First ever story collection from the inimitable Lionel Shriver
This landmark publication, the first collection of stories from a master of the form, explores the idea of “property” in both senses of the word: real estate, and stuff. These sharp, brilliantly imaginative pieces illustrate how our possessions act as proxies for ourselves, and how tussles over ownership articulate the power dynamics of our relationships. In Shriver’s world, we may possess people and objects and places, but in turn they possess us.
In the stunning novella “The Standing Chandelier” (‘a brutal treat’: Daily Mail), a woman with a history of attracting other women’s antagonism creates a deeply personal wedding present for her best friend and his wife-to-be. In “Domestic Terrorism,” a thirty-something son refuses to leave home, resulting in a standoff that renders him a Millennial cause célèbre. In “The ChapStick,” a middle-aged man subjugated by service to his elderly father discovers that the last place you should finally assert yourself is airport security. In “Vermin,” an artistic Brooklyn couple’s purchase of a ramshackle house destroys their once passionate relationship. In “The Subletter,” two women, both foreign conflict junkies, fight over claim to a territory that doesn’t belong to either.
This immensely readable collection showcases the biting insight that has made Lionel Shriver one of the most acclaimed authors of our time, described by the Sunday Times as ‘a brilliant writer’ with ‘a strong, clear and strangely seductive voice’.
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[JILLIAN FRISK FOUND the experience of being disliked bewildering – THE STANDING CHANDELIER]
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(The Borough Press, 19 April 2018, 336 pages, ebook, review copy from @BoroughPress via #netgalley and voluntarily reviewed)
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I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I’m a fan of Shriver even though I get the impression she can be a bit of a literary snob. But she can write so I’m willing to overlook some flaws. I enjoyed the two novellas The Standing Chandelier and The Subletter the most. The Standing Chandelier is the best. I loved every word. I thought The Subletter was going to be much darker than it was but I still had a great time reading it. Each story is about home and ownership and how this can affect lives, mostly in a negative way. My favourite stores from the rest were Domestic Terrorism and Vermin.
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