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Average Customer Review
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
High-wire Storytelling, 25 July 2009
Baines write stories that demand to be emotionally and philosophically engaged with. Flights of introspective narrative blur the edges of the 'complete picture' with flashes of intense human understanding, rewarding us with a platform to question and react.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Power and humanity, 17 Dec 2008
Balancing on the Edge of the World employs a very high standard of writing indeed and I enjoyed it very much. The themes are the relationship between people and the power they hold (or the lack of it) - very human tales indeed. Particular favourites are Condensed Metaphysics (jazzy, edgy and strong), Holding Hands (a powerful tale of family dynamics and frailty - though Baines should have ended it 3 paragraphs earlier as the end line actually appears at the close of the 4th paragraph in from the finish, to my mind), Into the Night (a great erotic encounter which might or might not turn out to be more) and Condundrum (a wry look at child-rearing through the generations). I'd definitely read more of this author.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Short stories with an edge, 14 Sep 2008
It's all too easy for short stories to read as something very slight - either as tales which don't have a strong enough backbone to support a bigger plot, or as bits of poetry in prose form which delight in the rhythm of words over meaning or point. What makes Elizabeth Baines' collection so brilliant - and why, no doubt, it was deservedly nominated recently for an international award - is that she perfectly plays with both the page-turning quality of novel's fiction, and a crafted beauty you usually only associate with verse. These are stories concerned with 'power', in all its forms - whether it be the hilarious tale of a naive screenwriter and the way her fledgeling script is abused by a film course, or the magical superhuman powers of a young child ignored by the numbing reality of parents getting divorced. They're funny, and moving, and thoughtful - but above all, they're short stories which celebrate how beguiling short stories can be. Read and be enchanted.
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Fabulous collection, 8 July 2009
Well, I loved this book. I read a lot of short stories and when this was recommended to me by a friend for its range and variety I bought a copy straight away. And I couldn't agree more! The stories cover a lot of territory, in terms of style and subject, but what holds them together is the author's intelligence - emotional and creative - and a sense of actually being in touch with the world. These stories tell you more about who we are and how we live than a dozen big fat novels. If you like short stories, you should certainly get a copy of this book. If you think you don't like short stories, you should get two - one to surprise yourself with and one to give to someone else!
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Short and punchy, 30 Jun 2009
Elizabeth Baines's stories show a great grip on the genre. Subjects vary, from amusing to sad, but all are current and punchy. A very nice read.
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I didn't want this book to end, 19 Mar 2009
My criteria for assessing a short story collection is whether I can easily put the book down in between stories, or even forget about it entirely after reading only a few. That was most definitely not the case for this stunning collection. I had to force myself not to devour it in one go, lest it all be over too quickly. Elizabeth Baines has an eye for every relevant detail and none that are not, as well as an instinct for slipping beneath the surface of the human condition to reveal our flaws, disappointments and joys with poignancy and elegance. There is barely a misstep here, whether the stories be three pages long or lengthier works. It is a delicious read, and, as the best short stories should, it leaves you changed by the experience.
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