Book Review: Stories by Helen Garner
My opinion of this collection of short stories keeps wavering.
Yes, Garner can write. No one would ever question that idea. But being an intelligent and talented writer is only the beginning of a successful book. We all know you don’t need to be talented or produce anything intelligent to have readers fall in love with your works. (Case in point, the popularity of rubbish like the Twilight and 50 Shades series.)
I certainly loved the way she set the mood with each story.
The settings in each story were instantly familiar, especially the Gold Coast one. I could taste the salt in the air, see the colour changes of the ocean’s horizon and the shimmering hazy outline of the Surfers Paradise skyscrapers in the north of the story’s setting of Coolangatta. Often, it was like I was looking at postcards with a sepia tone instead of words on a page.
The mood too, is distinctly Australian. Even when the setting was overseas, it felt Australian.
I also had no issues with the characterisation. Given the brevity of each of the stories, the characters were fully formed within a few sentences. (Although, now that I reflect, quite a few of the leading females could have almost been perceived to be the same person. In fact, I think some have suggested many of the leading females could be Garner herself.)
There is plot in each story which, again, is very clever considering the short format.
There is no real joy in any of them, however. Rape, other sexual and physical assaults are all common themes throughout. Husbands cheat on wives, mothers are oblivious to the abuse directed towards their children. Everyone is alone, everyone is helpless and hopeless.
But taking away from my enjoyment more than the depressing nature of the stories is that I didn’t feel the stories were complete. I screamed out for just one resolution. Not only did I get no happy endings, I got no endings at all. Now, perhaps Garner has done this deliberately, as some type of intellectual impression we’re supposed to understand. But…
Actually, if I was cynical, I would say Garner had written scenes for books that had been cut and she’d hoarded them all in a folder until one day some friend suggested she shove them together and sell them to the public as short stories.
Another thing that annoyed me was the needless graphic terms used in some of the stories. I have a potty mouth myself, but found the way these words were used had more to do with Garner trying to sound edgy than adding to the narrative or characterisation in any way.
So you see, I’m still torn. I hate pretentious books, and I’m afraid I found this collection of stories fell into that category at times. I think if you want to read intelligent reading, this collection is perfect, but if you want to be entertained, not so much.
3 and ½ out of 5
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