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The Quarry
' Halls' stories show that even in zero-hour, austerity-battered Britain, the tenderness and warmth of human connection exists. The Quarry is, in the end, a testament to this messy truth - how love, hate, hope and fear have always lived on the same street' GLEN BROWN, author of Ironopolis
You can see it in them; all that anger inside, it's toxic. Throw some drink into it and everything bubbles over. People say that they never see it coming, the swing of the fist that kicks it all off, but I can tell.
In these interconnected short stories, we meet the men living on the Quarry Lane estate in west London. These are men at work, at the pub, at home, with their families, lovers and friends. Men grappling with addiction, sexuality and the corrosive effects of toxic masculinity.
From a bouncer at the local nightclub, to a postman returning to the streets of his youth, and a young man thinking of all the things he'd say and do to the father who left him behind, this startling debut reveals the complex inner lives of individuals whose voices are too often non-existent in fiction. Powerful and impressive, The Quarry marks the arrival of a bold new voice.
You can see it in them; all that anger inside, it's toxic. Throw some drink into it and everything bubbles over. People say that they never see it coming, the swing of the fist that kicks it all off, but I can tell.
In these interconnected short stories, we meet the men living on the Quarry Lane estate in west London. These are men at work, at the pub, at home, with their families, lovers and friends. Men grappling with addiction, sexuality and the corrosive effects of toxic masculinity.
From a bouncer at the local nightclub, to a postman returning to the streets of his youth, and a young man thinking of all the things he'd say and do to the father who left him behind, this startling debut reveals the complex inner lives of individuals whose voices are too often non-existent in fiction. Powerful and impressive, The Quarry marks the arrival of a bold new voice.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
256 pages, Paperback
Published October 19, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 9, 2023
In brief - I really enjoyed this set of short stories - dark, vivid, interesting. 4.5/5
In full
The blurb about this book intrigued me. A series of interconnected short stories about men on a west London estate. The variety of topics here struck me as interesting and seemed to indicate something more real than some stories I read. Right from the start this felt like authentic writing to me and the characters in the stories were vivid in the main.
Set in west London these stories are generally written in colloquial voices. Indeed there were times when I found words that were strange to me. However in the words of Jacko in the first story I am "well north of forty" so I guess that is not surprising! Either way the stories felt like they were about real people who you might actually come across.
Taking Jacko's tale as an example, his father left when he was younger. He definitely still has issues surrounding that. Jacko has issues about a lot of things and might be described as "angry" quite a bit of the time. Most of the men in these stories can be angry at times. Worth noting that in this and other stories the language might be best described as adult in case that is an issue to anyone. I guess Jacko's story acted life a brick between the eyes - it got my attention!
Some of the stories concern addiction in one sense or another. For me these were the darkest of the tales I think. It's not that I didn't enjoy them but they opened a window on troubled times. Pretty much all the stories got me thinking. Not least would be the fact that I am lucky. However there are plenty of people out there who are not despite how much people would prefer to pretend otherwise. I'm left with the feeling that Ben Halls has at least come across all the characters in these short stories.
Edgy is to me a rather overused word however these stories really are edgy at times and very dark too. They took me to places that I might rather not be on my own. I've read relatively few short story books recently. In general I've found that only a few really work for me and too many don't. This collection restores my interest in short stories. One aspect of this book that I liked and certainly kept me reading was how the stories sometimes interlink. That intrigues me and was done well as far as I am concerned. Every one of them worked to some degree at least. The best of them will stay with me for sometime to come.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
In full
The blurb about this book intrigued me. A series of interconnected short stories about men on a west London estate. The variety of topics here struck me as interesting and seemed to indicate something more real than some stories I read. Right from the start this felt like authentic writing to me and the characters in the stories were vivid in the main.
Set in west London these stories are generally written in colloquial voices. Indeed there were times when I found words that were strange to me. However in the words of Jacko in the first story I am "well north of forty" so I guess that is not surprising! Either way the stories felt like they were about real people who you might actually come across.
