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Danças e Contradanças
As sarcásticas histórias de Danças & Contradanças podem ser resumidas em duas palavras: malévolas e maliciosas. Como em muitos dos seus romances, Joanne Harris consegue combinar de uma forma única situações e personagens comuns - e até banais - com o extraordinário e o inesperado. Mais do que nunca, a autora dá largas à sua imaginação e apresenta-nos uma exuberante e prodigiosa caixa de Pandora que contém tudo quanto é extravagante, estranho misterioso e perverso. De bruxas suburbanas a velhinhas provocadoras, monstros envelhecidos, vencedores da lotaria suicidas, lobisomens, mulheres-golfinho e fabricantes de adereços eróticos, estas são vinte e duas histórias onde o fantástico anda de mãos dadas com o mundano, o amargo com o doce, e onde o belo, o grotesco, o sedutor e o perturbador estão sempre a um passo de distância.
Escolham o vosso par, por favor. Danças & Contradanças é o primeiro livro de contos de Joanne Harris, que, com a mestria a que já nos habituou, consegue deliciar, surpreender, entreter e horrorizar em igual medida. Suficientemente longas para aguçar o apetite, e breves a ponto de serem lidas num piscar de olhos, estas são histórias maliciosas, divertidas, por vezes provocadoras, mas sempre pessoais e capazes de revelar uma faceta de Joanne Harris até agora desconhecida dos seus leitores.
Escolham o vosso par, por favor. Danças & Contradanças é o primeiro livro de contos de Joanne Harris, que, com a mestria a que já nos habituou, consegue deliciar, surpreender, entreter e horrorizar em igual medida. Suficientemente longas para aguçar o apetite, e breves a ponto de serem lidas num piscar de olhos, estas são histórias maliciosas, divertidas, por vezes provocadoras, mas sempre pessoais e capazes de revelar uma faceta de Joanne Harris até agora desconhecida dos seus leitores.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
118 people are currently reading
1511 people want to read
About the author
Joanne Harris
124 books6,274 followersJoanne Harris is also known as Joanne M. Harris
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.
Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is currently engaged in a number of musical theatre projects as well as developing an original drama for television.
In 2000, her 1999 novel CHOCOLAT was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by the Queen.
Her hobbies are listed in Who's Who as 'mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion'. She also spends too much time on Twitter; plays flute and bass guitar in a band first formed when she was 16; and works from a shed in her garden at her home in Yorkshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
February 1, 2014
I've heard the name Joanne Harris about 6 years ago for the first time, when I saw the film "Chocolate" and found out that it was based on a book. But due to the young age and other interests in the literature then, I ignored reading it. Even somehow forgot to think about it. But good people gave me an advice to read "Chocolate" and I did it.
And last week in search of something light and unobtrusive for a cozy winter reading, I came across a set of short stories by Joanne Harris "Jigs and reels". I was too curious to take a closer look on the writer, and decision was made. At first it was very strange, but after a few dozen pages I could not figure out how I used to live without this book before. Incredibly sad, but at the same time very light and touching stories. Each of them makes you wonder. Each of them is hiding a frightening reality, bordering on something magical and fabulous. These stories, small in volume, quick and easy to read. Many stories are so commonplace and yet incredibly interesting woven into the really attractive ones. Before I was not particularly a great fan of short stories but now I'm quite sorry about this fact.
I recommend this book to all the kind hearts who even seeing all the imperfections of our world, remembering all the troubles of our life, still continue to believe in miracles!
And last week in search of something light and unobtrusive for a cozy winter reading, I came across a set of short stories by Joanne Harris "Jigs and reels". I was too curious to take a closer look on the writer, and decision was made. At first it was very strange, but after a few dozen pages I could not figure out how I used to live without this book before. Incredibly sad, but at the same time very light and touching stories. Each of them makes you wonder. Each of them is hiding a frightening reality, bordering on something magical and fabulous. These stories, small in volume, quick and easy to read. Many stories are so commonplace and yet incredibly interesting woven into the really attractive ones. Before I was not particularly a great fan of short stories but now I'm quite sorry about this fact.
I recommend this book to all the kind hearts who even seeing all the imperfections of our world, remembering all the troubles of our life, still continue to believe in miracles!
October 4, 2017
A diverse collection of short stories, really enjoyable.
October 6, 2017
Uns mais divertidos, outros mais misteriosos e surpreendentes, passando pelo bizarro e surreal, estes contos são uma delícia de ler!
June 13, 2008
These short stories suffer from being rather unsubtle and predictable: almost all of them end with an anvilicious “twist” or “punchline”—in fact, two of them end with the exact same “did you see what I did there?” move. (The horribly shallow subject of the tale—is actually a child! What a sad commentary on our times! *nods solemnly*) There are some interesting ideas or starts of ideas in here, and Harris is certainly a competent and at times quite evocative writer, but the repetitive “buh-dum-ching!” pattern of the endings of almost all these stories—and a weird, unfinished, this-is-stopping-just-as-it’s-getting-interesting aspect to some of the others—really didn’t work for me. Harris says in her introduction that she has a harder time with short fiction than with novels; I empathize, but I shouldn’t be able to see it on the page.
January 3, 2012
Adorei, adorei, adorei!
Estes contos são para lá de originais, são divertidos, com um pingo de rebeldia!
