- Hardcover
- Publisher: Crown (2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0609608533
- ISBN-13: 978-0609608531
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14.5 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
These short fictions showcase Ruth Rendell's many gifts, among them the ability to evoke a mood and trap a reader in the deepest recesses of a character's psyche. The title story (its odd name comes from the volume of the encyclopedia her character uses in venting his spleen at published authors whose work suffers from a lack of precision) draws us into the mind of a lonely man whose inability to please his mother makes him vulnerable to self destruction. "The Wink" and "Walter's Leg," two stories about revenge, demonstrate that it is indeed a meal best eaten cold. "The Professional" is a small gem with an ironic twist, notable for its acute insights into social class and status in England. In these and other pieces in this collection, Rendell's powers of invention and acute psychological insight remind one of the chilling tales she writes as Barbara Vine. But the best is saved for last, "High Mysterious Union," a tale that's like the weather in Rendell's typical English landscape: sunny at the start but increasingly dark and threatening as the plot thickens. A translator rents a cottage in a village that seems like Lake Wobegon. Everyone is beautiful, strong, and kind, especially the women, who seduce the newcomer with their charms and then abandon him when he fails to see the rightness of their unique, bizarre ways. He gets away with his life, but it will take days before he (and his creator) give you back your own. --Jane Adams
From Publishers Weekly
Multiple Edgar and Gold Dagger award winner Rendell displays her mastery of spine-tingling suspense in her first short story collection since Blood Lines (1996). In the scary title tale, a solitary, arrogant, self-appointed fault-finder is haunted by memories of his dead mother. Although the twist is soon obvious, Rendell adds a dimension that holds the reader to the end. Mythology and fairy tales come to life in "High Mysterious Union," a novella in which a man's increasing obsession with a young woman places him under a spell that almost leads to his death. Irony plays a strong role in most of the nine tales here. In "Walter's Leg," the title character learns that people don't change, even over a lifetime. "The Professional" is about a young man who thinks he witnesses a murder, talks himself out of it, then too late realizes he was right. In "Fair Exchange," a man's doubts about a healer who helps his sick wife are his undoing. Rendell is such a good writer that all these subtle and witty stories succeed, but they are superficial compared to her far more complex and satisfying novels. (Jan. 30) Forecast: Rendell is a fine stylist with an imagination that should appeal to readers of "literary" fiction as well as to mystery fans. Although her novels far outshine these short stories in depth of plot and characterization, this collection could introduce some nongenre readers to her work, especially to the tales of psychological suspense she writes under her own name and as Barbara Vine.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Stories - Great Reader,
By
This review is from: Piranha to Scurfy: And Other Stories (Audio Cassette)
The stories are good, mysterious. Add to that the outstanding talents of Jenny Sterlin and you have 4 hours of good times ahead.
3.0 out of 5 stars
A fairly average bunch of stories.,
By Wayne (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Piranha to Scurfy: And Other Stories (Hardcover)
The stories range from being chilling and disturbing to being a bit on the dull side. It is still worth reading as some of the stories are very good but overall I think the collection is a bit uneven.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stories rate from entertaining to outstanding,
By Lleu Christopher "www.liminalworlds.com" (Hudson Valley, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Piranha to Scurfy: And Other Stories (Hardcover)
Ruth Rendell is one of my favorite contemporary writers, and I was not disappointed by this collection. The three I most enjoyed were the title story, The Professionals and High Mysterious Union. What sets Rendell apart from most suspense writers is the originality of her characters. She has a knack for creating highly ambiguous personalities with unexpected (and often amusing) eccentricities. Ambrose Ribbon, of Piranha To Scurfy, is such a character. An intellectual elitist and loner, he writes scathing letters to popular authors, pointing out trivial errors in their works. The way he gradually comes undone reminded me of Poe's The Telltale Heart.The final story, High Mysterious Union, is set in a wonderfully All in all, a brilliant collection of stories. If you're not already a Ruth Rendell fan, this will probably make you want to read some of her novels.
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