- Hardcover: 300 pages
- Publisher: UK General Books (Oct 9 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0007313454
- ISBN-13: 978-0007313457
- Product Dimensions: 20.4 x 14.2 x 3.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 422 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #895,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
'The short story form suites gale's ability to zoom in on the smallest nuances of a relationship' Times 'Gale writes with such humanity and warmth in his novels that it comes as a surprise that these short stories are told in a different, darker voice.' Daily Mail 'If Gale is arguably more at home in the more expansive form of the novel, these pieces certainly showcase his capacity for combining a light touch and a macabre sense of humour with an understated strength of human feeling!The stories confirm gale's ability to exploit the short story genre's capacity to deliver a caffeinated hit.' Metro 'Well over half the stories in Gentleman's Relish adroitly utilise carefully observed details as the background to events that cause the reader to give a delicious shudder of horror at story's end!"Hushed Casket" could have been penned by that master of the ghost and horror story MR James, while "The Excursion" chillingly reflects the more lurid newspaper headlines. But there are also more gentle tales!Gentleman's Relish is a hugely enjoyable collection which proves that the short story is still very much alive.' Daily Express
Product Description
An exhilarating new collection of stories by the author of Richard & Judy-bestseller Notes from an Exhibition Patrick Gale, which combines wit and poignancy to illuminate experiences both common and uncommon. Love (& loathing) within families are dissected -- a father makes an unexpected discovery about his son which is too hard for him to cope with. A son wreaks revenge through the power of cookery. Three generations of the same family gain freedom through the years in a once-despised caravan. A bored wife finds happiness when an old lag teaches her the art of angling. A dog-training lesson with a puppy who hasn't grasped the meaning of 'obedience' leads to the discovery of a murder. Here too are music and silence -- the sweetness and sadness of Festivals, of the Church, and of the control exercised by those in charge in small communities. This tremendously enjoyable collection of stories has the same wit, tenderness and acute psychological observation as Gale's bestselling novels, including Notes from an Exhibition and the recent The Whole Day Through. For Gale's many fans, Gentleman's Relish will be a real treat.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant collection, Mar 28 2010
By mummazappa - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Gentleman's Relish (Hardcover)
From the book jacket: Patrick Gale's exhilarating new collection of stories combines wit and poignancy to illuminate experiences both common and uncommon. Love (and loathing) within families are dissected: a father makes an unexpected discovery about his son which is too hard for him to cope with. A son wreaks revenge through the power of cookery. Three generations of the same family gain freedom through the years in a once-despised caravan. A bored wife finds happiness when an old lag teaches her the art of angling. A dog-training lesson with a puppy who hasn't grasped the meaning of obedience leads to the discovery of a murder. What unites these stories is their humour, compassion and ultimate hope.
If asked I always say that I don't like short stories. I often find them to be a tease, just when you feel like you're getting into them they are over. The only exception is Roald Dahl's omnibus of short stories, all of them wrap up quite nicely, if a little nastily. If you haven't read any of them yet I can't recommend them enough. So I was quite disappointed when I got home from seeing Patrick Gale speak and read, and realised I had not bought his new novel but had accidentally bought his book of short stories. I wasn't disappointed for very long once I started reading however. This is a really good collection. Patrick Gale has mastered the art of capturing a snapshot of the characters' lives, developing them fully and sharing a small section of their story. There are some really lovely stories here, but also some really quite dark and scary ones too. The moth lady story (Sleep Tight) is absolutely brilliant and has now become one of my favourite scary stories. Its enough to make you want to sleep with the lights OFF! Even if, like me, you tend to shy away from short story collections, I would recommend giving this a read.
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