Fazem-nos rir, fazem-nos pensar e fazem-nos viajar para lá do imaginável.
Estes contos são para lá de originais, são divertidos, com um pingo de rebeldia!
Fazem-nos rir, fazem-nos pensar e fazem-nos viajar para lá do imaginável.
April 20, 2023
I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved it. One of my favorite things about these short stories was the huge variety in the style of story. From the superb creepiness of Gastronimicon to the sweet hopefulness of Faith and Hope Go Shopping, this collection was marvelous. The short story Auto-da-fe reminded me of how wonderful she really is at seeing into her characters. As I look through the table of contents I want to keep going; to tell you about how much Eau de Toilette will tilt your perspective and how you'll love the darkly naughty Al and Christine's World of Leather. This is one of the best books I've read all year. I have GOT to buy this one.
August 6, 2015
Sinto muito mas não gostei nada, acho que é muito mau publicar um livro com contos medíocres para fazer dinheiro à custa do nome que é conhecido. Há um ou dois que são um pouco melhores mas não salvam o livro.
October 24, 2017
When I realised this was short stories, I groaned inwardly. I am not a fan of short stories as you will well know if you've ever read any of my reviews on them.
This however was exceptional. I can't fault any of these stories, they all kept me gripped. My main gripe with short stories as I always feel you get into them and they end. These were all the right length.
I loved 'Gastronomicon', I keep thinking about it, especially when my house makes a weird noise. Just one of those simple stories that really gets under your skin.
I love how she explained where she got the idea for the story on each one, the saddest being the explanation for 'Any Girl Can Be A CandyKiss Girl'.
Most of these stories reflect the way society is nowadays, which tends to be a rather bleak but spot on observation.
This was my first book by Harris and I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her work.
This however was exceptional. I can't fault any of these stories, they all kept me gripped. My main gripe with short stories as I always feel you get into them and they end. These were all the right length.
I loved 'Gastronomicon', I keep thinking about it, especially when my house makes a weird noise. Just one of those simple stories that really gets under your skin.
I love how she explained where she got the idea for the story on each one, the saddest being the explanation for 'Any Girl Can Be A CandyKiss Girl'.
Most of these stories reflect the way society is nowadays, which tends to be a rather bleak but spot on observation.
This was my first book by Harris and I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her work.
April 18, 2015
About half 4-5 star stories and half 2 star stories.
I wasn't a fan of her sci-fi/dystopian style stories.
I think she's a bit too obvious and open of a writer to be able to write this sort of story effectively. Her "shocking" or "twist" endings are telegraphed almost from the beginning so they end up seeming either passe or derivative.
For instance, her story "The Spectator" follows the plot of Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" so closely that it even ends the same image, phrased similarly... ("That's my School" vs. "That's my house." ) In fact quite a bit of the dialog is paraphrased from the original story. It seemed very grating to me since I've read Bradbury's version multiple times...
I wasn't a fan of her sci-fi/dystopian style stories.
I think she's a bit too obvious and open of a writer to be able to write this sort of story effectively. Her "shocking" or "twist" endings are telegraphed almost from the beginning so they end up seeming either passe or derivative.
For instance, her story "The Spectator" follows the plot of Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" so closely that it even ends the same image, phrased similarly... ("That's my School" vs. "That's my house." ) In fact quite a bit of the dialog is paraphrased from the original story. It seemed very grating to me since I've read Bradbury's version multiple times...
April 24, 2009
This is the by far the best collection of short stories I've ever read. Who knew that the author of "Chocolat" could write such memorable and darkly haunting stories? She describes short stories to be something that "can startle, ignite, illuminate. It is often troubling, often frightening or subversive. It provokes questions, whereas most novels tend to try to answer them."
Her collection of 22 stories includes:
Faith and Hope Go Shopping >> Two elderly women living in a retirement home dream of escaping. Everything was predictable to a fault and they are told that they are just things that are considered to be "unsuitable" for them. They escaped-- in search of a copy of Lolita and a pair of Jimmy Choos. "I wanted, just once to step out into the glossy, gleeful pages of my magazines. To taste the recipes; see the films; read the books. To me the shoes represented all that: their cheery, brazen redness; their frankly impossible heels. Shoes made for anything -- lolling, lounging, priowling, strutting, flying -- anything but walking."
The Ugly Stepsister >> Casts one of Cinderella's stepsisters in a sympathetic light; little could we have imagined what this poor woman has had to endure. Apparently it's even more devastating at Christmas time when she appears in plays and is hissed, booed, and "spat at by shrieking, sticky children with ice cream all over their faces." She's had quite enough of that, to say nothing of having to put up with Her Smugness (a.k.a. Cinderella who always wore designer rags). The storry also brings an equally notorious and misunderstood fairy tale character into the picture to steal her heart.
Gastronimicon >> A tale about a young wife who discovers that the recipes in her mother-in-law's treasured (if musty) passed-on-for-generations cookbook often have unintended consequences.
Fule's Gold >> A story of a grammar professor who finally becomes inspired enough to publish his own story--by stealing a work done by one of his very own students.
Class of '81 >> What happens when the magic runs out for the students of an academy for wizards & witches? Have a reunion in a couple of years, of course! Fantasy fans will certainly like the twist on this one.
