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The Weight of a Human Heart by Ryan O’Neill

12 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General, Short Stories Tags: five stars, ryan o'neill, short story

Published: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Black Inc.
Pages: 238
Format: Book
Genre: Short Stories
Weight: 242 grams
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, this collection turns the rules of storytelling on their head.

A series of graphs illustrates the disintegration of a marriage, step by excruciating step.
A literary stoush – and an affair – play out in the book review section of a national newspaper.
The heartbreaking story of a Rwandan boy is hidden within his English exam paper.
A young girl learns of her mother’s disturbing secrets through the broken key on a typewriter.

Ranging from Australia to Africa to China and back again, The Weight of a Human Heart heralds a fresh new voice in Australian Literature.

I fell in love with Ryan O’Neill at the 2013 Newcastle Writer’s Festival, partly because of the sessions I sat in on where he spoke, and partly because of his Scottish accent I’m not gonna lie. I had looked at this book in the shop beforehand but after hearing him speak I snagged a copy at first chance and got it signed. I am still annoyed it has taken me this long to get around to reading his book. It has been sitting patiently beside my bed for months, not forgotten but continuously bumped back.

In this collection of short stories O’Neill “redefines the boundaries of what is possible” to quote Patrick Cullen’s quote on the front cover. And it is completely true. I saw things in this book I did not even know was allowed in writing until now, and the fact that they are has changed the way I think about what books are capable of.

The beauty of all of O’Neill’s stories is that they seem to start so innocently, and in the space of a few pages can change your mood completely, whether to sadness, joy, amazement, or just pure admiration for his impressive skill in storytelling.

His stories show the power and impression parents have on their children, as well as the impact of an adult’s reflection on these impressions. There is also a diversity which I love about all of them, no two are alike but there are common themes running through each of them if you know where to look. There is also a poignant and bittersweet emotion that you develop as you read which consumes you, making you want to take a moments reprieve but you find yourself unable to let go of the book. You have to keep going even as you feel it pulling at all your emotional strings.

One of the real joys though of reading each of these stories is the chance I got to learn something. In Four Letter Words I learnt about a range of word origins, in The Cockroach and Africa Was Children Crying I learned about just some of the traumatic events in Rwanda, in The Examination I learnt about the English language and in The Eunuch in the Harem I saw something seemingly impossible work brilliantly.

Even away from the gorgeous stories, you have to admire O’Neill’s ideas and his creativity. Not to mention the obvious work and effort that has gone into writing some of them. The different styles and formats that are mixed through this book are so unique, and certainly nothing I have seen before. I know John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines used graphs through it, but what O’Neill has done is far beyond simple graphs. Each story is something different and that is just part of the charm, after awhile you just don’t know what to expect from the next story but you welcome the surprise.

The way O’Neill plays with ideas within a story is also brilliant. It shows not just the types and ranges he is capable of in presentation, but in doing so he still manages to tell a complete and understandable story. It just works so well, something you may not believe upon a first glance, especially for a few of these stories but by the end you are so caught up in the narrative that you almost look pass the unique presentation, but still revere it in the back of your mind and see how it is flawlessly used to aid the storytelling.

After I had read the first story, I remarked on Twitter that even after only being one story in I already felt that my life had changed just that little bit. Now, having finished the book I stand by this statement. I did not know what to expect from these stories but I could not have asked for anything better.

I implore you to read this book, find these stories and read them yourselves. The stories will move you and educate you about so many things, about life, family, the English language, the ranges and impacts of the printed word, and the variety of people that exist in this world: good, bad, ignorant, and indifferent. You become involved in these short, complicated snippets of these people and their lives and it shows you that stories do not need to be long to capture an entire lifetime and bring about emotion. It can also show you that there are so many other ways to tell a story besides the basic formatting we’re so used to in stories. Even if these stories were not as wonderful as they are, you cannot fault O’Neill on his pure imagination and creativity about how some of these stories have been presented and told.

One of the things I loved about O’Neill at the festival last year was the way he spoke about characters. He said it was easier, or at least more fun, to write stories with miserable characters rather than happy ones. There are some miserable characters in this book, but the best part is that every character does not have the same level of unhappiness, nor are all kinds of unhappiness the same. There are levels of unhappiness O’Neill plays with and the depth, nature, and cause of this unhappiness differs for each character and each story.

He also said that if you have an interesting storyline then that can create an interesting character, and his characters are definitely all interesting. For a short story you manage to understand them completely, in simple actions or words you can see who they are as people and I feel that is a real skill O’Neill manages wonderfully.

From the 21 stories in this book A Short Story and Seventeen Rules for Writing a Short Story have to be my favourites, though A Story in Writing is also up there. Though I really could start just start listing the contents in its entirety because in their own way I loved, adored, and admired every single one.

I assure you, the next Ryan O’Neill book I get my hands on will not be sitting on a shelf until I have gone from cover to cover. I am still trying to find all the words in the word search.

You can purchase The Weight of a Human Heart via the following

eBook

Paperback

Penguin Books Australia

X Y Z by Anna Katharine Green

03 May 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, General, Mystery, Short Stories Tags: anna katharine green, four stars, mystery, short story

Published:1883
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Pages: 52
Format: eBook
Genre: Mystery
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

A short detective story

I found this as part of an A-Z reading challenge last year after having little luck tracking down my previous choice for X. I had never read a detective novel at the time and I think this was a very good way to introduce myself into the age old genre. I had of course heard of all the wonderful detective novels and authors but never felt drawn to read them, aside from the feeling that I should read Sherlock Holmes one day. After I finished this short story I did begin looking for other stories of this genre and I am slowly opening myself to this wonderful genre.