Taking Jacko's tale as an example, his father left when he was younger. He definitely still has issues surrounding that. Jacko has issues about a lot of things and might be described as "angry" quite a bit of the time. Most of the men in these stories can be angry at times. Worth noting that in this and other stories the language might be best described as adult in case that is an issue to anyone. I guess Jacko's story acted life a brick between the eyes - it got my attention!
Some of the stories concern addiction in one sense or another. For me these were the darkest of the tales I think. It's not that I didn't enjoy them but they opened a window on troubled times. Pretty much all the stories got me thinking. Not least would be the fact that I am lucky. However there are plenty of people out there who are not despite how much people would prefer to pretend otherwise. I'm left with the feeling that Ben Halls has at least come across all the characters in these short stories.
Edgy is to me a rather overused word however these stories really are edgy at times and very dark too. They took me to places that I might rather not be on my own. I've read relatively few short story books recently. In general I've found that only a few really work for me and too many don't. This collection restores my interest in short stories. One aspect of this book that I liked and certainly kept me reading was how the stories sometimes interlink. That intrigues me and was done well as far as I am concerned. Every one of them worked to some degree at least. The best of them will stay with me for sometime to come.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
February 13, 2020
The Quarry is an original, urgent and unique collection of short stories depicting the trials and tribulations of working-class men living on the rundown Quarry Lane housing estate in West London and is a topical, timely and all too necessary book. It captures the abject poverty some of these people are subjected to and austerities role in proliferating the damage done to both families and the wider community. But government cutbacks aren't the only theme discussed in these tales as they explore addiction, living on the breadline, loss, family, sexuality, love, hate, hope and fear and toxic masculinity. It's a powerful, take no prisoners look into the lives of the underprivileged liberally sprinkled throughout with bursts of profanity and is one of the most intriguing, sincere and authentically real fiction books you'll read.
Navigating the issues involved with creating these type of stories can be difficult and getting the balance right between being compassionate but remaining unpatronising is no easy feat, however, Ben Halls does this with considerable aplomb. As you may expect during this political climate it is quite a dark read but there are fleeting glimpses of warmth, love and humanity throughout the pages. Each of the character-driven narratives is thought-provoking, absorbing and, for the most part, packs a punch. The writing is perfect in terms of its tone and syntax given the people and problems it is filled with and the characterisation was so incredible that it took me by surprise; often short stories suffer in this respect due to the lack of time they provide for really developing the character, but not here where all of them are wonderfully vivid and vibrant.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable and engaging anthology highlighting the appalling lack of opportunity felt by the working class. An eye-opening read. Many thanks to Dialogue Books for an ARC.
Navigating the issues involved with creating these type of stories can be difficult and getting the balance right between being compassionate but remaining unpatronising is no easy feat, however, Ben Halls does this with considerable aplomb. As you may expect during this political climate it is quite a dark read but there are fleeting glimpses of warmth, love and humanity throughout the pages. Each of the character-driven narratives is thought-provoking, absorbing and, for the most part, packs a punch. The writing is perfect in terms of its tone and syntax given the people and problems it is filled with and the characterisation was so incredible that it took me by surprise; often short stories suffer in this respect due to the lack of time they provide for really developing the character, but not here where all of them are wonderfully vivid and vibrant.
Overall, this is a highly enjoyable and engaging anthology highlighting the appalling lack of opportunity felt by the working class. An eye-opening read. Many thanks to Dialogue Books for an ARC.
January 8, 2025
The Quarry is a set of interconnected chapters all about different men who live on the Quarry Lane estate in London. Men with financial problems and gambling addictions or simply men who want to earn a living and just get by.
