2025
4,5
Bardzo dobry zbiór! Niewiele tu było słabszych opowiadań, podoba mi się, że jest tu część osób autorskich znanych na naszym rynku i tacy, którzy jeszcze u nas nie zadebiutowali. Kilka trafiło do tbru, bo jestem ciekawa co jeszcze mają do zaoferowania. Ale w ogóle literatura irlandzka top.
Bardzo dobry zbiór! Niewiele tu było słabszych opowiadań, podoba mi się, że jest tu część osób autorskich znanych na naszym rynku i tacy, którzy jeszcze u nas nie zadebiutowali. Kilka trafiło do tbru, bo jestem ciekawa co jeszcze mają do zaoferowania. Ale w ogóle literatura irlandzka top.
July 17, 2019
Lucy Caldwell had the ambitious goal of creating an collection of short stories that represented the true diversity of "Irish" writing. In her introduction, she asks "Who is more Irish?". Irish writing by her definition includes writers born and living in Ireland, writers born in Ireland who are living in other countries, writers born in other countries who have immigrated to Ireland or born in Ireland of immigrant parents, and writers born in other countries and brought up in foreign Irish communities.
The result of her wider definition is a collection that includes Kit de Waal (Irish-Caribbean), Yan Ge (born in China), Arja Kajermo (born in Finland), and Mekatu Uche Okokie (born in Nigeria). Seven writers are from Northern Ireland.
Anthologies of stories by a number of authors are not easy to review. This collection also includes story genres including science fiction, experimental, and fantasy. There were several stories that didn't work for me. But I am going to name a few of my favorites. "May the Best Man Win" by Kit de Waal is set in a working class bar whose patrons are Caribbean immigrants. Two white men arrive with a TV and set it on the bar. They were on their way to watch a boxing match but ran out of time. It is a hilarious scenario. Adrian McKinty's story "Jack's Return Home" is about Jack, who has been forced into exile from Belfast by a hostile, paramilitary-connected uncle. Jack is a lesbian and her partner is Muslim, and they are hiding out in an obscure Scottish town. Jack returns home for her father's funeral, after he is shot to death, with promises from Uncle Harry that she will be safe for 48 hours. The first story "How I Fell in Love with Alexander Whelan" by Yan Ge is enchanting. Is he a ghost? Finally, Lisa McInerney's story "Gérard" is about a friend who moves to Paris from Cork, and insists that she has met Gérard Depardieu and is dating him.
This was an uneven experience for me. I am giving it 4 stars as a unique and admirable collection that works to expand the definition of Irish writing.
The result of her wider definition is a collection that includes Kit de Waal (Irish-Caribbean), Yan Ge (born in China), Arja Kajermo (born in Finland), and Mekatu Uche Okokie (born in Nigeria). Seven writers are from Northern Ireland.
Anthologies of stories by a number of authors are not easy to review. This collection also includes story genres including science fiction, experimental, and fantasy. There were several stories that didn't work for me. But I am going to name a few of my favorites. "May the Best Man Win" by Kit de Waal is set in a working class bar whose patrons are Caribbean immigrants. Two white men arrive with a TV and set it on the bar. They were on their way to watch a boxing match but ran out of time. It is a hilarious scenario. Adrian McKinty's story "Jack's Return Home" is about Jack, who has been forced into exile from Belfast by a hostile, paramilitary-connected uncle. Jack is a lesbian and her partner is Muslim, and they are hiding out in an obscure Scottish town. Jack returns home for her father's funeral, after he is shot to death, with promises from Uncle Harry that she will be safe for 48 hours. The first story "How I Fell in Love with Alexander Whelan" by Yan Ge is enchanting. Is he a ghost? Finally, Lisa McInerney's story "Gérard" is about a friend who moves to Paris from Cork, and insists that she has met Gérard Depardieu and is dating him.
This was an uneven experience for me. I am giving it 4 stars as a unique and admirable collection that works to expand the definition of Irish writing.
May 27, 2019
Being Various is the sixth volume of Faber’s long-running series of new Irish short stories. In her introduction to the anthology, guest editor Lucy Caldwell ponders what makes a writer Irish. Must they be born on the island? Live there? Have parents who raise them to identify with their Irish heritage? She writes:
“I wanted to look, too, at where the new ways of Irish writing might take us. The fresh narratives, perspectives and multiplicities that are coming from immigration to a place so long and persistently defined by emigration.”
Each fiercely intelligent tale from the impressive who’s who of contributors offers a window into the differing impacts Ireland has on those steeped in its culture and prejudices. All the stories were commissioned especially, from writers whose work was first published after the Good Friday Agreement. It is a showcase of contemporary Irish literature.
There are tales that draw the reader in then leave them with ambiguous endings. ‘Stretch Marks’ by Elske Rahill tells of a difficult pregnancy that causes the suffering mother of four to feel she is a failure. ‘BrownLady12345’ by Melatu Uche Okorie looks at modern dating from the perspective of an immigrant who is lonely but unsure what they are looking for or how to achieve the desired connection. ‘The Swimmers’ by Paul McVeigh contains a disturbing undercurrent as a son tries to please his father. The reader is left to interpret each thread of suggestion for themselves.
