The White Road and Other Stories (Salt Modern Fiction)
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Review
…an author dripping with talent, this is as good as modern reading gets. (New Scientist Christmas Books Special: Best of 2008 )
This collection exemplifies everything that is best about the short story. With succinctness rarely seen in the work of someone new to fiction, Hershman extracts the very essence of a moment to reveal the poignant fragility of human relationships… each story is so different from the next that you will be tempted to read ‘just one more’, until you find you have read the whole book in one sitting. Hershman writes in a variety of style that are sometimes whimsical and playful, other times wry and edgy, so that you never tire of her narrative voice. (Dominique Wilson Wet Ink )
This collection exemplifies everything that is best about the short story. With succinctness rarely seen in the work of someone new to fiction, Hershman extracts the very essence of a moment to reveal the poignant fragility of human relationships… each story is so different from the next that you will be tempted to read ‘just one more’, until you find you have read the whole book in one sitting. Hershman writes in a variety of style that are sometimes whimsical and playful, other times wry and edgy, so that you never tire of her narrative voice. (Dominique Wilson Wet Ink )
Review
Incredibly lush, intelligent, seductive, Hershman’s collection reveals a marvelously varied repertoire of narrative styles and subjects that are so compelling, so deliciously readable, it’s impossible to finish one story without quickly beginning another. There is a double-genius at work here, a writer who is capable of seamlessly marrying the religion of physics to the twin sciences of loss and desire. Hershman possesses the rare scientific eye and accomplished literary sensibility of Bradbury, the wry clarity of Atwood. This collection is telescopic and rich, it puts down roots, it doesn’t leave you. (Sunshine O’Donnell, author of ‘Open Me’ )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This collection of short stories takes as its theme the edgy and sometimes difficult relationship between humanity and science. There is a great deal of energy about the stories, as well as a strong and distinctive voice. Not all main characters are sympathetic but, then again, they're not meant to be - and each one does have a gripping issue to raise or an arresting tale to tell.
My favourites amongst the collection tended to be the longer stories where both character and situation were allowed to live and breathe a little - during some of the shorter/one page tales, I personally felt that interesting scenarios were being unnecessarily curtailed and I would have liked to have known more. It would certainly be fascinating to see some of those very short pieces given a longer life - this author knows how to create character and story, and it's therefore a shame not to use that talent to the full.
That said, it's a very worthwhile collection - special mention has to go to the title story, The White Road (a tale of loss, grief and decisive action - and my personal favourite in the book), Heavy Bones (flash fiction about the start of a marriage that really works and shows not all stories have to be sad), On A Roll (where sacrifice brings about hope and the possibility of a new life), and Express (where the mysteries of language uncover a forgotten history).
Definitely a thought-provoking read.
My favourites amongst the collection tended to be the longer stories where both character and situation were allowed to live and breathe a little - during some of the shorter/one page tales, I personally felt that interesting scenarios were being unnecessarily curtailed and I would have liked to have known more. It would certainly be fascinating to see some of those very short pieces given a longer life - this author knows how to create character and story, and it's therefore a shame not to use that talent to the full.
That said, it's a very worthwhile collection - special mention has to go to the title story, The White Road (a tale of loss, grief and decisive action - and my personal favourite in the book), Heavy Bones (flash fiction about the start of a marriage that really works and shows not all stories have to be sad), On A Roll (where sacrifice brings about hope and the possibility of a new life), and Express (where the mysteries of language uncover a forgotten history).
Definitely a thought-provoking read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This collection of occasionally very short stories transported me away from the grimness of a hospital waiting room and off to a myriad of other worlds. The tantalising glimpses of many different lives were perfect to dip in and out of (although, in truth, I read the whole book in one sitting - it was a long wait!). The snippets of science intrigued me and coupled with Tania Hershman's beautiful prose made for a spellbinding read. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who loves original and thought-provoking story-telling.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Each story is short and the whole book is short, but post-reading thinking time is long. For me, that's the beauty of this collection. I didn't want to know the characters any better. I wanted to let each story stimulate thoughts of my own, to let my imagination take off from where the story ended and to relate the story to my own outlook on life. And I wasn't disappointed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A fabulous read
I had this book in my "to read" pile and I wish I'd got to it sooner. This is a fabulous collection of short stories, with so many memorable stories that will linger vividly in my... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Colin
Unrisen soufflees
Looked forward to this book since I am an avid short story fan and the best thing about these short stories is that they're short. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Lulubeth
A must read collection, a beautiful thing
A collection of short stories is a tricky thing. The reader needs to get a sense of the writer's unique voice and residual personality and style but without the stories running... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Alison Wells
Full of delights
A wonderful collection of flash fiction, intelligent, touching and compelling. Tania Hershman is a beacon for the modern resurgence of short stories.
Published 23 months ago by C. King
Tender-Hearted Stories
Hershman writes with a clear-sighted attitude, expressive tenderness and utter originality. Her flash fiction is palpable, trembling in the moment. Read more
Published on 29 July 2009 by Ms. Melissa C. Houghton
Love, love, love it
I love, love, love this book. In my whole life i have re-read maybe 2 or 3 books. I am looking forward to re-reading The White Road. It's like poetry without the pain. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2009 by E. Jacobs
Inventive and affecting
A book of stories inspired by scientific ideas and taking off into the most inventive realms of the imagination. Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2009 by Elizabeth Baines
Science and fiction melded
There's a great idea behind this collection of short stories. Many of them take an item from New Scientist magazine - a hot snippet of science - and use that as the starting point... Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2009 by B. M. Clegg
Blink And You'll Miss It
Twenty-seven stories fit themselves into this slim collection. Some are extremely short. `Firsts', for instance seems more like a couple of paragraphs taken from a novel than a... Read more
Published on 10 Mar 2009 by Bob Ventos
A treat to read
This slim volume with its stunningly photographed cover contains stories with colour, life, passion, precision and pathos. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2008 by Franky
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