Author:A. S. Byatt
Following the death of her mother, an elderly woman begins to undergo a transfiguration. Her body grows flinty, toughens and crystallises. An Icelandic stonemason she meets in a graveyard becomes her sole confidant. As her inexorable metamorphosis continues, the stories he has to tell of his homeland and its legends begin to resonate.
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was originally published in the collection Little Black Book of Stories.
A fine, fierce, incandescent talent
—— Scotland on SundayBurning Your Boats brings together her four volumes of short fiction...They testify to Carter's range, daring and her invention. An important book
—— Irish TimesA writer cultured in every sense of the word, whose syntax is ever artful, whose vocabulary is zestfully arcane, whose erudition manifests itself in her work in a shimmering play of parody and illusion. She was one of the century's best writers, and her stories are among her finest works
—— Sunday TimesThis is the voice the young generation are flocking to read and study, and these marvellous collected stories wonderfully explain why no pigeon-hole could ever contain her creator. When you read all the stories collected together, a sense of joy erupts that such writing can exist
—— Daily TelegraphWorld-class stories, woven from their author's high humour, glittering imagination, vital erudition and warm intelligence
—— IndependentExtremely funny... Keret’s stories understand the plasticity of narrative and the importance of imaginative acts
—— The TimesThe ingenious and original master of the short story overflows with absurdity, humour, longing and compassion... Keret's most mature and most playful work yet, and establises him as one of the great international writers of our time
—— GQDistinctive, surreal and intelligent
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