Clarity is captured through Magic Realism. ‘Pillars’ by Jan Carson explores mental health following marital breakdown, when acquaintances are uncomfortable acknowledging such issues, even when they are made glaringly obvious. ‘The Lexicon of Babies’ by Sinéad Gleeson offers a picture of segregated privilege through state accepted competitive parenting – this odd little tale is beautifully fable-like. ‘Echo’ by Stuart Neville is poignant yet fierce – the story of a family unravelled by grief and the subsequent conspiracy of silence, violently enforced by a mother whose culpability remains veiled. ‘The Eclipse’ by Darren Anderson employs powerful imagery to portray the last days of an elderly woman whose mind has inexorably deteriorated. The love and care provided by her relatives is rare amidst so many depictions in this collection of the damage caused by family. ‘The Adminicle Exists’ by Eimear McBride is an emotive cry for help from a woman whose partner needs care yet poses a threat to her safety. ‘Wings’ by David Hayden is a painfully sad tale of the conspiracies and denials surrounding childhood abuse. ‘Lambeth’ by Jill Crawford offers an excellent depiction of the complexity inherent in an area’s gentrification. There are levels of wealth and poverty, threat and safety. Change may be resisted but is, and always has been, inevitable. ‘Alienation’ by Arja Kajermo is an unusually honest portrayal of Ireland from the point of view of a foreigner. Visitors may be welcomed but those who choose to stay face: prejudice, passive aggression, rejection for looking or acting different. ‘Colour and Light’ by Sally Rooney is fabulous story telling. Set in a seaside town it tells of two brothers, close in some ways yet rarely sharing anything of themselves, and a woman who briefly passes through their lives.
There are tales within this anthology that particularly resonated and others enjoyed but with less impact. Only one struck me off key – ‘The Downtown Queen’ by Peter Murphy. Its subject was memories – of a time when the narrator was part of an in-crowd enjoying sex, drugs, rock and roll. He interacted with famous musicians and their coteries in the early, raw days preceding meteoric careers. The tale felt to me to be trying too hard to be knowledgeable and artful – something that may appeal more to those with an interest in the 70s music scene. My negative reaction may be a dislike of the protagonist as much as the writing. I am rarely impressed by those who name drop for anticipated audience effect.
For a collection of twenty-four stories, to enjoy all but one is pleasing. The quality of the writing is high, the subject matter piercing. There is humour amidst the darkness and a clear reflection of the Irish spirit in all its shades. This is as good a collection of short stories as I have read this year.
“I wanted to look, too, at where the new ways of Irish writing might take us. The fresh narratives, perspectives and multiplicities that are coming from immigration to a place so long and persistently defined by emigration.”
Each fiercely intelligent tale from the impressive who’s who of contributors offers a window into the differing impacts Ireland has on those steeped in its culture and prejudices. All the stories were commissioned especially, from writers whose work was first published after the Good Friday Agreement. It is a showcase of contemporary Irish literature.
There are tales that draw the reader in then leave them with ambiguous endings. ‘Stretch Marks’ by Elske Rahill tells of a difficult pregnancy that causes the suffering mother of four to feel she is a failure. ‘BrownLady12345’ by Melatu Uche Okorie looks at modern dating from the perspective of an immigrant who is lonely but unsure what they are looking for or how to achieve the desired connection. ‘The Swimmers’ by Paul McVeigh contains a disturbing undercurrent as a son tries to please his father. The reader is left to interpret each thread of suggestion for themselves.
Clarity is captured through Magic Realism. ‘Pillars’ by Jan Carson explores mental health following marital breakdown, when acquaintances are uncomfortable acknowledging such issues, even when they are made glaringly obvious. ‘The Lexicon of Babies’ by Sinéad Gleeson offers a picture of segregated privilege through state accepted competitive parenting – this odd little tale is beautifully fable-like. ‘Echo’ by Stuart Neville is poignant yet fierce – the story of a family unravelled by grief and the subsequent conspiracy of silence, violently enforced by a mother whose culpability remains veiled. ‘The Eclipse’ by Darren Anderson employs powerful imagery to portray the last days of an elderly woman whose mind has inexorably deteriorated. The love and care provided by her relatives is rare amidst so many depictions in this collection of the damage caused by family. ‘The Adminicle Exists’ by Eimear McBride is an emotive cry for help from a woman whose partner needs care yet poses a threat to her safety. ‘Wings’ by David Hayden is a painfully sad tale of the conspiracies and denials surrounding childhood abuse. ‘Lambeth’ by Jill Crawford offers an excellent depiction of the complexity inherent in an area’s gentrification. There are levels of wealth and poverty, threat and safety. Change may be resisted but is, and always has been, inevitable. ‘Alienation’ by Arja Kajermo is an unusually honest portrayal of Ireland from the point of view of a foreigner. Visitors may be welcomed but those who choose to stay face: prejudice, passive aggression, rejection for looking or acting different. ‘Colour and Light’ by Sally Rooney is fabulous story telling. Set in a seaside town it tells of two brothers, close in some ways yet rarely sharing anything of themselves, and a woman who briefly passes through their lives.
There are tales within this anthology that particularly resonated and others enjoyed but with less impact. Only one struck me off key – ‘The Downtown Queen’ by Peter Murphy. Its subject was memories – of a time when the narrator was part of an in-crowd enjoying sex, drugs, rock and roll. He interacted with famous musicians and their coteries in the early, raw days preceding meteoric careers. The tale felt to me to be trying too hard to be knowledgeable and artful – something that may appeal more to those with an interest in the 70s music scene. My negative reaction may be a dislike of the protagonist as much as the writing. I am rarely impressed by those who name drop for anticipated audience effect.
For a collection of twenty-four stories, to enjoy all but one is pleasing. The quality of the writing is high, the subject matter piercing. There is humour amidst the darkness and a clear reflection of the Irish spirit in all its shades. This is as good a collection of short stories as I have read this year.
June 16, 2020
This collection starts really strong. There are several stories near the end that might have been omitted. I wish the editor would have ended with "Who's-Dead McCarthy" as it would have been an excellent closer.
Noteworthy stories: "How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan" by Yan Ge, "A Partial List of the Saved" by Danielle McLaughlin, "BrownLady12345" by Melatu Uche Okorie, "Privacy" by Belinda McKeon, and "Who's-Dead McCarthy" by Kevin Barry.
Noteworthy stories: "How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan" by Yan Ge, "A Partial List of the Saved" by Danielle McLaughlin, "BrownLady12345" by Melatu Uche Okorie, "Privacy" by Belinda McKeon, and "Who's-Dead McCarthy" by Kevin Barry.
September 2, 2021
2-2.5 bardzo nierówne. Większość opowiadań nie podobała mi się.