Beautifully written, this is a bleak yet mesmerising portrayal of working class men, all with different voices wanting to be heard. I found it hugely compelling. It’s a powerful snapshot of a council estate in the 21st Century and these characters will stay with me for a long time
Beautifully written, this is a bleak yet mesmerising portrayal of working class men, all with different voices wanting to be heard. I found it hugely compelling. It’s a powerful snapshot of a council estate in the 21st Century and these characters will stay with me for a long time
March 25, 2020
An exceptional novel about London's working class men (for the most part). Halls finds a tone that is much more Streets than Sleaford Mods, meaning that while the characters experience thoroughly dark times personally and economically, there are occasional moments of warmth and tenderness.
The book essentially feels like a short story collection, with characters rarely featuring in more than one chapter, and those which seem to recur doing so peripherally at best. However, with most stories set on or around Quarry Lane (which, by the way, is really hard to find with Google Maps for the interested non-native), there is a cohesion to this work that I would expect from a short story collection. You could probably argue that this place is the true protagonist of the book. Wouldn't necessarily have read this as a novel if it wasn't branded as one, but for me the novel framing worked really well.
To continue the music comparisons from above: if you're not into listening to albums and just want to sample a track or two, I suggest reading "Fix", "Little Ones" and, if you're ready for a deep cut "Tea".
The book essentially feels like a short story collection, with characters rarely featuring in more than one chapter, and those which seem to recur doing so peripherally at best. However, with most stories set on or around Quarry Lane (which, by the way, is really hard to find with Google Maps for the interested non-native), there is a cohesion to this work that I would expect from a short story collection. You could probably argue that this place is the true protagonist of the book. Wouldn't necessarily have read this as a novel if it wasn't branded as one, but for me the novel framing worked really well.
To continue the music comparisons from above: if you're not into listening to albums and just want to sample a track or two, I suggest reading "Fix", "Little Ones" and, if you're ready for a deep cut "Tea".
January 12, 2020
A series of connecting stories that packs quite the punch. The quarry seems lime the sort of estate not everyone wants to live in,little money,low paid jobs,no prospects,a pub always full of drinkers. In other hands it might be slightly depressing,but this read as a great slice of life for many characters. Halls is one to look out for in future I think.
February 2, 2024
Wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but really enjoyed it. Only downside is I wish I knew what happened to each man from the short stories.
February 17, 2020
A series of linked short stories provide a variety of perspectives on life in The Quarry. Halls skilfully captures the zeitgeist through the lens of disaffected youth and toxic masculinity amidst deprivation and lack of opportunity. Despite the darkness of the novel, there are moments of warmth and humanity. His characters are vivid and I loved all of them, even the shady ones. The writing is vibrant, the stories expertly woven together. I thought it was great AND it's given me the gift of Arab Strap. Bonus! All hail Aidan Moffat and huge thanks to Ben Halls for jumpstarting my serotonin. Just booked tickets for the author event at The Mitchell in March. Yaaaaaaaas! One of my best books of the year so far, "The Quarry" is a stupendously stonking debut!
March 13, 2022
3.5. Straightforward sketches of several male characters associated with an housing estate in West London long past its heyday. Nicely turned insights into the inner workings of ordinary lives. An easy and undemanding read.
January 26, 2020
I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Dialogue Books in exchange for an honest review.
I am not usually a fan of adult contemporary books in general. There's nothing wrong with them but it's very rare for one to catch my eye. The Quarry stood out to me because it focused exclusively on telling stories of men living in a desperately poor and unpleasant area. I had no idea of what to expect but I am so glad I took the chance and picked this up.
Halls' writing is truly phenomenal. It took me a few stories to get into the style and tone of this anthology but as an author, he pulls no punches with topics. Almost every character is vibrantly brought to life with his prose and he gives weightier issues all of the focus and nuance that they deserve. There are common themes throughout the stories-addiction, poverty, troubled relationships-but the content never feels repetitive and almost all of the stories earn their place here. Some of my favourites include the ones focused on the postman, alcoholic, gambling addict and the final story. All of them are good but these had the strongest sense of heart.
