Author:Julian Barnes
Major 'Jacko' Jackson, now retired, takes his yearly, self-appointed furlough to London. But time has moved on, and the kitchenware on the itemised task list his wife has provided him with is not the only thing he finds out of stock.
Part of the Storycuts series, this short story was previously published in the collection The Lemon Table.
Shukman emerges from the shadows of swaying palm trees and his literary forebears, and produces something both authentic and exhilaratingly his own
—— Sunday TimesHe's superb, like Conrad on speed
—— Giles Foden , Conde Nast TravellerSharp and scrupulous-[Shukman] maintains a masterly tension and control
—— Daily TelegraphShukman's prose is utterly seductive
—— Literary ReviewPacy, pithy and full of wonderful, (often humorous) moments
—— ScotsmanSpine-chilling twists and turns - Graham Greene eat your heart out
—— TatlerDarien Dogs is a bullishly confident and vivacious collection
—— Time OutBeautifully paced and pitched
—— IndependentThese stories are shored up with sentences and paragraphs that demand immediate re-reading for their cleverness and warmth…This party is well worth attending
—— IndependentThis collection shows a writer quietly growing in style, perception and grace. She conveys to the reader that rare ability to see completely into someone else’s head
—— SpectatorAccomplished ... confident
—— Sunday TimesThe ghost of Katherine Mansfield hovers lightly over these deceptively delicate snapshots which zero in on the much maligned territory of the domestic and make it new and vital again
—— Metro