November 18, 2023
There were maybe four short stories in this whole book that were remotely worthwhile; the rest was either trivial, vulgar or simply seeking to shock you with it's morbidity. Or I did not much care for them because the writing style was bland.
Perhaps you grow numb to the effect of short stories when you read so many after another, and I really actually like this genre. But the selection in Being Various really did not cut it for me, save for "Feather", "Legends", "Stretch Marks" (this one was traumatizing though) and "Color and Light".
Perhaps you grow numb to the effect of short stories when you read so many after another, and I really actually like this genre. But the selection in Being Various really did not cut it for me, save for "Feather", "Legends", "Stretch Marks" (this one was traumatizing though) and "Color and Light".
February 19, 2024
a fabulous selection of short stories, even better that they happen to be Irish!
July 8, 2019
A neat collection of short stories - my favourite stories were McLaughlin's, Carson's, Anderson's, McKeon's, McKinty's and, obviously, Rooney's.
January 6, 2021
I liked this book. I don't typically go for short story anthologies but this was recommended. Some stories I liked, some weren't for me. Some were plain weird, others were 'how is this going to end in only a few more pages?'.
May 30, 2019
My only complaint is that I wish Lucy Caldwell would have contributed, but she does a fine job of putting together a great collection of stories from Irish writers and introducing some to me (Yan Ge, Danielle McLaughlin, Elske Rahill, Stuart Neville, Belinda McKeon, Jill Crawford and Arja Kajermo). My favourite was by far Colour and Light (GAH WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON THAT NOTE?!!?) and Pillars. Although I enjoyed: Feather, Who's-Dead...,The Lexicon of Babies, How I fell in love..., A Partial list..., Legends, Stretch Marks, Echo, Privacy and Lambeth.
The order of the short stories is good, although I went through it reading the authors I knew first and the ones I didn't second.
I also adore the name and that these were all new commissioned stories.
The order of the short stories is good, although I went through it reading the authors I knew first and the ones I didn't second.
I also adore the name and that these were all new commissioned stories.
February 23, 2024
Moim zdaniem zmarnowany potencjał. Doceniam ukazanie różnorodnych oblicz irlandzkości oraz ciekawy dobór autorów, którzy nie zawsze są związani z Irlandią w sposób oczywisty (tzn. wyssany z mlekiem matki).
Opowiadania były jednak nierówne; na palcach jednej ręki jestem w stanie wymienić te, które w jakiś sposób mnie poruszyły. Na dłużej zapamiętam tylko „«Nekrolog» McCarthy” Kevina Barry’ego (tłum. Łukasz Buchalski).
Kolejnym problemem okazały się tłumaczenia. Niektóre przekłady były naprawdę dobre, ale znakomita część do reszty odebrała mi przyjemność z lektury. Przypuszczam, że to nie było moje ostatnie spotkanie z tą książką, kolejne odbędzie się jednak w oryginale.
Opowiadania były jednak nierówne; na palcach jednej ręki jestem w stanie wymienić te, które w jakiś sposób mnie poruszyły. Na dłużej zapamiętam tylko „«Nekrolog» McCarthy” Kevina Barry’ego (tłum. Łukasz Buchalski).
Kolejnym problemem okazały się tłumaczenia. Niektóre przekłady były naprawdę dobre, ale znakomita część do reszty odebrała mi przyjemność z lektury. Przypuszczam, że to nie było moje ostatnie spotkanie z tą książką, kolejne odbędzie się jednak w oryginale.
November 14, 2019
Overall, some of the stories were solid and some were not (as can be expected in a short story collection). I really appreciated that they all had a common theme, it made it enjoyable to read and see how each author brought their own take to the theme. Some stories I found notable are:
- "How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan" by Yan Ge
- "The Swimmers" by Paul McVeigh
- "A Partial List of the Saved" by Danielle McLaughlin
- "Stretch Marks" by Elske Rahill
- "Pillars" by Jan Carson
- "Colour and Light" by Sally Roony
- "The Lexicon of Babies" by Sinéad Gleeson (this one was my favorite!!!)
- "How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan" by Yan Ge
- "The Swimmers" by Paul McVeigh
- "A Partial List of the Saved" by Danielle McLaughlin
- "Stretch Marks" by Elske Rahill
- "Pillars" by Jan Carson
- "Colour and Light" by Sally Roony
- "The Lexicon of Babies" by Sinéad Gleeson (this one was my favorite!!!)
July 29, 2021
Trudno jest mi oceniać zbiory opowiadań, zwłaszcza tych wychodzących spod pióra różnych autorów. Były lepsze i gorsze opowiadania – wiadomo. Najbardziej spodobały mi się „Rozstępy”, „Alfabetowe dzieci”, „Filary’ i „Echo”.
June 20, 2019
Lucy Caldwell in her fabulous crafted introduction say in her own words…
‘Ireland is going through a golden age of writing: that has never been more apparent. I wanted to capture something of the energy of this explosion, in all its variousness…’
…and boy is she right, and boy does she achieve what she has set out to capture. Being Various not only has more energy than a child gorging themselves on sweets before bedtime, it also has a delicate energy of storytellers at the top of their game spinning tales that leave their mark, branding you with their brilliance long after the book is finished. The other thing about the anthology is that it does what it says on the tin, it is a wonderful and intrinsic blend of variously delightful tales – there is something for everyone in this anthology.
Lucy Caldwell is a writer I very much admire, her collection Multitudes was a stunning discovery for me and her short story that features in said collection, and also in The Penguin Book Of The Contemporary British Short Story ‘Poison‘ is astoundingly astute and quite brilliant (review here). So, when I heard that she was editing Faber’s new collection of Irish Short Stories (an ongoing series showcasing the best Irish writers) – it was something I couldn’t turn down the chance to review.
The collection is like one of those mix tapes (remember those?) that you would spend hours pouring over before you’d head off to sunnier climes, splicing together all your favourite songs, so you would in fact have made your summer anthem music – each song chosen to create that energy you wanted for your trip, the chill out blending perfectly with the more up-beat, and then of course you’d have your guilty pleasures in there too.
