Alison MacLeod (2) (1964–)

A writer of great descriptive power says the blurb on the front. Okay. Description. Except I don't really enjoy reading description. Description reads heavy and unnecessary. From the name of one of the stories -- Sylvia Wears Pink in the Underworld -- I knew immediately it would be about Sylvia Plath, so much description is extraneous. A story with Diana in the title would be about Princess Diana. I think the titles do more than the stories, since they are short and snappy. The stories are pretty, but as I said, heavy. There's no overall theme, except when there is (which we'll say is beloved ghosts, like Diana and Sylvia and a great aunt who drowned in Cape Breton and Chekov and Angelica Garnett), and then the stories that don't fit in with this theme (like In Praise of Radical Fish) are, like all the description, extraneous.

I liked the bits I liked. But then most of it is going to fade away like an empty spirit.

All The Beloved Ghosts by Alison MacLeod went on sale May 30, 2017.

I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.… (mere)

Set in Brighton during the period of May 1940 to June 1941, when a German invasion was expected imminently, MacLeod’s novel explores how the life-upsetting alterations, challenge relationships that have previously seemed unchanging. The book also examines the support for Oswald Moseley and the suppressed ant-Jewish attitudes of some of the British, even as they opposed Hitler.
Macleod’s elegant and engaging writing looks at these issues through the live of Geoffrey and Evelyn and how their marriage is disrupted. Their love is challenge in previously unexpected ways as they see each other anew and as they also struggle to bring up their eight year old son, Philip, as he becomes involved in increasingly risky adventures with his friends.
Macleod’s fine writing involves the reader throughout and captures the danger of the time and makes for a revealing and moving novel.… (mere)

3.5 Life, death and aging are the common themes. The prose is gorgeous, elegant and is one of the strong point in these stories, showcasing a wide range of viewpoints. The authors own connection to her subject is explored in two stories, Sylvia wears pink the Underworld, referring of course to Sylvia Plath and Dreaming Diana:twelve frames. Of those two the Princess Diana was easier to understand and the one I liked best.

In one story a man remembers certain events in his life while waiting for his new heart to be delivered. Loved the first story, The Thaw, was probably my favorite story in this collection. The author explores the influence of Chekhow on her own short stories by featuring four shorts pertaing to him.

All in all a good solid collection, some stories easier to relate to then others, so a mixed effort in my mind. As I said though reading this just for the prose was worthwhile.… (mere)