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A cracking collection of short stories from the author of the stupendous 'Swimmer'.In the title story of this sharp, clever collection of short stories, an odd-job man arrives home to his Bradford council block to find a message waiting for one of its inhabitants...in ten-foot-high letters. With his white van and set of ladders, he's the chief suspect. But who is the mysterious Slag that has the whole street gossiping; and who has she hurt?In 'Wrestling Jacob', a lusty academic takes out his frustrations down on the farm every weekend, sparring with a fierce, strangely human ram. It's hard work being beaten up by a sheep, but he soon realizes that his girlfriends love to see him wrestle Jacob...And in 'Coddock', there's a bold new chipshop owner in town. But who is he? And what do you get if you cross a cod with a haddock, anyway?From the backstreets of Bradford to dingy moorland pubs with ten-year-old jukeboxes, Bill Broady's bright new stories give Yorkshire a lick of new paint, with all of the searingly precise prose, wit and energy of his highly acclaimed first novel, 'Swimmer'.
A series of interconnected and standalone narratives explore the eccentricities and hidden tensions within working-class Yorkshire communities. The protagonist of the title story finds himself at the center of a neighborhood scandal when a mysterious message appears on his council block, forcing him to navigate local gossip and suspicion. These stories utilize a sharp, observational lens to examine the lives of academics, tradespeople, and small-town residents. The narrative framework shifts between domestic realism and absurd, darkly comedic encounters, grounding the surreal elements in the gritty, recognizable geography of Northern England.
This collection is characterized by its distinctively sharp, observational style and its commitment to capturing the specific energy of Yorkshire life. The stories suggest a narrative focus on the intersection of the mundane and the bizarre, often utilizing dark humor to expose the vulnerabilities of the characters. Readers likely encounter a prose style that is both precise and energetic, reflecting the author's background in crafting character-driven fiction. The work appears to prioritize the exploration of social friction and local eccentricity over traditional plot resolution, offering a vivid portrait of its setting.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2008-01-01
Publisher:
Harpercollins Pub Ltd
ISBN-10:
0007292902
ISBN-13:
9780007292905
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