Being Various, was for me, like the a greatest hits tape, bands (in our case writers) chosen for their brilliance – a realisation that seems to have hit me after finishing the collection and starting to write this review. Caldwell has crafted something quite magical, something that transports the reader out of their world and into another, an anthology that you will always remember reading. Like all great mix tapes it taints you with its goodness, songs, well in our case stories, that remind you of the time you first encountered them.
Being Various has opened my eyes to new (for me) writers (Yan Ge, Louise O’Neill, Elske Rahill & Kevin Barry), whilst also enrapturing me with new stories from a whole host of writers I love and admire (Paul McVeigh, Wendy Erskine, Sally Rooney, Nicole Flattery, Kit de Waal and Sinead Gleeson) – it’s also helped me bolster my already burgeoning short story collections as I’ve gone out and purchased a few of the writers other works (Sinead Gleeson’s ‘Constellations‘ and Elske Rahill ‘In White Ink‘) on the back of finishing this anthology.
With twenty-four writers and with all of them hitting their mark on producing stand out stories, I’d be here for hours talking about the brilliance of each, so for this review I’m going to mention those stories, which for me, were personal favourites – and trust me when I say this, Being Various is definitely a book that all short story fans should get hold of – to devour, discover and digest for themselves.
Yan Ge – How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan – This is in essence a story of woman meets man, they share a connection, chat, swap Facebook details and then the infatuation starts. Our main protagonist starts to stalk him, finding out where he works, what his favourite pub to drink in is, his usual eatery – it’s an obsession and addiction which is played out on the page, as she flits through his various social media accounts, everything she might ever want to know, catalogued online. Which was a very vibrant and fresh warning to the amount of stuff we stick up online, that if someone has the time or the inclination – they can find out our daily routines, where we will be when. But our protagonist soon learns that dead people can’t love you back – you see after their exchanging of numbers, after she befriended him on Facebook…in a few hours he will turn up dead – his Facebook wall full of RIP’s and messages about the deceased. He may be gone, but her infatuation is just starting. A deftly crafted tale told with a unique and vibrant voice, which was a fabulous way to kick off Being Various.
Paul McVeigh – The Swimmers – McVeigh delivers a broiling tale which as I was reading gave me a very unsettling vibe. There is something hidden deep within the prose that was disturbing to read and digest, something lurking in the periphery of the story that isn’t uttered but lurks there with a malignant intent. An unspoken secret (possible abuse) sewn delicately throughout the story – but at the heart of the story there is an innocence too, a childlike purity which McVeigh captures mesmerically, the innocence punctuates the story masterfully, blending perfectly with the underlying deep and dark themes that are deftly sewn into the fabric of the story. The Swimmers is about a son who wants to impress his Da, wants his Da to love him for who he is and what he is. He wants to do anything and everything he can to impress him, to spend time with him, to keep swimming with him. No matter the cost, the hurt or the trouble. A very impressive tale from a writer I always enjoy reading – a powerful and gripping story which unsettles the reader…and what a joy it is to be unsettled from time-to-time.
Elske Rahill – Stretch Marks – Well this for me was one of the standout stories of the collection, from a writer I’ve never read before. Rahill is a masterful storyteller, weaving a tale that is so raw, emotive and desperately heart wrenching – it’s a powerhouse of a story. Everything about this piece struck me as perfect, the protagonists voice is a delight, the descriptions and observations are enrapturing, the similes and metaphors within the piece are deliciously astute. It is in fact a work of art. The story is a slow burner, it builds and builds until it is a big ball of brilliance, which Rahill then smashes in an arrestingly touching and poignant way. Although the story turns into this unstoppable juggernaut, Rahill still has full control over it, dictating where it goes and when. Her guile in storytelling ensuring that each nuance impacts the reader at just the right time – with the social place of women in Ireland, abortions, the abortion act / vote, raising a child and parenting all adding to the weight of the story. It’s as if Rahill has selected the finest cuts of meat, the most delicious vegetables and has put it all in the slow cooker, creating a meal which is cooked to perfection. Stretch Marks is a feast for the heart and the literary world – I have to also say that after finishing this I went straight out and purchased Rahill’s short story collection ‘In White Ink’. What a precious gift Elske Rahill is to the literary world…a name you would do well in remembering!
Kit de Waal – May The Best Man Win – Another fascinating story, one that gripped me from start to finish, so much so that I had to go back and re-read it straight afterwards such is the readability of de Waal’s offering. May The Best Man Win seemed to evaporate right in front of my eyes – this I feel helps to exemplify brilliantly what an astute raconteur de Waal is. May The Best Man Win is such an accomplished, detailed and deliciously simple story at its heart and de Waal expertly deft prose knocks it out of the park. There is something to be said about telling a simple story, an ordinary story, well, our lives at times are just plain ordinary, and de Waal encapsulates all of that and executes it with her sublime gift. I love de Waal’s writing and with this story she gets you hooked early on with a rising racial tension, what’s going to happen? Who’s going to clock who? How will this end up? It’s unrelenting and helps to shape the story which de Waal wants to tell…and boy does she tell it! The dialogue within the story is the key, it seems to undulate in wonderfully crafted canters across the page, each utterance taking you deeper into the lives of those in attendance, nothing seems forced, it is just the banter of ordinary folk, living ordinary lives, whilst doing ordinary things – it is storytelling which is mesmeric and effortlessly beguiling – a real jewel in the crown of Being Various.