Several of the stories intertwine with each other but I'd actually hoped for a bit more from this element. A few stories have open endings and I half-expected them to be subtly resolved in later stories in the anthology. This sadly wasn't the case which left some endings a little unsatisfactory but I understand, that is how real life goes. The worst offender was the first story which felt like it would have had massive ramifications (for example, I would have expected a story from the POV of the manager left to deal with the fallout) but instead is never mentioned by anyone ever again. These are minor niggles but they did prey on my mind whilst reading which was a shame.
Overall though, I was incredibly impressed by this anthology. As a debut book, this has made me very excited to see more of Halls work and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes character-focused stories with a unique twist. This is a tightly-written, wonderfully themed and very enjoyable collection and I am so glad I read it.
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
I am not usually a fan of adult contemporary books in general. There's nothing wrong with them but it's very rare for one to catch my eye. The Quarry stood out to me because it focused exclusively on telling stories of men living in a desperately poor and unpleasant area. I had no idea of what to expect but I am so glad I took the chance and picked this up.
Halls' writing is truly phenomenal. It took me a few stories to get into the style and tone of this anthology but as an author, he pulls no punches with topics. Almost every character is vibrantly brought to life with his prose and he gives weightier issues all of the focus and nuance that they deserve. There are common themes throughout the stories-addiction, poverty, troubled relationships-but the content never feels repetitive and almost all of the stories earn their place here. Some of my favourites include the ones focused on the postman, alcoholic, gambling addict and the final story. All of them are good but these had the strongest sense of heart.
Several of the stories intertwine with each other but I'd actually hoped for a bit more from this element. A few stories have open endings and I half-expected them to be subtly resolved in later stories in the anthology. This sadly wasn't the case which left some endings a little unsatisfactory but I understand, that is how real life goes. The worst offender was the first story which felt like it would have had massive ramifications (for example, I would have expected a story from the POV of the manager left to deal with the fallout) but instead is never mentioned by anyone ever again. These are minor niggles but they did prey on my mind whilst reading which was a shame.
Overall though, I was incredibly impressed by this anthology. As a debut book, this has made me very excited to see more of Halls work and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes character-focused stories with a unique twist. This is a tightly-written, wonderfully themed and very enjoyable collection and I am so glad I read it.
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
July 16, 2024
what does this book have against tesco man . did they wrong hall somehow? tesco ALWAYS has my battenberg stocked up, can asda or sainsbury’s hold a candle to that?
i’ve never read a collection of short stories before, so this was my first time trying to get into a book like this. but you can’t exactly GET INTO this kind of book. every time you start to get invested in one of the characters and their lives, you’re wrenched out of it at the worst time and thrown into a new one. each life in the quarry is marred by depression, poverty and abuse and it serves for a very difficult read. aside from the first one, none of these stories go anywhere, trapped in a cycle that repeats the mundane, miserable day-to-day.
i was moved by “kate”, as its subject matter was tragic, but it was ruined again by this frequent problem of EVERY side character being a complete cunt, if not the main character. june’s sister using the call about her sister’s passing to lay into the husband was frustrating. frustrating because it just wouldn’t happen. things can’t be that cruel surely.
this book is like torture porn but the torture is just a long bout of depression throughout. everyone has dreams that are spat on and ridiculed and everyone just gives up on them, perhaps the same way the government gave up on the quarry and let it fall into this state. is it the location, the government, or the people? could the people change if they had some kind of support? do they even want or care for support?
i’d love to know what prompted this to be written. what inspiration created this collection of nothing-stories? it read like something i’ve written while at my lowest, projecting my despair onto characters to make it seem less real. hope author man is alright.
it was ok. but i wouldn’t read it again. i didn’t get anything out of it. one thing’s for sure: would not want to live in the quarry.