Hello, Goodbye >> When Angela K., the 29-year-old society columnist of "Hello, Goodbye" mag covers a celebrity funeral, she comes to understand the bizarre attraction of death and the twisted emotions that often accompany it. But in the overly shallow world that we all live it, it actually makes sense that it's a matter of time before this happens.
Free Spirit >> Anybody's guess is as good as mine as to what the concept of "free spirit" is referring to.
Auto-da-fe >> Story of road rage on an utterly personal level. I'd hate to be on the same road with somebody like this, that's for sure.
The Spectator >> It's the age of keeping children safe from everything and anything; of dictating their every move in an effort to control all facets of life. "Surely there can be no harm in that? I mean--don't we all enjoy watching children at play?"
Al and Christine's World of Leather >> A love story contained within the ruins of a rapidly deteriorating one. Unforgettable.
Last Train to Dogtown >> What would happen if an author ended up in a room with his characters from manuscripts long left unfinished? "We're the characters in the stories you didn't finish, the minor players, the cameo roles, the people you write out, or lost interest in, or gave up on or forgot."
The G-SUS Gene >> A scathing science fiction yarn about free will and religion.
A Place in the Sun >> The desperate lengths one is completely willing to go through to penetrate the all-exclusive Platinum Sands beach, from which everyone but the "infinitely sexy, ultimately desirable" is barred. After all, this is the one place where prospective bathers are vetted according to age and looks. The last two lines of the story gave me such a jolt that I find myself shaking my head over it all.
Tea with the Birds >> A loner receives an amazing gift, one with the potential to keep on giving, from the enigmatic Mr. Tamaoki.
Breakfast at Tesco's >> A tale in the tradition of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" -- of things that are done routinely to stave off the machinations & disappointments of life to that of dealing with change -- no matter how it presents itself. "So, how do I look?"
Come in, Mr. Lowry, Your Number's Up! >> A man who's existential purpose includes quite a fascination with numbers wins the lottery. He spends his money recklessly only to discover that the ominous thing he truly wants he cannot buy. Surprisingly entertaining since I don't even like numbers myself.
Waiting for Gandalf >> The plight of a monster who lures victims by setting up elaborate role-playing games: "because sometimes, reality just doesn't satisfy."
Any Girl Can Be a CandyKiss Girl! >> The lengths of what fashion will do to objectify women: "she represents everything that is loathsome about today's youth: the loss of innocence, the lost of beauty, and most of all, the moss of dignity." I couldn't agree more.
The Little Mermaid >> The characters are more than bizarre, but it's easy to be sympathetic to some.
Fish >> A honeymoon from hell for the bride; the awakening to one's birthplace, culture and traditions for the groom. If I were the bride, I wouldn't mind honeymooning in Naples...
Never Give a Sucker... >> Stems from the impression that vampire literature's elitist thereby the need to explore the life of an everyday vampire. Realistically though, I don't think a lot of people would've wanted to become vamps themselves were it not for the dark romanticism that infuses it.
Eau de Toilette >> We all used to think that the days of gowns & attending balls by the members of the aristocratic class seemed so elegant & romantic--like nothing could possibly go wrong. Apparently we weren't being realistic enough for our own beliefs.
Book Details:
Title Jigs & Reels
Author Joanne Harris
Reviewed By Purplycookie
Her collection of 22 stories includes:
Faith and Hope Go Shopping >> Two elderly women living in a retirement home dream of escaping. Everything was predictable to a fault and they are told that they are just things that are considered to be "unsuitable" for them. They escaped-- in search of a copy of Lolita and a pair of Jimmy Choos. "I wanted, just once to step out into the glossy, gleeful pages of my magazines. To taste the recipes; see the films; read the books. To me the shoes represented all that: their cheery, brazen redness; their frankly impossible heels. Shoes made for anything -- lolling, lounging, priowling, strutting, flying -- anything but walking."
The Ugly Stepsister >> Casts one of Cinderella's stepsisters in a sympathetic light; little could we have imagined what this poor woman has had to endure. Apparently it's even more devastating at Christmas time when she appears in plays and is hissed, booed, and "spat at by shrieking, sticky children with ice cream all over their faces." She's had quite enough of that, to say nothing of having to put up with Her Smugness (a.k.a. Cinderella who always wore designer rags). The storry also brings an equally notorious and misunderstood fairy tale character into the picture to steal her heart.
Gastronimicon >> A tale about a young wife who discovers that the recipes in her mother-in-law's treasured (if musty) passed-on-for-generations cookbook often have unintended consequences.
Fule's Gold >> A story of a grammar professor who finally becomes inspired enough to publish his own story--by stealing a work done by one of his very own students.
Class of '81 >> What happens when the magic runs out for the students of an academy for wizards & witches? Have a reunion in a couple of years, of course! Fantasy fans will certainly like the twist on this one.
Hello, Goodbye >> When Angela K., the 29-year-old society columnist of "Hello, Goodbye" mag covers a celebrity funeral, she comes to understand the bizarre attraction of death and the twisted emotions that often accompany it. But in the overly shallow world that we all live it, it actually makes sense that it's a matter of time before this happens.
Free Spirit >> Anybody's guess is as good as mine as to what the concept of "free spirit" is referring to.
Auto-da-fe >> Story of road rage on an utterly personal level. I'd hate to be on the same road with somebody like this, that's for sure.