Adrian McKinty – Jack’s Return Home – McKinty delivers a crime novel in the space of a short story, such is the quality and the sheer amount of detail in this dark and culturally relevant tale. A daughter returns to Ireland to bury her father (head of a sordid underbelly that is still thriving) but she’s an outcast. She’d been banished to a town in the arsehole of Scotland because she’s a lesbian, and there is no place for that in this family, or in this city, the ramifications for such are too much to even contemplate. She returns home after being given a pardon, allowing her safe passage, to put her father in the ground. She’s reluctant at first, but is spurred on by her Muslim, drummer girlfriend (oh how the family will frown upon that hidden detail). Things soon begin to unravel with a meeting in the dead of night, where a request is made of her which will change everything she’s ever known. If she follows through with the ask, it will take the power away from the man that banished her when her father got too ill to run the family business, the man who has seized power with an iron fist. But can she do it? Will she do it? And will she be accepted back? This is a fabulous addition to the anthology – I’m not one for crime stories, or gangster stories as it were, but this has so much heart, so much loaded in there, tension blended wonderfully with discrimination, that it was a real can of worms to crack open – a crisply executed tale, loaded from start to finish with delectable prose and energy that it just keeps giving until the very last word.
Sally Rooney – Colour and Light – There is just no stopping Sally Rooney at the moment, she seems to be everywhere you look, her books plastered all over the place in magazines and billboards, she’s quoted here and there in newspapers and book jackets – and I can testify it is for a good reason. Sally Rooney seems to have exploded onto the literary scene, a breath of fresh air (as many of the authors in Being Various are) sweeping a stagnant literary world into order, demanding that they stand up and pay attention. Rooney’s writing is in essence captivating, whether in the long or short form, stories that deal with real people and real lives. Her deftly crafted tales allow the reader to journey with her protagonists as silent companions, taking in the lives that are being shared in the most beautiful and ordinary of ways. Colour and Light is nothing short of brilliant – I immediately felt drawn into the story (I confess I had heard the opening few pages when attempting to listen to it online – but I’m not one for audio books so I stopped) but she weaves a tale of intrinsic and arresting beauty in the normal, in the mundane, in the chance encounters and the lives that are affected by such things. Rooney writes in a way that is not flashy or deliberately wordy, each word in fact, fighting for the right to be included, each sentence carefully constructed. Rooney I feel is keen on portraying a believability in her prose, in telling the story the way people need to hear it, with innocence and delicate realism. Colour and Light does remind me of Mr. Salary (review here) in tone, and thats a huge compliment, as that’s the story that got me hooked on Rooney as a writer. With Colour and Light Rooney totally smashes it – and will be trapping new fans in her net, pulling them in like a biblical fisherman!
Sinead Gleeson – The Lexicon of Babies – Well if you’re a reader of STORGY reviews, or follow me as a writer, you will know that I absolutely love the weird. Strange fiction is where I find myself at home – it’s a craft that is difficult to master (and I’m not even there yet myself), an area where if you go too far you lose the reader. It’s a delicate balancing act, taking the normal and shifting it slightly, to create something weirdly captivating and something you cant look away from of forget – taking the mundane and expected and then turning it on its head. Well, you lovers of the strange and weird have a surprise waiting for you here. The Lexicon of Babies is just balls to the wall bonkers – it is marvellously ingenious and fabulously weird, a must for all weird fiction fans – I don’t even want to elaborate on its brilliance as you really need to read it for yourself – the only thing I’d say is it’s like William S. Burroughs and Margaret Atwood’s lovechild.
Being Various is a delightful anthology and full of various and fascinating voices, each story within the collection is an enthralling read, obviously being an anthology there were some I loved more than others but on the whole it is something to be cherished, read and explored further.
If like me you are a lover of the short story form, you’d be hard pressed to find another anthology this summer that is as high in the quality stakes as this. I wouldn’t be surprised to find this on many peoples summer reading list or a book that finds itself into your collection at some point. The only disappointment I had was that Lucy Caldwell didn’t have a story in the collection too.
Another wonderful addition to this ongoing series from Faber and an anthology that is beautifully various, not only by the stories collated within its pages, but also by the unique voices included – if variety is the spice of life, then Being Various is medicine for the soul!
‘Ireland is going through a golden age of writing: that has never been more apparent. I wanted to capture something of the energy of this explosion, in all its variousness…’
…and boy is she right, and boy does she achieve what she has set out to capture. Being Various not only has more energy than a child gorging themselves on sweets before bedtime, it also has a delicate energy of storytellers at the top of their game spinning tales that leave their mark, branding you with their brilliance long after the book is finished. The other thing about the anthology is that it does what it says on the tin, it is a wonderful and intrinsic blend of variously delightful tales – there is something for everyone in this anthology.
Lucy Caldwell is a writer I very much admire, her collection Multitudes was a stunning discovery for me and her short story that features in said collection, and also in The Penguin Book Of The Contemporary British Short Story ‘Poison‘ is astoundingly astute and quite brilliant (review here). So, when I heard that she was editing Faber’s new collection of Irish Short Stories (an ongoing series showcasing the best Irish writers) – it was something I couldn’t turn down the chance to review.
The collection is like one of those mix tapes (remember those?) that you would spend hours pouring over before you’d head off to sunnier climes, splicing together all your favourite songs, so you would in fact have made your summer anthem music – each song chosen to create that energy you wanted for your trip, the chill out blending perfectly with the more up-beat, and then of course you’d have your guilty pleasures in there too.
Being Various, was for me, like the a greatest hits tape, bands (in our case writers) chosen for their brilliance – a realisation that seems to have hit me after finishing the collection and starting to write this review. Caldwell has crafted something quite magical, something that transports the reader out of their world and into another, an anthology that you will always remember reading. Like all great mix tapes it taints you with its goodness, songs, well in our case stories, that remind you of the time you first encountered them.
Being Various has opened my eyes to new (for me) writers (Yan Ge, Louise O’Neill, Elske Rahill & Kevin Barry), whilst also enrapturing me with new stories from a whole host of writers I love and admire (Paul McVeigh, Wendy Erskine, Sally Rooney, Nicole Flattery, Kit de Waal and Sinead Gleeson) – it’s also helped me bolster my already burgeoning short story collections as I’ve gone out and purchased a few of the writers other works (Sinead Gleeson’s ‘Constellations‘ and Elske Rahill ‘In White Ink‘) on the back of finishing this anthology.
