Do you cover up or reveal it all; seek revenge or just reassurance; let the truth be naked as the day or cloaked in a night-time story? The men and women of Polly Samson's debut fiction all have stories to tell, pasts to forget, futures to forge. Manipulative or meek, used or using, all are aware of the power of truth, deception and little white lies to get what they want or sometimes what they deserve. Some are concerned with the economies of speech, those little 'kindnesses' which protect our loved ones but really ourselves; some investigate the warped logic which adults serve out to children to keep them 'innocent'; all are concerned with the beds we make and the lies we tell in them...
Lying in Bed
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Amazon Review
Polly Samson's first collection of short stories reveals a woman steeped in the psychodrama of emotional manipulation. Even the youngest of her narrators are expert in beguiling their parents into a false sense of security, only to spring a fiendishly executed surprise on them which overturns the false assumptions of their adult world. In "Subterfuge", a minx of a teenager hoards lacy knickers at the back of her cupboard whilst meekly offering her navy blue pants to Mum for washing. The ruse is perfect, until sex and drugs rear their ugly head and Mum realises her little madam is a thorn in the family's side and swiftly removes her. Elsewhere, a thirtysomething woman regrets the child she will never have and settles for her childishly demanding husband--an open-ended denouement that hints at the endless mental agony of unfulfilled dreams. Meanwhile, her friend in "The Mermaid's Purse" makes her choice, finds a sperm donor and wreaks havoc in everyone's life but her own. Selfishness pays out, it seems, and the casualties are left to wreak revenge, or suffer in silence. Samson's skill lies in digging beneath that silence to communicate the warped tales we tell ourselves in order to survive. --Lilian Pizzichini
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"haunting and satisfying collection" and say that "the stories disrupt and erupt--just like the relationships so honestly examined within them...It is the stuff that unsettles that makes this collection so deeply touching."--Publishers Weekly
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is my book of the year (so far). The characters all seem like people I know and I had to keep turning the pages to find out what fates awaited them all. Fantastic descriptions of heartaches and children and love affairs gone awry. Funny, gripping and genuinely moving, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys serious fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I have just finished reading Polly Samson's Lying in Bed and I think that her stories are as good as any I've ever read. Margaret Atwood and Helen Simpson have always been my favourite short story writers and now I must add Polly Samson to the list. The way she treats sex and love is so well-observed and spikey that I had to keep reading passages aloud to my friends and I agree with the reviewers who compare her to Roald Dahl: there's always a sting in the tale. I recommend this book to anyone.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Dizzydays
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Samson's descriptions are a little "writing class". I think she still needs to learn how to make sure that the descriptions don't distract from the story. For example, one character was described as having eyes like mussels, and I took a 30 second break to think what she could possibly have meant by that...
however, the stories and the sentiments are brilliant. Quite biting, with bordering-on-macabre twists. Good fun to read, especially for women. I'm planning on reading her other two books on the strength of this.
however, the stories and the sentiments are brilliant. Quite biting, with bordering-on-macabre twists. Good fun to read, especially for women. I'm planning on reading her other two books on the strength of this.
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3.8 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great short stories
A book of great stories with a twist. Dipped in an our while on holiday. A good read, but nothing exciting .
Published 5 months ago by Helen
5.0 out of 5 stars
subversive and scary
I was so impressed by Polly Sampson's most recent book of short stories that I ordered the back catalogue. Read more
Published on 21 Dec 2010 by claire louise
2.0 out of 5 stars
she can't write fiction
The only story worth reading is the last one, "Lucky". It is completely unlike the others because it is obviously based on true events in her life. Read more
Published on 12 Dec 2000
1.0 out of 5 stars
Self Important Drivel
I actually threw this book accross the room because it annoyed me so much.
These short stories did absolutely nothing for me. Read more
Published on 14 July 2000
4.0 out of 5 stars
intelligent and poignant writing, a very worthwhile read
I very much liked this book. The stories are intelligent and rather quirky, and I was vaguely reminded of O. Henry more than once. Read more
Published on 16 May 2000
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