The Spectator >> It's the age of keeping children safe from everything and anything; of dictating their every move in an effort to control all facets of life. "Surely there can be no harm in that? I mean--don't we all enjoy watching children at play?"
Al and Christine's World of Leather >> A love story contained within the ruins of a rapidly deteriorating one. Unforgettable.
Last Train to Dogtown >> What would happen if an author ended up in a room with his characters from manuscripts long left unfinished? "We're the characters in the stories you didn't finish, the minor players, the cameo roles, the people you write out, or lost interest in, or gave up on or forgot."
The G-SUS Gene >> A scathing science fiction yarn about free will and religion.
A Place in the Sun >> The desperate lengths one is completely willing to go through to penetrate the all-exclusive Platinum Sands beach, from which everyone but the "infinitely sexy, ultimately desirable" is barred. After all, this is the one place where prospective bathers are vetted according to age and looks. The last two lines of the story gave me such a jolt that I find myself shaking my head over it all.
Tea with the Birds >> A loner receives an amazing gift, one with the potential to keep on giving, from the enigmatic Mr. Tamaoki.
Breakfast at Tesco's >> A tale in the tradition of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" -- of things that are done routinely to stave off the machinations & disappointments of life to that of dealing with change -- no matter how it presents itself. "So, how do I look?"
Come in, Mr. Lowry, Your Number's Up! >> A man who's existential purpose includes quite a fascination with numbers wins the lottery. He spends his money recklessly only to discover that the ominous thing he truly wants he cannot buy. Surprisingly entertaining since I don't even like numbers myself.
Waiting for Gandalf >> The plight of a monster who lures victims by setting up elaborate role-playing games: "because sometimes, reality just doesn't satisfy."
Any Girl Can Be a CandyKiss Girl! >> The lengths of what fashion will do to objectify women: "she represents everything that is loathsome about today's youth: the loss of innocence, the lost of beauty, and most of all, the moss of dignity." I couldn't agree more.
The Little Mermaid >> The characters are more than bizarre, but it's easy to be sympathetic to some.
Fish >> A honeymoon from hell for the bride; the awakening to one's birthplace, culture and traditions for the groom. If I were the bride, I wouldn't mind honeymooning in Naples...
Never Give a Sucker... >> Stems from the impression that vampire literature's elitist thereby the need to explore the life of an everyday vampire. Realistically though, I don't think a lot of people would've wanted to become vamps themselves were it not for the dark romanticism that infuses it.
Eau de Toilette >> We all used to think that the days of gowns & attending balls by the members of the aristocratic class seemed so elegant & romantic--like nothing could possibly go wrong. Apparently we weren't being realistic enough for our own beliefs.
Book Details:
Title Jigs & Reels
Author Joanne Harris
Reviewed By Purplycookie
September 26, 2025
Demorei uns dois meses a terminar este livro que é pequenino.... mas foi muito custoso.
Está mais que provado que não gosto de contos. Histórias que começam a meio e não têm fim, faz-me sentir que estou a ouvir conversas alheias num lugar publico qualquer e que fui embora sem ouvir o fim da coisa! Teve um ou dois um pouco interessantes, mas no geral, esqueçam lá isso. Não foi mesmo livro para mim.
Está mais que provado que não gosto de contos. Histórias que começam a meio e não têm fim, faz-me sentir que estou a ouvir conversas alheias num lugar publico qualquer e que fui embora sem ouvir o fim da coisa! Teve um ou dois um pouco interessantes, mas no geral, esqueçam lá isso. Não foi mesmo livro para mim.
abandoned
April 29, 2021То ли я просто не люблю рассказы как жанр, то ли мне не зашло. Но дальше середины меня не хватило
May 5, 2025
średnio zrozumiałam
September 15, 2017
Now this was one short story collection that I adored. Joanne Harris proves that she's not only adept at this particular medium, but also that she can take on any genre and excel at it. Jigs & Reels contains a veritable treasure trove of tales, including geriatric escapees; fairytale villains; sinister food; dystopian tales of our potential future modern society; a writer who ends up as a character in his own unfinished works; a live action roleplay game with a murderous component....and much, much more.
Stories do not die, but are simply reincarnated every generation or so into a different time or idiom.
Stories do not die, but are simply reincarnated every generation or so into a different time or idiom.
December 29, 2011
A wonderful collection of stories. From the life of Cinderella's stepsister to a poor man who just wants to feel young, to the story of two ladies desperate for a pair of shoes, Harris will make you laugh, cry, and worry about cooking in your own kitchen.
August 9, 2018
I am not a fan of short stories but I will read them if they come my way. I just don’t understand why you would write a short story when you could expand it into a novel? Also, I found in this book, like most short story books, the first story is the best one. I have put my thoughts on each story below:
Faith and Hope Go Shopping – lovely story about two old ladies escaping their nursing home to go to London to buy a copy of Lolita and a pair or red high heels. Funny, sweet and sad – this is a perfect short story.
The Ugly Sister – a fairy tale retelling from an Ugly Sister’s perspective. I feel like these have been quite overdone lately so I didn’t find it that interesting. I did like that she got with the Big Bad Wolf at the end.
Gastronomicon – this is a story about a monster that comes up every time a wife cooks a new recipe from her husband’s family cookbook. I did like it but I really wanted this one to go on a bit longer and expand a bit more.
