Touchy Subjects
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Product Description
Product Description
How do you make conversation with a sperm donor? How do you say someone's novel is drivel? Would you give a screaming baby brandy? In what words would you tell your girlfriend to pluck a hair on her chin? Touchy Subjects is about things that make people wince: taboos, controversies, secrets and lies. Some of the events that characters crash into are grand, tragic ones: miscarriage, overdose, missing persons, a mother who deserts her children. Other topics, like religion and money, are not inherently taboo, but they can cause acute discomfort because people disagree so vehemently. Many of these stories are about the spectrum of constrained, convoluted feeling that runs from awkwardness through embarrassment to shame.
About the Author
Emma Donoghue is an Irish novelist, playwright and historian. Her second novel HOOD won the American Library Association Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Award in 1997. She is currently adapting her novel STIR-FRY for Horizonline Films (Ireland).
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Emma Donoghue's 'Touchy Subjects' is a collection of short stories written by the author over a number of years and, as such, these stories show a good level of variety and versatility. There are some clever stories, some amusing stories and some quite sad ones; others start out seemingly ordinary, only to turn rather extraordinary once Donoghue has applied her fertile imagination to the tale.
The first story which is the title story, begins with a married man meeting a single woman in a hotel room - but not for an affair as we might first think, he is there with his wife's consent to provide her childless friend with a very special donation. Another story: 'Good Deed' had me laughing aloud as we read about Sam, a pretty decent guy who has been a volunteer for the Samaritans, given tax-free donations to worthy causes and " ...always worn a condom (well, not always, just when he was having sex)..." One winter's day Sam is walking along with his expensive overcoat buttoned up to his chin, when he sees a homeless man lying on the pavement. Everyone walks past ignoring the man, even though (or maybe, because) he is bleeding from his mouth. But can Sam, the Good Samaritan, walk by?
One story I found particularly absorbing was 'WritOR' where a minor published writer takes a job as writer-in-residence at a small college where he is besieged by would-be writers - some of whom are sad, lonely people, some who are just plainly untalented, but others who appear to be teetering on the edge of insanity. I found this story rather moving and extremely funny at the same time.
I didn't used to be a fan of shorter fiction - but after reading some excellent examples by Sue Gee, Helen Dunmore and Tessa Hadley, I have changed my mind and now I can add Emma Donoghue to my list. As with most short story collections, some of these stories (19 in all) are a little more enjoyable than others, but they are all good examples of the short story genre, and well worth the read. If you are interested in reading some well written, entertaining and rather clever stories, then you might just like to try this collection from the author of Room - keep it in the car, or in the kitchen, for when you have a few moments to yourself, but not enough time to get involved in a full length novel.
4 Stars.
Other recommended short stories: Married Love by Tessa Hadley; Last Fling (Salt Modern Fiction) by Sue Gee; Ice Cream by Helen Dunmore.
The first story which is the title story, begins with a married man meeting a single woman in a hotel room - but not for an affair as we might first think, he is there with his wife's consent to provide her childless friend with a very special donation. Another story: 'Good Deed' had me laughing aloud as we read about Sam, a pretty decent guy who has been a volunteer for the Samaritans, given tax-free donations to worthy causes and " ...always worn a condom (well, not always, just when he was having sex)..." One winter's day Sam is walking along with his expensive overcoat buttoned up to his chin, when he sees a homeless man lying on the pavement. Everyone walks past ignoring the man, even though (or maybe, because) he is bleeding from his mouth. But can Sam, the Good Samaritan, walk by?
One story I found particularly absorbing was 'WritOR' where a minor published writer takes a job as writer-in-residence at a small college where he is besieged by would-be writers - some of whom are sad, lonely people, some who are just plainly untalented, but others who appear to be teetering on the edge of insanity. I found this story rather moving and extremely funny at the same time.
I didn't used to be a fan of shorter fiction - but after reading some excellent examples by Sue Gee, Helen Dunmore and Tessa Hadley, I have changed my mind and now I can add Emma Donoghue to my list. As with most short story collections, some of these stories (19 in all) are a little more enjoyable than others, but they are all good examples of the short story genre, and well worth the read. If you are interested in reading some well written, entertaining and rather clever stories, then you might just like to try this collection from the author of Room - keep it in the car, or in the kitchen, for when you have a few moments to yourself, but not enough time to get involved in a full length novel.
4 Stars.
Other recommended short stories: Married Love by Tessa Hadley; Last Fling (Salt Modern Fiction) by Sue Gee; Ice Cream by Helen Dunmore.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Pleasantly surprised
12 Mar 2009
Format:Paperback
I'm not actually a fan of short stories at all. They typically don't let you get into the heart of a character enough to make it worthwhile. Frequently they lack any character development at all. Not so with Donoghue's stories. She pulls you in to her characters and leaves you wanting more, but not feeling denied. I was pleasantly surprised.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Touchy subjects...
7 April 2008
Format:Paperback
is a short story collection by Emma Donoghue, whose work I really, really like.
I like her humor and the melancholy touch a lot of her work has. Her characters always feel very real, they have flaws and ups and downs.
This collection includes stories she has gathered under the headings babies, domesticity, desire and death. The characters come from all walks of life, background etc. (if you're looking for a collection of all-lesbian stories this isn't it). As with all collections I liked some stories better than others but I enjoyed them all.
My favorite stories are "Touchy Subjects", the story of a single woman and her best friend's husband meeting in a hotel room to make a baby and "The Welcome", which takes place in an all-woman housing co-op.
I like her humor and the melancholy touch a lot of her work has. Her characters always feel very real, they have flaws and ups and downs.
This collection includes stories she has gathered under the headings babies, domesticity, desire and death. The characters come from all walks of life, background etc. (if you're looking for a collection of all-lesbian stories this isn't it). As with all collections I liked some stories better than others but I enjoyed them all.
My favorite stories are "Touchy Subjects", the story of a single woman and her best friend's husband meeting in a hotel room to make a baby and "The Welcome", which takes place in an all-woman housing co-op.
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