i’ve never read a collection of short stories before, so this was my first time trying to get into a book like this. but you can’t exactly GET INTO this kind of book. every time you start to get invested in one of the characters and their lives, you’re wrenched out of it at the worst time and thrown into a new one. each life in the quarry is marred by depression, poverty and abuse and it serves for a very difficult read. aside from the first one, none of these stories go anywhere, trapped in a cycle that repeats the mundane, miserable day-to-day.
i was moved by “kate”, as its subject matter was tragic, but it was ruined again by this frequent problem of EVERY side character being a complete cunt, if not the main character. june’s sister using the call about her sister’s passing to lay into the husband was frustrating. frustrating because it just wouldn’t happen. things can’t be that cruel surely.
this book is like torture porn but the torture is just a long bout of depression throughout. everyone has dreams that are spat on and ridiculed and everyone just gives up on them, perhaps the same way the government gave up on the quarry and let it fall into this state. is it the location, the government, or the people? could the people change if they had some kind of support? do they even want or care for support?
i’d love to know what prompted this to be written. what inspiration created this collection of nothing-stories? it read like something i’ve written while at my lowest, projecting my despair onto characters to make it seem less real. hope author man is alright.
it was ok. but i wouldn’t read it again. i didn’t get anything out of it. one thing’s for sure: would not want to live in the quarry.
January 18, 2020
The Quarry is a collection of short stories all told by men and centred around a housing estate in West London. The Quarry Lane estate is a pretty generic estate: dodgy pub, club that changes name, bookies, and people dealing with lost families, addiction, sexuality, and relationships. The stories are all centred around the estate and the people who live there, with locations and people straying across stories and building up a picture both of modern Britain and of the different ways people from the same place live.
Short story collections can sometimes feel disjointed and not part of a whole, but this isn't the case in The Quarry, which has a real focus and a sense that it could almost be a novel that just happens to only show small snippets of each person's life. Some of the stories end with a twist or revelation and others are more meditative, like the postman returning to the estate he grew up on for the first time. Halls tells these characters' stories in individual voices, trying to get across the sense of different ages and lives, but it comes together well in a way that makes the stories gripping rather than too fleeting or not fleshed out enough.
The Quarry is an impressive thing, as a short story collection that feels very much like a whole work. It is at its best when tackling things like addiction, but also very good at showing the ways that the male characters don't realise what things are like for other people in their lives.
Short story collections can sometimes feel disjointed and not part of a whole, but this isn't the case in The Quarry, which has a real focus and a sense that it could almost be a novel that just happens to only show small snippets of each person's life. Some of the stories end with a twist or revelation and others are more meditative, like the postman returning to the estate he grew up on for the first time. Halls tells these characters' stories in individual voices, trying to get across the sense of different ages and lives, but it comes together well in a way that makes the stories gripping rather than too fleeting or not fleshed out enough.
The Quarry is an impressive thing, as a short story collection that feels very much like a whole work. It is at its best when tackling things like addiction, but also very good at showing the ways that the male characters don't realise what things are like for other people in their lives.
June 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this set on interconnected short stories by London writer Ben Halls.
There are ten stories all set around the fictional "Quarry Estate" in London. Every story is great and Halls is brilliant in crafting different voices. Every story is compelling, interesting and very different. However, they are all cohesive at the same time - linked to the same location. The collection spans protagonists of varying ages, ethnicity and sexual orientation. All the voices are male and in some ways this is a collection of short stories about the pressures of conforming to different models of masculinity. Toxic masculinity, addiction and completion also play a part in this collection. However, all the narrators are engaging and draw you in - I really enjoyed every one - brilliantly crafted and executed and a great depiction of the urban landscape in its many forms.
Buildings - such as The Falcon and Paddy Power - also create cohesion, and occasionally the characters overlap into other stories. Really impressed. Just wish I could have found out what happened to each protagonist after the stories were over as they were all engaging and compelling.
Great debut.