Fule’s Gold – a teacher is marking homework when he finds a brilliant creative writing story. He decides to steal the story for his own but loses it on his way home and can’t find it again. An ok story but I’m glad this one was really short
Class of ’81 – a story about a class of witches who are having a 20-year reunion. I really enjoyed this story, I like the magic element and also the feelings about a reunion.
Hello, Goodbye – this story starts from the perspective of a journalist reporting on a celebrity funeral. The funeral is all for show with no real emotions until the parents turn up and make a speech and you find out the funeral is for the journalist’s sister. A sad story.
Free Spirit – the main character of this story is Death (I think anyway) and his random way of taking people. It’s a very short story.
Auto – Da – Fe – this is a story about a man with anger management issues who has beaten up his wife in the morning and then has a road rage incident. I didn’t really like this story. I would have liked some comeuppance for the man.
The Spectator – this story is set in the future but as I’m reading it in 2018 it’s not very far away (2023). Children are now so overly protected that an elderly man who takes his daily walks past a school field is arrested. I wasn’t really buying this one – maybe because for me, the year is not really the future as it’s so close.
Al and Christine’s World of Leather – Christine starts going to a WeightWatchers group and forms a business with another woman she meets there. Little does she know that the woman is having an affair with her husband in the clothes that she makes. A nice little story of revenge.
Last Train to Dogtown – a writer ends up stuck in a town full of characters and stories that he never finished. An interesting concept, this one could definitely have been longer.
The G-SUS Gene – I didn’t really get what was going on in this story. It seemed to be in the future and they were trying to change the DNA of a criminal so that he would be a different person. Not one for me.
A Place In The Sun – a story about how ridiculous standards of beauty have gotten and how they are affecting girls much too young. A perfect short story.
Tea With The Birds – I didn’t really enjoy this one. A story about a woman meeting a new neighbour who carves birds out of vegetables. Odd.
Breakfast at Tesco’s – an elderly lady is always served by the same young girl in a Tesco’s café. She meets the girl’s grandfather and finds out her boyfriend is violent towards her but won’t leave him. There is some hope at the end of the story but it’s still a sad one.
Come In Mr Lowry, Your Number Is Up! – I have a problem with this story as I know that you cannot win the lottery by finding the ticket, if you did not purchase it then you cannot claim it and there are checks in place to stop this happening. However, the story is about a man who wins the lottery by finding a ticket stuck to his shoe but he finds out that money does not make him happy so he jumps off the Eiffel Tower.
Waiting for Gandalf – this is about a group of role playing adults who dress up like sci-fi monster characters and have battles in the woods. However, they are actually killing the people they are playing.
Any Girl Can Be A Candykiss Girl – this is a very short (4 pages) story about how clothes for little girls are now essentially smaller versions of what young women wear on night’s out. It really does need to be addressed in real life.
The Little Mermaid – this is a sad story of a swimming disabled class where one man convinces a woman to have unsuitable surgery that leaves her in more pain.
Fish – a funny short story of a man who has married for money on his honeymoon and he realises that it may have not been all that he wanted. I loved all the descriptions of food in this story.
Never Give A Sucker – I saw this was a vampire story and was excited to read it but it wasn’t very good to be honest. Probably my least favourite story of all.
Eau De Toilette – story of a person who helps to perfume and wash a Royal person. I thought it wasn’t a great story to end on.
Faith and Hope Go Shopping – lovely story about two old ladies escaping their nursing home to go to London to buy a copy of Lolita and a pair or red high heels. Funny, sweet and sad – this is a perfect short story.
The Ugly Sister – a fairy tale retelling from an Ugly Sister’s perspective. I feel like these have been quite overdone lately so I didn’t find it that interesting. I did like that she got with the Big Bad Wolf at the end.
Gastronomicon – this is a story about a monster that comes up every time a wife cooks a new recipe from her husband’s family cookbook. I did like it but I really wanted this one to go on a bit longer and expand a bit more.
Fule’s Gold – a teacher is marking homework when he finds a brilliant creative writing story. He decides to steal the story for his own but loses it on his way home and can’t find it again. An ok story but I’m glad this one was really short
Class of ’81 – a story about a class of witches who are having a 20-year reunion. I really enjoyed this story, I like the magic element and also the feelings about a reunion.
Hello, Goodbye – this story starts from the perspective of a journalist reporting on a celebrity funeral. The funeral is all for show with no real emotions until the parents turn up and make a speech and you find out the funeral is for the journalist’s sister. A sad story.
Free Spirit – the main character of this story is Death (I think anyway) and his random way of taking people. It’s a very short story.
Auto – Da – Fe – this is a story about a man with anger management issues who has beaten up his wife in the morning and then has a road rage incident. I didn’t really like this story. I would have liked some comeuppance for the man.
The Spectator – this story is set in the future but as I’m reading it in 2018 it’s not very far away (2023). Children are now so overly protected that an elderly man who takes his daily walks past a school field is arrested. I wasn’t really buying this one – maybe because for me, the year is not really the future as it’s so close.
Al and Christine’s World of Leather – Christine starts going to a WeightWatchers group and forms a business with another woman she meets there. Little does she know that the woman is having an affair with her husband in the clothes that she makes. A nice little story of revenge.
