The countryside – what is it for? A paradise on earth where you
can relax and get creative? Or an outdoor wool factory where every
other house is an Airbnb and there are fewer trees than Camden. In
his new collection of short stories David Gaffney explores the
theme of town versus country through a number of different lenses,
including his own experience of being brought up in west Cumbria
then moving to Manchester. A creative residency on the coast of
Scotland becomes weirder and weirder in “The Retreat”;
‘I’ve always had the feeling that the countryside has something
against me and that one day it will take its revenge.’ In “The
Table”, a recluse in Penrith uses mid-century furniture to lure
city dwellers into a world of ‘depressed farmers with shotguns
and bottomless pits of slurry that will swallow you so hard you'll
never be seen again. And in “The Garages” the pressure of city
living forces a man to become oddly obsessed with empty spaces.
Often funny, often haunting, often profound, Gaffney uses dark
humour and surreal characters to demonstrate a deep understanding
of how places, urban or rural, can shape, influence and sometimes
distort our lives. ‘People who like the countryside tend to
believe in things that aren’t really there,’ says a character
in “The Country Pub”. These are indeed stories about things
that aren’t really there, and this is why they resonate with you
long after you have stopped reading.
General
| Imprint: |
Salt Publishing
|
| Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
| Series: |
Salt Modern Stories |
| Release date: |
July 2023 |
| Firstpublished: |
2023 |
| Authors: |
David Gaffney
|
| Dimensions: |
178 x 111 x 12mm (L x W x T) |
| Format: |
Paperback - Mass Market
|
| Pages: |
160 |
| ISBN-13: |
978-1-78463-303-5 |
| Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
Special features >
Short stories
|
| LSN: |
1-78463-303-8 |
| Barcode: |
9781784633035 |
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