From the bestselling author of the award winning The English Passengers, a collection of stories - funny, wise, audacious and exquisitely told - which, combined, build a powerful literary meditation on Britain today.
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'Filled with shaming truths and silent accusations, they make for compulsive reading.' -- Daily Telegraph
'His erudite, lucid style is a pleasure to read throughout... a delightfully lethal, seductive joy’ -- Observer
'Simple and straightforward, each is better than the last. Exploring our own weaknesses has never been such a pleasure’ -- Daily Telegraph
'they are little works of hard and glittering brilliance, carved with brutal precision and a light ironic touch.' -- Daily Telegraph
‘A fine, subtle talent’ -- Sunday Telegraph
‘Complex and nuanced...Punchy and absolutely contemporary, its writing pointed and pared down’ -- Independent on Sunday
‘Honest and subtle… a collection of short stories that reminds us that a moral vacuum threatens to engulf us all…' -- Daily Telegraph
‘Instantly engaging...With the precision of an assassin, Kneale propels his readers towards killer punchlines’ -- Time Out
‘This collection is...far-ranging... both in its voices and geographical settings… A fine collection’ -- The Times
‘he can steer his reader to a punchline with...the quiet, icy steel of a knife sliding between shoulder blades. -- Observer
'His erudite, lucid style is a pleasure to read throughout... a delightfully lethal, seductive joy’ -- Observer
'Simple and straightforward, each is better than the last. Exploring our own weaknesses has never been such a pleasure’ -- Daily Telegraph
'they are little works of hard and glittering brilliance, carved with brutal precision and a light ironic touch.' -- Daily Telegraph
‘A fine, subtle talent’ -- Sunday Telegraph
‘Complex and nuanced...Punchy and absolutely contemporary, its writing pointed and pared down’ -- Independent on Sunday
‘Honest and subtle… a collection of short stories that reminds us that a moral vacuum threatens to engulf us all…' -- Daily Telegraph
‘Instantly engaging...With the precision of an assassin, Kneale propels his readers towards killer punchlines’ -- Time Out
‘This collection is...far-ranging... both in its voices and geographical settings… A fine collection’ -- The Times
‘he can steer his reader to a punchline with...the quiet, icy steel of a knife sliding between shoulder blades. -- Observer
Book Description
Matthew Kneale takes us on a journey around today's uncertain world. From England to South America, China to the Middle East, the United States to Africa, Kneale applies his gifts as a master storyteller, vividly capturing the lives of ordinary people as they struggle to live, and to do the right thing, often managing neither. By turns painful, moving and wickedly funny, Small Crimes in an Age of Abundance gains momentum until the world seems to be revealed to us in a new way. This is a groundbreaking work by a master of the uncertainties of our time. ‘Every bit the equal of his Whitbread winner English Passengers , this collection of short stories is instantly engaging . . . With the precision of an assassin, Kneale propels his readers towards killer punchlines . . . the wit and ease of his style make this a thoroughly pleasurable way to pique one’s conscience’ Time Out 'Kneale does not judge. Like a film director in a silent sequence, he reveals. He is witty, compassionate; he understands all sides’ Independent ‘The title is a cunning one, anticipating ironies and paradoxes that run through this collection of stories . . . It is good to have [Matthew Kneale] back. He is a well-travelled writer, at ease in a wide range of fictional settings . . . a fine, subtle talent’ Sunday Telegraph
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Basically these are short stories and although, initially, there appeared to be a linking theme, it disappeared. The individual stories are a mixed bag but there are more good than poor. Several are of Graham Green quality and, since this is high praise, make the collection very good value.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By b
I bought this book to read on holiday but finished it in a day. Kneale has created a fascinating selection of stories set in a variety of locations. I particularly enjoyed 'Stone' the story of a family who try to travel around China independently but end up caught up in accusations of theft and 'Powder', the story of a respectable middle-class family who accidently start pushing drugs. Funnily enough, these are the first two stories in the book but each of the collection is tinged with a sense of irony. Kneale's protagonists adjust to the challenges and expectations of changing lifestyles and the values of others.
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