Last Train to Dogtown – a writer ends up stuck in a town full of characters and stories that he never finished. An interesting concept, this one could definitely have been longer.
The G-SUS Gene – I didn’t really get what was going on in this story. It seemed to be in the future and they were trying to change the DNA of a criminal so that he would be a different person. Not one for me.
A Place In The Sun – a story about how ridiculous standards of beauty have gotten and how they are affecting girls much too young. A perfect short story.
Tea With The Birds – I didn’t really enjoy this one. A story about a woman meeting a new neighbour who carves birds out of vegetables. Odd.
Breakfast at Tesco’s – an elderly lady is always served by the same young girl in a Tesco’s café. She meets the girl’s grandfather and finds out her boyfriend is violent towards her but won’t leave him. There is some hope at the end of the story but it’s still a sad one.
Come In Mr Lowry, Your Number Is Up! – I have a problem with this story as I know that you cannot win the lottery by finding the ticket, if you did not purchase it then you cannot claim it and there are checks in place to stop this happening. However, the story is about a man who wins the lottery by finding a ticket stuck to his shoe but he finds out that money does not make him happy so he jumps off the Eiffel Tower.
Waiting for Gandalf – this is about a group of role playing adults who dress up like sci-fi monster characters and have battles in the woods. However, they are actually killing the people they are playing.
Any Girl Can Be A Candykiss Girl – this is a very short (4 pages) story about how clothes for little girls are now essentially smaller versions of what young women wear on night’s out. It really does need to be addressed in real life.
The Little Mermaid – this is a sad story of a swimming disabled class where one man convinces a woman to have unsuitable surgery that leaves her in more pain.
Fish – a funny short story of a man who has married for money on his honeymoon and he realises that it may have not been all that he wanted. I loved all the descriptions of food in this story.
Never Give A Sucker – I saw this was a vampire story and was excited to read it but it wasn’t very good to be honest. Probably my least favourite story of all.
Eau De Toilette – story of a person who helps to perfume and wash a Royal person. I thought it wasn’t a great story to end on.
June 21, 2018
A collection of stories that wasn't quite what I was expecting.
I picked this up because of the inclusion of Fule's Gold on the summer 2018 GCSE English exam. It was amongst my favourite stories, but from the outset it was clear that this was a collection that praised the unusual.
I particularly enjoyed the vibrancy of the characters and their unusual out-take on life. There were some life-affirming stories - such as the two old ladies breaking out of their home to buy Manolo Blahnik shoes or the ugly sister much maligned by Cinderella - but there were also some dark and twisted characters/stories that were less pleasant to read.
A joy to dip into.
I picked this up because of the inclusion of Fule's Gold on the summer 2018 GCSE English exam. It was amongst my favourite stories, but from the outset it was clear that this was a collection that praised the unusual.
I particularly enjoyed the vibrancy of the characters and their unusual out-take on life. There were some life-affirming stories - such as the two old ladies breaking out of their home to buy Manolo Blahnik shoes or the ugly sister much maligned by Cinderella - but there were also some dark and twisted characters/stories that were less pleasant to read.
A joy to dip into.
July 15, 2021
I enjoyed 3 of the stories, but 3 out of 22 just isn't good. The stories I liked were the more mundane ones, they dealt with what could be quite normal and real situations, and were vignettes in a sense. The rest were a mixture of boring, ridiculous, and almost painful to push through sci fi, dystopia and supernatural fantasy and missed the mark completely. Some of the twists were ridiculous and the messages unsubtle. I was deeply disappointed with this collection as I am a fan of Harris's previous work "Chocolat" and a lover of short stories, but these left me wondering what the heck I was reading after almost every story. Some were just very bland. I can't recommend this collection but the more human situations of "Faith and Hope go shopping", "Tea with the birds" and "Breakfast at Tesco's" were enjoyable.
April 12, 2017
A cracking collection of short stories from a master story teller. I am an unashamed devotee of the short story medium, and Joanne Harris moves within it with ease. All of the stories in this collection are entertaining and well-crafted, and very well written. If she has a weakness it is perhaps in the science-fiction genre, although it is refreshing to see a best-selling author who can move in and out of the genre and still pull together a fine collection.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
April 23, 2019
Really enjoyed this collection. It shows an author with a very rich imagination and huge interest and empathy for all of humanity. There was just one story I didn't get, the one about the Free Spirit. If anyone can explain it to me, I am open to changing my mind.
March 19, 2020
I enjoyed these short stories, which were quirky and most made me laugh. Many of the twists were telegraphed well ahead but a couple took me completely by surprise. I enjoyed the descriptions of how each story originated, an insight into how the creative process works for some writers.
October 14, 2024
Some good and some ok short stories but which are at least varied in nature. I particularly enjoyed the dialogue where she injected humour into it. Not anywhere near her best but certainly worth a read.
April 3, 2024
Очень неплохо. Хотя Джоанн Харрис всегда неплохо высчитывала соотношение корицы и стекла, и знала, сколько иголок стоит припрятать в булочке. Герои очень живые и настоящие, в меру неприятные, как и их жизни, случиться с ними может всё что угодно, финалы непредсказуемы, из-за чего читать очень увлекательно, ведь никогда не знаешь, что ждёт в следующем рассказе.