With twenty-four writers and with all of them hitting their mark on producing stand out stories, I’d be here for hours talking about the brilliance of each, so for this review I’m going to mention those stories, which for me, were personal favourites – and trust me when I say this, Being Various is definitely a book that all short story fans should get hold of – to devour, discover and digest for themselves.
Yan Ge – How I fell in love with the well-documented life of Alexander Whelan – This is in essence a story of woman meets man, they share a connection, chat, swap Facebook details and then the infatuation starts. Our main protagonist starts to stalk him, finding out where he works, what his favourite pub to drink in is, his usual eatery – it’s an obsession and addiction which is played out on the page, as she flits through his various social media accounts, everything she might ever want to know, catalogued online. Which was a very vibrant and fresh warning to the amount of stuff we stick up online, that if someone has the time or the inclination – they can find out our daily routines, where we will be when. But our protagonist soon learns that dead people can’t love you back – you see after their exchanging of numbers, after she befriended him on Facebook…in a few hours he will turn up dead – his Facebook wall full of RIP’s and messages about the deceased. He may be gone, but her infatuation is just starting. A deftly crafted tale told with a unique and vibrant voice, which was a fabulous way to kick off Being Various.
Paul McVeigh – The Swimmers – McVeigh delivers a broiling tale which as I was reading gave me a very unsettling vibe. There is something hidden deep within the prose that was disturbing to read and digest, something lurking in the periphery of the story that isn’t uttered but lurks there with a malignant intent. An unspoken secret (possible abuse) sewn delicately throughout the story – but at the heart of the story there is an innocence too, a childlike purity which McVeigh captures mesmerically, the innocence punctuates the story masterfully, blending perfectly with the underlying deep and dark themes that are deftly sewn into the fabric of the story. The Swimmers is about a son who wants to impress his Da, wants his Da to love him for who he is and what he is. He wants to do anything and everything he can to impress him, to spend time with him, to keep swimming with him. No matter the cost, the hurt or the trouble. A very impressive tale from a writer I always enjoy reading – a powerful and gripping story which unsettles the reader…and what a joy it is to be unsettled from time-to-time.
Elske Rahill – Stretch Marks – Well this for me was one of the standout stories of the collection, from a writer I’ve never read before. Rahill is a masterful storyteller, weaving a tale that is so raw, emotive and desperately heart wrenching – it’s a powerhouse of a story. Everything about this piece struck me as perfect, the protagonists voice is a delight, the descriptions and observations are enrapturing, the similes and metaphors within the piece are deliciously astute. It is in fact a work of art. The story is a slow burner, it builds and builds until it is a big ball of brilliance, which Rahill then smashes in an arrestingly touching and poignant way. Although the story turns into this unstoppable juggernaut, Rahill still has full control over it, dictating where it goes and when. Her guile in storytelling ensuring that each nuance impacts the reader at just the right time – with the social place of women in Ireland, abortions, the abortion act / vote, raising a child and parenting all adding to the weight of the story. It’s as if Rahill has selected the finest cuts of meat, the most delicious vegetables and has put it all in the slow cooker, creating a meal which is cooked to perfection. Stretch Marks is a feast for the heart and the literary world – I have to also say that after finishing this I went straight out and purchased Rahill’s short story collection ‘In White Ink’. What a precious gift Elske Rahill is to the literary world…a name you would do well in remembering!
Kit de Waal – May The Best Man Win – Another fascinating story, one that gripped me from start to finish, so much so that I had to go back and re-read it straight afterwards such is the readability of de Waal’s offering. May The Best Man Win seemed to evaporate right in front of my eyes – this I feel helps to exemplify brilliantly what an astute raconteur de Waal is. May The Best Man Win is such an accomplished, detailed and deliciously simple story at its heart and de Waal expertly deft prose knocks it out of the park. There is something to be said about telling a simple story, an ordinary story, well, our lives at times are just plain ordinary, and de Waal encapsulates all of that and executes it with her sublime gift. I love de Waal’s writing and with this story she gets you hooked early on with a rising racial tension, what’s going to happen? Who’s going to clock who? How will this end up? It’s unrelenting and helps to shape the story which de Waal wants to tell…and boy does she tell it! The dialogue within the story is the key, it seems to undulate in wonderfully crafted canters across the page, each utterance taking you deeper into the lives of those in attendance, nothing seems forced, it is just the banter of ordinary folk, living ordinary lives, whilst doing ordinary things – it is storytelling which is mesmeric and effortlessly beguiling – a real jewel in the crown of Being Various.
Adrian McKinty – Jack’s Return Home – McKinty delivers a crime novel in the space of a short story, such is the quality and the sheer amount of detail in this dark and culturally relevant tale. A daughter returns to Ireland to bury her father (head of a sordid underbelly that is still thriving) but she’s an outcast. She’d been banished to a town in the arsehole of Scotland because she’s a lesbian, and there is no place for that in this family, or in this city, the ramifications for such are too much to even contemplate. She returns home after being given a pardon, allowing her safe passage, to put her father in the ground. She’s reluctant at first, but is spurred on by her Muslim, drummer girlfriend (oh how the family will frown upon that hidden detail). Things soon begin to unravel with a meeting in the dead of night, where a request is made of her which will change everything she’s ever known. If she follows through with the ask, it will take the power away from the man that banished her when her father got too ill to run the family business, the man who has seized power with an iron fist. But can she do it? Will she do it? And will she be accepted back? This is a fabulous addition to the anthology – I’m not one for crime stories, or gangster stories as it were, but this has so much heart, so much loaded in there, tension blended wonderfully with discrimination, that it was a real can of worms to crack open – a crisply executed tale, loaded from start to finish with delectable prose and energy that it just keeps giving until the very last word.