X Y Z is a short story written by Anna Katharine Green, and tells the story of a detective who arrives in town in an attempt to investigate counterfeiters possibly connected to a series of mysterious letters addressed only to X Y Z. Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the story takes place in the later parts of the 1800s and begins with one investigation but soon moves into another of mystery and drama. In the course of the investigation an anomaly occurs, tugging at our unnamed detective’s curiosity. This curiosity leads his inquiries and attention to a prominent family in town, who as far as the rumours and secretive nature demonstrate, have mysteries and secrets of their own.

What amused me was that as I started to read I found myself reading it in the voice of the old black and white detective films, including that undeniable accent which made it all the more interesting in my mind. The story is engaging, and despite being short there is a decent well rounded story and character establishment. We are given the details we need for the plot, there is no information in this story that is irrelevant. I am not sure whether this includes the name of our detective, it hardly seems irrelevant, he interacts with enough people in the town, yet Green has omitted his name. Whether to add mystery or to keep her readers in suspense, I don’t know. If you wanted to look deeply into this you could play the idea of the mystery stranger who arrives in town, changes the town and creates a fuss, then leaves again. But isn’t being a stranger enough to do that? Whatever the reason I didn’t find it a bother, you almost forget after a while, there is only one detective to keep track of after all.

The characters in this story are well thought out and planned, and the story unfolded in a way where there were hints and clues and when it all came to a head it was as I imagined it to be. There are just as many gasps and surprises and twists even in a story of this size and there is no doubt it is of the detective genre. The secrets and mysteries are revealed by the end, perhaps not in the way you would imagine, but there are no extravagant twists and turns that make the story more mind bending and complex than it needs to be. Being written in the era it was, it is a basic detective novel where you are given clues and answers with the twists and revelations as you go. It was certainly a good read that certainly sparked my interest in this genre.

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

08 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, General, Short Stories Tags: five stars, neil gaiman, short story

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

A collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman is as wonderful as one story by Neil Gaiman. There are ten stories in this book, some are long, some are short, but all manage to be very sad, funny, sweet, and mysterious.

The first story, The Case of The Four and Twenty Blackbirds, reads like a 1940s detective film, you could imagine the black and white or sepia surroundings immediately. Gaiman captures the mood of these films well, it was very well at hiding its secrets and providing clues and hints.

This story is a hard-boiled detective story about nursery rhyme characters according to Gaiman; and this, I think, is brilliant upon brilliant. Everything connects perfectly and even if the mystery does not get you swept up in it, the tone of voice will. You can so clearly imagine the detective films it is replicating and you even manage to add your own music to go along with it. Truly wonderful.

The second story reads a little bit like Three Billy Goats Gruff, but it is not long before it turns into something much more magical, and much more heartbreakingly beautiful. Troll Bridge is about a boy who meets a troll under a bridge and how this affects his life. From where it begins to where it ends is such a change that you don’t expect it but it makes you happy at the same time, one of those beautifully sad happinessess that make you think.

How To Sell Ponti Bridge tells the story of how many people can and have been duped into buying landmarks, especially bridges. There is a deeper, more complex story intertwined which makes it interesting as well, but the simple story of how people fall for this is a delight as well. You do have to pay attention in this story as it gets a tad confusing, but it is also very cleverly done.

October in the Chair was possibly one of the most eerie. The months of the year are personified and through the story manage to reflect the seasons in which they reside which was rather clever. The purpose it seems is that everyone tells a story so there a few mini stories, but October’s is the key. October’s story is very touching; it is thought provoking, and certainly has something wonderfully unsettling about it. What I loved about this story was the fact that the ending is left there, no one analyses it, nor do they try and conclude it. It just is what it is and what more do you need?

Chivalry was a great follower to the previous story as it lightened the mood. It seems that trying to convince an old woman to sell the Holy Grail may be harder than it looks. The battle of Galaad to convince Mrs Whitaker to give him the Grail is very sweet. There was also a great quote, “She liked the vicar, the Reverend Bartholomew…she thought about mentioning to him that he had the Holy Grail in her front parlour, but decided against it.” Definitely a nice little read to bring up the mood.

The Price adds a supernatural element which was interesting. There is little progressive narrative, rather a snapshot of life trying to solve a mystery around a stray cat. It was quite good however, and certainly leaves it open and inconclusive in a way which I liked.

How to Talk to Girls at parties seems very simple on the surface, but as readers we know something the boys in the story do not, but at the same time we don’t really know either. In that sense we are discovering as they do, but we also have a greater sense of what is going on. This makes it intriguing, and maybe not one of my favourites, but I still really enjoyed it. The thing about these short stories is they are all so different, yet work well together as a collection, that just adds to their joy.

Sunbird is the story of the Epicurean Club, the goal is to eat every animal available it seems. This story sends them on the quest for the mysterious Sunbird and what happens when they find it. Again, Gaiman’s endings make you smile and admire his ability to twist the world and what you thought. The ending is the key though as the middle is mainly listing and discussing the other things the club has eaten over the years.

The Witch’s Headstone was a great story as well; it reminded me of October’s but only slightly. I think writing from children’s perspectives is always a good idea, their innocence is always good, especially in unnatural circumstances. There is a small mystery unanswered by the end but it isn’t a bother. Following Bod as he tries to do a nice thing is enough reward for me.

Instructions is a poem at the end of the book, it is what is says, a poem of instructions on various things. I am not very good at reading or judging poetry but I liked it. That’s about all I can offer on that front.

What I do like about Gaiman is that he does not tell you things, he lets you discover them. This approach I think gives a lot of credit to his readers, he can tell great, amazing stories without spelling out everything, or even just pointing out the obvious. He knows we can put two and two together. And the best part is, when he lets us do that, then he can come and make it equal five and we’ll accept it as if it’s always been. This is the genius of Gaiman.