Особенно понравились Выпуск восемьдесят первого, про слёт бывших однокурсниц ведьминского института, Чай с птицами, про любительницу тишины и её нового соседа, и В ожидании Гендальфа, пр�� ролевиков, выросших вместе со своей игрой.
Особенно понравились Выпуск восемьдесят первого, про слёт бывших однокурсниц ведьминского института, Чай с птицами, про любительницу тишины и её нового соседа, и В ожидании Гендальфа, пр�� ролевиков, выросших вместе со своей игрой.
May 1, 2025
I liked it less than the other short story collection but this was nice too.
April 28, 2020
Μικρές ιστορίες, όλες διαφορετικές μεταξύ τους, οι περισσότερες όμως με μια σουρεάλ τάση. Άλλες καλές, άλλες καλύτερες, και κάποιες που μου φάνηκαν λίγο έως πολύ ακαταλαβίστικες και λίγο ενοχλητικές. Ίσως θα ήταν καλύτερο να διαβαστούν στα αγγλικά από όποιον μπορεί να το κάνει.
Πάντως, ορισμένες από αυτές σε μεταφέρουν όντως για λίγο σε έναν άλλο, ημίφανταστικό κόσμο.
Πάντως, ορισμένες από αυτές σε μεταφέρουν όντως για λίγο σε έναν άλλο, ημίφανταστικό κόσμο.
June 27, 2021
I quite like a book of short stories for those things when I don't want to concentrate on a proper book. This one is mostly good! 3.5 stars actually.
October 24, 2019
This book was a random used book store pickup as I know the author but didn’t know this book. I was planning on passing it to a friend when I was done but now can’t part with it. I have this thing with short stories. I always forget them, pretty much right away. Even if I liked the story, I forget it. It’s an in the moment kind of thing for me. But, not with this book. Each story is so unusual and quirky and sometimes fun and sometimes not, that I’m hanging onto it for a regular dip into.
January 11, 2009
This is what stands on the cover of the book:
"Suburban witches, defiant old ladies, ageing monsters, suicidal Lottery winners, wolf men, dolphin women and middle-aged manufacturers of erotic leatherwear. In these twenty-two short stories from the author of HOLY FOOLS and FIVE QUARTERS OF THE ORANGE, the miraculous goes hand-in-hand with the mundane, the sour with the sweet, and the beautiful, the grotesque, the seductive and the disturbing are never more than one step away.
JIGS & REELS is Joanne Harris’ first collection of short stories. As she says in her Foreword, a good short story can startle, ignite, and illuminate…giving you vivid, anarchic glimpses into different world, different people. Here, she proves she is as good as her word by creating an eclectic selection of tales for our times that will delight, surprise, entertain and horrify in equal measure. Sly, funny, sometimes provocative but always personal, JIGS & REELS shows a side to Joanne Harris you have never seen before. So go on, be tempted. After all, it's only dancing. "
and I couldn't describe the book better my self. It is different Joanne Harris indeed. She mixes the normal modern world with all kinds of unlikely/unusual things/events. JH really is one of the best writers I know. I mean, usually I don't even like short stories. I only started reading Jigs & Reels because it was Joanne Harris, wonderful Joanne Harris. And I was very positively surprised. I really enjoyed every single one of JH's stories! And she can really provoke thought on the subjects she writes about. Many of these stories I will never forget. I write about all of them here, not even about all the very brilliant ones. But I think the first story "Faith and Hope go shopping" is the most worthy example. It's about two old women that run away from an old people's home to go to London to find a pair of read shoes Faith has dreamed about for a long time. The point is that they are still people like any of us "young people" and they want to do things just like we do, and they have minds of their own. That's really something to think about. I think it gets to me so strongly, because I myself have experience of old people's homes and the people there. Sometimes it's really just the bodies that have failed the people there (and not the minds/brains), which u ought to remember... And that was just one example of a story...
"Suburban witches, defiant old ladies, ageing monsters, suicidal Lottery winners, wolf men, dolphin women and middle-aged manufacturers of erotic leatherwear. In these twenty-two short stories from the author of HOLY FOOLS and FIVE QUARTERS OF THE ORANGE, the miraculous goes hand-in-hand with the mundane, the sour with the sweet, and the beautiful, the grotesque, the seductive and the disturbing are never more than one step away.
JIGS & REELS is Joanne Harris’ first collection of short stories. As she says in her Foreword, a good short story can startle, ignite, and illuminate…giving you vivid, anarchic glimpses into different world, different people. Here, she proves she is as good as her word by creating an eclectic selection of tales for our times that will delight, surprise, entertain and horrify in equal measure. Sly, funny, sometimes provocative but always personal, JIGS & REELS shows a side to Joanne Harris you have never seen before. So go on, be tempted. After all, it's only dancing. "
and I couldn't describe the book better my self. It is different Joanne Harris indeed. She mixes the normal modern world with all kinds of unlikely/unusual things/events. JH really is one of the best writers I know. I mean, usually I don't even like short stories. I only started reading Jigs & Reels because it was Joanne Harris, wonderful Joanne Harris. And I was very positively surprised. I really enjoyed every single one of JH's stories! And she can really provoke thought on the subjects she writes about. Many of these stories I will never forget. I write about all of them here, not even about all the very brilliant ones. But I think the first story "Faith and Hope go shopping" is the most worthy example. It's about two old women that run away from an old people's home to go to London to find a pair of read shoes Faith has dreamed about for a long time. The point is that they are still people like any of us "young people" and they want to do things just like we do, and they have minds of their own. That's really something to think about. I think it gets to me so strongly, because I myself have experience of old people's homes and the people there. Sometimes it's really just the bodies that have failed the people there (and not the minds/brains), which u ought to remember... And that was just one example of a story...
