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A
different side to Kate
Unlike
Kate Atkinson's other books, Not the End of the World is a series
of short stories rather than a novel.
However
in many ways this book could be classed as a novel, because so many
of the characters are interwoven into more than one tale, such that
an unfathomable mystery in one setting may be explained later in
another narrative.
About
the book
All
of the stories give excerpts of ordinary lives (and deaths) but
Kate Atkinson has added the "what if?" factor.
What
if
there is another dimension, another life that is just beyond
the horizon for everyone? What if the gods of the ancient world
really do exist in today's shadows?
Each
short story takes as its theme the lives of fairly ordinary people
that are altered or touched by the fantastic.
Atkinson's
compelling writing tells stories of the here and now that manage
to give glimpses of whimsical and magical phenomena.
From
stories of the work-shy newspaper hack who keeps having blackouts
to the tale of a nanny who decides to rescue the child she is caring
for; each tale is told with eloquence and dry humour.
Appraisal
As
someone who does not usually read short stories, I enjoyed this
book very much.
The
writing is so beautiful that even in the stories where the plot
was more obscure, I could just sit back and enjoy the scenery.
If
you like sharp, hardnosed fiction that mirrors "real-life",
this is probably not the book for you.
However
if, like me, you just occasionally wonder if perhaps reality is
a subjective perception rather than an objective truth, "Not
the End of the World" is likely to be just your cup of tea.
Reviewer:
Gill Wilkinson
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