Sally Rooney – Colour and Light – There is just no stopping Sally Rooney at the moment, she seems to be everywhere you look, her books plastered all over the place in magazines and billboards, she’s quoted here and there in newspapers and book jackets – and I can testify it is for a good reason. Sally Rooney seems to have exploded onto the literary scene, a breath of fresh air (as many of the authors in Being Various are) sweeping a stagnant literary world into order, demanding that they stand up and pay attention. Rooney’s writing is in essence captivating, whether in the long or short form, stories that deal with real people and real lives. Her deftly crafted tales allow the reader to journey with her protagonists as silent companions, taking in the lives that are being shared in the most beautiful and ordinary of ways. Colour and Light is nothing short of brilliant – I immediately felt drawn into the story (I confess I had heard the opening few pages when attempting to listen to it online – but I’m not one for audio books so I stopped) but she weaves a tale of intrinsic and arresting beauty in the normal, in the mundane, in the chance encounters and the lives that are affected by such things. Rooney writes in a way that is not flashy or deliberately wordy, each word in fact, fighting for the right to be included, each sentence carefully constructed. Rooney I feel is keen on portraying a believability in her prose, in telling the story the way people need to hear it, with innocence and delicate realism. Colour and Light does remind me of Mr. Salary (review here) in tone, and thats a huge compliment, as that’s the story that got me hooked on Rooney as a writer. With Colour and Light Rooney totally smashes it – and will be trapping new fans in her net, pulling them in like a biblical fisherman!
Sinead Gleeson – The Lexicon of Babies – Well if you’re a reader of STORGY reviews, or follow me as a writer, you will know that I absolutely love the weird. Strange fiction is where I find myself at home – it’s a craft that is difficult to master (and I’m not even there yet myself), an area where if you go too far you lose the reader. It’s a delicate balancing act, taking the normal and shifting it slightly, to create something weirdly captivating and something you cant look away from of forget – taking the mundane and expected and then turning it on its head. Well, you lovers of the strange and weird have a surprise waiting for you here. The Lexicon of Babies is just balls to the wall bonkers – it is marvellously ingenious and fabulously weird, a must for all weird fiction fans – I don’t even want to elaborate on its brilliance as you really need to read it for yourself – the only thing I’d say is it’s like William S. Burroughs and Margaret Atwood’s lovechild.
Being Various is a delightful anthology and full of various and fascinating voices, each story within the collection is an enthralling read, obviously being an anthology there were some I loved more than others but on the whole it is something to be cherished, read and explored further.
If like me you are a lover of the short story form, you’d be hard pressed to find another anthology this summer that is as high in the quality stakes as this. I wouldn’t be surprised to find this on many peoples summer reading list or a book that finds itself into your collection at some point. The only disappointment I had was that Lucy Caldwell didn’t have a story in the collection too.
Another wonderful addition to this ongoing series from Faber and an anthology that is beautifully various, not only by the stories collated within its pages, but also by the unique voices included – if variety is the spice of life, then Being Various is medicine for the soul!
December 23, 2024
24 short stories written by Irish authors (all post GFA 1998). I'm rating this 4/5, even though not all were fantastic, there were so many excellent stories that outweighed the very few weak ones. This is never the case with a short story collection, usually I only find 5/6 that I enjoy, but I think it's a testament to the talent of Irish writers at the minute. We are in the Golden Age of Irish lit☘️
If anybody gives a FUCK, here's a review of all the ones I gave 4/5 or more to demonstrate the talent in this wee book!!
A Partial List of the Saved, Danielle McLaughlin
6/5
"...lucky men, Conor thought, who'd only ever been asked to prove themselves in war and insurrection, who'd never been asked to account for themselves in the fearsome matter of love."
Wow. I can see why this won an award - it's so heartfelt and moving. Despite all, love can be found even in your later years when you've lost 'the one'. This story was like reading a TikTok hope-core video and I feel warm and fluffy. I hope they kept driving forever.
Legends, Louise O'Neill
4/5
Ouch, being a young woman is shit craic. The combination of pride and self-hatred you feel when fellas compliment you to the detriment of other women ('you're prettier than her' etc). Why would I want to be any different than other women? We're class. Poor Alannah, the need to be desirable is all-consuming sometimes and men can be FUCKING CRUEL. Fuck the patriarchy, lvs!
Stretch Marks, Elske Rahill
6/5
How Ireland treats its pregnant women sickens me almost to tears. It feels like the shadow of the Magdalen Laundries will hang over us and our daughters forever. The quiet resignation of the main character to the death of her daughter is so sad but poignant. Fuck the Catholic church and everything it stands for !
Transactions, Sheila Purdy
5/5
Awk no. AWK NO. Why was she doing that to her sick brother!! "It's just money" - he loves her so much that he doesn't even mind. It's crazy how accepted gambling is, I didn't even bat an eye when she was buying lottery tickets or when her purse was overflowing with scratch cards until the story finished and it all came together. N there's always a higher high to chase, very sad:(
Echo, Stuart Neville
6/5
The only spooky story in this collection and I was GRIPPED from the first line. Could not have guessed the ending whatsoever, so class. Wanna read more of mr Neville now.
Wings, David Hayden
4/5
The opening three paragraphs were some of the best in this entire anthology. I felt the tension in this household like a physical thing. I felt sorry for every single character in this, even the horrible ones.
Jack's Return Home, Adrian McKinty
4/5
This was so funny, I could've highlighted 90% of it. It was a bit pie-in-the-sky that the Muslim-Lesbian would be accepted with open arms by the UVF but I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed it so much.
Feather, Nicole Flattery
6/5
"It was only when I became an adult that the air went all wrong, that I made people worried"
This one knocked the wind out of me. Literally fantastic. I cannot believe I didn't know what Simon was! WOW!!!!!
Colour and Light, Sally Rooney
5/5
The description of the fireworks was so beautiful, I felt like I was there. Sally Rooney has an amazing way of describing human relationships - the awkwardness, the pining, the confusion, the pain of unreciprocated love (or whatever this was) she has ALL of them down to a T. I found myself really disliking the female MC but even that made me uncomfortable, cos why should she bend to the will of men? Ms Rooney always gets me thinking.
The Lexicon of Babies, Sinéad Gleeson
5/5
SO unique! and kinda crazy, that women would start birthing the alphabet. I agreed with every single characterisation - Y WOULD be musical and Z WOULD have a superiority complex. She's so real for this.
