Author:Joseph Conrad
In these four stories, written between 1900 and 1902, Joseph Conrad bid gradual farewell to his adventurous life at sea and began to confront the more daunting complexities of life on land in the twentieth century. In 'Typhoon' Conrad reveals, in the steadfast courage of an undemonstrative captain and the imaginative readiness of his young first mate, the differences between instinct and intelligence in a partnership vital to human survival. 'Falk', the companion sea-story, contrasts, as Conrad once put it, 'common sentimentalism with the frank standpoint of a more or less primitive man', a man with a conscience, however, about the girl he desires. In one of the 'land-stories' Conrad explores the utter isolation of an East European emigrant in England; in the other, the plight of a woman ironically trapped by the unwitting alliance of two retired widowers - each blind in his own way.
Alison MacLeod is a strikingly original voice. Her stories create intimate worlds and make the reader live in them with an intensity which is haunting, disturbing and above all beguiling
—— Helen DunmoreAlison MacLeod's collection of stories is a baker's dozen of excellence book-ended by brilliance
—— Time OutFragmentary evocations of desire and its mysteries, passing glimpses into minds and hearts: tender; pierced; translucent
—— GuardianBeautifully crafted, they range from brilliantly observed humour to the haunting and heart-rending. Immensely readable
—— Big IssueAlmost unbearably moving
—— Terry Eagleton, on ‘Dirty Weekend’Brilliant . . . a jolt of thought electrifying the clogged tissue of the human heart
—— Alex Linklater, on ‘Radiant Heat’Stunning
—— David Goodhart, on ‘Sacred Heart’ , ProspectEtgar Keret is the voice of young Israel
—— IndependentOne of the greatest short story writers alive
—— Ben RiceOne of the most important writers alive... enchantingly witty
—— Clive JamesEtgar Keret's extraordinary imagination sets the reader free from slogans and headlines
—— Linda Grant