September 11, 2012
Com a notícia de que vai ser editado em Portugal o mais recente livro de Joanne Harris, "O Aroma das Especiarias", fiquei com vontade de ler qualquer coisa dela, enquanto espero pelo meu exemplar. Tinha há algum tempo este "Danças&Contradanças" na prateleira que, por ser um livro de contos, não estava no topo da lista de leituras.
Confesso que, se não conhecesse a escritora de muitos outros livros, não sei se teria ficado muito impressionada com ela, intrigada sim, só não sei se suficientemente intrigada para pegar noutro livro dela. Embora ultimamente tenha lido alguns livros de contos que me têm feito mudar de opinião acerca do género, este de Joanne Harris fez-me lembrar porque é que não é o meu género favorito: as histórias são demasiado curtas para que se consigam desenvolver as personagens e criar empatias e, as personagens de Joanne Harris precisam de espaço para serem quem são. Com os contos isso não acontece. O que também precisa de espaço são as histórias e as múltiplas peças do puzzle que a escritora tão bem sabe montar de forma a encaixarem na perfeição.
Definitivamente, o conto é bem o género onde a autora consiga revelar o melhor de si. É muito mais eficaz no romance. :)
No entanto, o livro não deixa de ter muitos dos elementos que marcam a escrita de Joanne Harris, o fantástico, personagens com personalidades distorcidas, a presença da comida e dos cheiros, elementos quase omnipresentes em todas as obras da autora. É Joanne Harris, mas não é o melhor dela!.
Recomendo por ser escrito por quem é e porque é um livro pequeno que pode muito bem ser um bom livro para descontrair de leituras mais complexas.
Boas leituras!
Nota: A pontuação é ingrata quando avaliamos escritores de que gostamos muito, no entanto o livro deve ser avaliado por si só, não pela obra do escritor. Custou-me muito dar-lhe apenas 2 estrelinhas... Se fosse possível seria 2,5 e não apenas 2. :)
Confesso que, se não conhecesse a escritora de muitos outros livros, não sei se teria ficado muito impressionada com ela, intrigada sim, só não sei se suficientemente intrigada para pegar noutro livro dela. Embora ultimamente tenha lido alguns livros de contos que me têm feito mudar de opinião acerca do género, este de Joanne Harris fez-me lembrar porque é que não é o meu género favorito: as histórias são demasiado curtas para que se consigam desenvolver as personagens e criar empatias e, as personagens de Joanne Harris precisam de espaço para serem quem são. Com os contos isso não acontece. O que também precisa de espaço são as histórias e as múltiplas peças do puzzle que a escritora tão bem sabe montar de forma a encaixarem na perfeição.
Definitivamente, o conto é bem o género onde a autora consiga revelar o melhor de si. É muito mais eficaz no romance. :)
No entanto, o livro não deixa de ter muitos dos elementos que marcam a escrita de Joanne Harris, o fantástico, personagens com personalidades distorcidas, a presença da comida e dos cheiros, elementos quase omnipresentes em todas as obras da autora. É Joanne Harris, mas não é o melhor dela!.
Recomendo por ser escrito por quem é e porque é um livro pequeno que pode muito bem ser um bom livro para descontrair de leituras mais complexas.
Boas leituras!
Nota: A pontuação é ingrata quando avaliamos escritores de que gostamos muito, no entanto o livro deve ser avaliado por si só, não pela obra do escritor. Custou-me muito dar-lhe apenas 2 estrelinhas... Se fosse possível seria 2,5 e não apenas 2. :)
October 2, 2011
I found this collection of short stories immensely readable but that's not to say that I thought it was good. Joanne Harries tries hard (I think TOO hard) to put in a twist in each story and while sometimes I thought this was ok - it was predictable but enjoyable in Class of '81 and Hello, Goodbye - sometimes it fell quite horribly flat. As has been previously pointed out on here: TWICE IT WAS THE SAME TWIST; quite cute the first time and quite annoying the second.
I enjoyed Al and Christine's World of Leather, Breakfast at Tesco's and Faith and Hope Go Shopping: I think her stories about real - maybe even mundane - everyday life work better than her fantastical ones about witches, vampires, brains in jars and "free spirits". That last one was particularly urgh and apparently scared her while she was writing it. (Yawn. I've bee more scared by Point Horror books.)
Still, this was a super quick read, perfectly easy and occasionally entertaining: if you don't want anything too taxing by all means go for it.
I enjoyed Al and Christine's World of Leather, Breakfast at Tesco's and Faith and Hope Go Shopping: I think her stories about real - maybe even mundane - everyday life work better than her fantastical ones about witches, vampires, brains in jars and "free spirits". That last one was particularly urgh and apparently scared her while she was writing it. (Yawn. I've bee more scared by Point Horror books.)
Still, this was a super quick read, perfectly easy and occasionally entertaining: if you don't want anything too taxing by all means go for it.
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