Who's-Dead McCarthy, Kevin Barry
5/5
I knew it would end the way it did, but it was no less satisfying. I think that's a testament to Kevin Barry's talent, that he could write a predictable story and still have people love it. Con McCarthy is my granda fr.
Gérard, Lisa McInerney
5/5
This one was so funny. I kept laughing at how they would say "the legendary actor, Gérard Depardieu" every time they mentioned him. How we take people leaving Ireland as a personal slight & begin to hate the place they've went for nothing is a geg. This story perfectly captures the small-town mentality but in a lighthearted way.
I luv it here.
If anybody gives a FUCK, here's a review of all the ones I gave 4/5 or more to demonstrate the talent in this wee book!!
A Partial List of the Saved, Danielle McLaughlin
6/5
"...lucky men, Conor thought, who'd only ever been asked to prove themselves in war and insurrection, who'd never been asked to account for themselves in the fearsome matter of love."
Wow. I can see why this won an award - it's so heartfelt and moving. Despite all, love can be found even in your later years when you've lost 'the one'. This story was like reading a TikTok hope-core video and I feel warm and fluffy. I hope they kept driving forever.
Legends, Louise O'Neill
4/5
Ouch, being a young woman is shit craic. The combination of pride and self-hatred you feel when fellas compliment you to the detriment of other women ('you're prettier than her' etc). Why would I want to be any different than other women? We're class. Poor Alannah, the need to be desirable is all-consuming sometimes and men can be FUCKING CRUEL. Fuck the patriarchy, lvs!
Stretch Marks, Elske Rahill
6/5
How Ireland treats its pregnant women sickens me almost to tears. It feels like the shadow of the Magdalen Laundries will hang over us and our daughters forever. The quiet resignation of the main character to the death of her daughter is so sad but poignant. Fuck the Catholic church and everything it stands for !
Transactions, Sheila Purdy
5/5
Awk no. AWK NO. Why was she doing that to her sick brother!! "It's just money" - he loves her so much that he doesn't even mind. It's crazy how accepted gambling is, I didn't even bat an eye when she was buying lottery tickets or when her purse was overflowing with scratch cards until the story finished and it all came together. N there's always a higher high to chase, very sad:(
Echo, Stuart Neville
6/5
The only spooky story in this collection and I was GRIPPED from the first line. Could not have guessed the ending whatsoever, so class. Wanna read more of mr Neville now.
Wings, David Hayden
4/5
The opening three paragraphs were some of the best in this entire anthology. I felt the tension in this household like a physical thing. I felt sorry for every single character in this, even the horrible ones.
Jack's Return Home, Adrian McKinty
4/5
This was so funny, I could've highlighted 90% of it. It was a bit pie-in-the-sky that the Muslim-Lesbian would be accepted with open arms by the UVF but I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed it so much.
Feather, Nicole Flattery
6/5
"It was only when I became an adult that the air went all wrong, that I made people worried"
This one knocked the wind out of me. Literally fantastic. I cannot believe I didn't know what Simon was! WOW!!!!!
Colour and Light, Sally Rooney
5/5
The description of the fireworks was so beautiful, I felt like I was there. Sally Rooney has an amazing way of describing human relationships - the awkwardness, the pining, the confusion, the pain of unreciprocated love (or whatever this was) she has ALL of them down to a T. I found myself really disliking the female MC but even that made me uncomfortable, cos why should she bend to the will of men? Ms Rooney always gets me thinking.
The Lexicon of Babies, Sinéad Gleeson
5/5
SO unique! and kinda crazy, that women would start birthing the alphabet. I agreed with every single characterisation - Y WOULD be musical and Z WOULD have a superiority complex. She's so real for this.
Who's-Dead McCarthy, Kevin Barry
5/5
I knew it would end the way it did, but it was no less satisfying. I think that's a testament to Kevin Barry's talent, that he could write a predictable story and still have people love it. Con McCarthy is my granda fr.
Gérard, Lisa McInerney
5/5
This one was so funny. I kept laughing at how they would say "the legendary actor, Gérard Depardieu" every time they mentioned him. How we take people leaving Ireland as a personal slight & begin to hate the place they've went for nothing is a geg. This story perfectly captures the small-town mentality but in a lighthearted way.
I luv it here.
July 30, 2019
Most of the stories are well constructed and skilfully written - definitely of the here and now. If you want to be uplifted or to increase your positivity about the human race then these are not for you. Really powerful stuff but not for the faint hearted. Subjects covered include bulimia, abject loneliness, child killing, family incest - 'Stretch Marks' should be required reading for all prospective fathers who need an insight into how dreadful a difficult pregnancy can be - and so much more.
A strong anthology which does illustrate the strength and variety of current Irish writing. Lucy Caldwell has chosen well.
A strong anthology which does illustrate the strength and variety of current Irish writing. Lucy Caldwell has chosen well.
July 13, 2024
This is a fantastic collection of short stories; the most consistently engaging I've read. With collections, it's a lottery. Some stories can be hits while others will miss. Being Various has very few misses. Even those weren't bad, just not personal favourites. Every single story is engaging and captivating. The only thing worth noting is that none of the stories here are particularly jovial. Not sure what that says about Irish writers; maybe we just love to write depressing shit.
It features contemporary Irish short stories by a diverse range of authors, showcasing the variety and richness of modern Irish writing. The anthology includes works by established writers as well as emerging voices, reflecting the complexities and nuances of Irish life and culture today.
With the wide variety of authors and tales told, this gives a great overview of contemporary Irish literature. Well worth reading.
5🌟
It features contemporary Irish short stories by a diverse range of authors, showcasing the variety and richness of modern Irish writing. The anthology includes works by established writers as well as emerging voices, reflecting the complexities and nuances of Irish life and culture today.
With the wide variety of authors and tales told, this gives a great overview of contemporary Irish literature. Well worth reading.
5🌟
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