There are ten stories all set around the fictional "Quarry Estate" in London. Every story is great and Halls is brilliant in crafting different voices. Every story is compelling, interesting and very different. However, they are all cohesive at the same time - linked to the same location. The collection spans protagonists of varying ages, ethnicity and sexual orientation. All the voices are male and in some ways this is a collection of short stories about the pressures of conforming to different models of masculinity. Toxic masculinity, addiction and completion also play a part in this collection. However, all the narrators are engaging and draw you in - I really enjoyed every one - brilliantly crafted and executed and a great depiction of the urban landscape in its many forms.
Buildings - such as The Falcon and Paddy Power - also create cohesion, and occasionally the characters overlap into other stories. Really impressed. Just wish I could have found out what happened to each protagonist after the stories were over as they were all engaging and compelling.
Great debut.
October 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this. It's a gritty and realistic set of stories about inhabitants of an estate (The Quarry). I started expecting The Quarry to be a, sort of, main character but, that wasn't what happened at all. Instead, each story was driven by each narrator and The Quarry did become more familiar as the stories went on. Some of the characters overlap the stories but, it doesn't have any contrivance to bring everything together which, for me, made it more of a down-to-earth slice of life. Some of the stories are absolutely gut-wrenching and anxiety inducing. It is a book I will be recommending. Definitely worth reading if you like gritty brit-noir stories.
February 12, 2020
A series of interconnected stories about men who live on a council estate in Greater London, these stores are sad, touching, full or hope but expressing the hopelessness many men feel. The story, “Kate”, in particular, nearly had me crying in public
April 28, 2020
Dialogue Book Group Recommendation
Fantastic collection of stories, I got so caught up in the reading I was surprised to have reached the end. Thanks to Ben Halls for the writing and all at Dialogue Books. Can't wait to see the Instagram for this one on Thursday!
Fantastic collection of stories, I got so caught up in the reading I was surprised to have reached the end. Thanks to Ben Halls for the writing and all at Dialogue Books. Can't wait to see the Instagram for this one on Thursday!
June 11, 2024
A beautiful, dark and scathing set of interlocking short stories about life from the perspective of London’s council estate men. Deeply affecting, even having grown up in the midlands I recognised some of these characters. An important book.
March 30, 2020
A selection of short stories set in and around a housing estate in London.
Intriguing vingettes of life in The Quarry.
Intriguing vingettes of life in The Quarry.
April 26, 2020
Whilst I can appreciate the quality of the writing, this book is irredeemably depressing.
June 8, 2020
Enjoyed this debut novel. Really liked that the individual short stories linked throughout. Attended a Q & A session at Glasgow's Aye Write Festival before Coronavirus Lockdown.
December 2, 2020
A selection of short interconnected stories that really pack a punch. I wanted all of the stories to be like ‘Little Ones’.
August 23, 2021
A cleverly written book of short stories all so closely related they almost touch.
January 3, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of varied urban stories. Ben Halls uses a number of authentic voices to tell the tales of different characters on an estate, some of which left me in tears.
did-not-finish
November 2, 2024DNF
March 21, 2020
Gritty and raw. Incredibly realistic characters. Fantastic debut.
Favourite bit: First and last stories
Favourite bit: First and last stories
February 21, 2024
a simply excellent book!
switching perspectives between both directly and indirectly intertwining lives amongst the occupants of the estates, it gives quite the insight into the thoughts, experiences, events, emotions and perspectives into the lives of amab working class people in England. Really captured my attention and allowed my to see why and how these things play out.
Basically - read it! haha
(context - reviewing this long post-reading + from memory😅)
switching perspectives between both directly and indirectly intertwining lives amongst the occupants of the estates, it gives quite the insight into the thoughts, experiences, events, emotions and perspectives into the lives of amab working class people in England. Really captured my attention and allowed my to see why and how these things play out.
Basically - read it! haha
(context - reviewing this long post-reading + from memory😅)
February 5, 2020
Sorry this book was not for me, I didn't like the dialogue or the way it was written. Its just a personal opinion others would probably love it.
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