I have this totally subjective theory that writers who pen both short stories and novels are always better at one form than the other. (Atwood's stories are inferior to her novels; the reverse is true of Carol Shields.) I have to say that this collection of Levy's stories bolsters my theory, failing to compare to her incredible novel Hot Milk. Still, the writing here is lovely, and one or two of them were pretty good. It's still a pick.

I can't think of anything telling to say about this one - in retrospect I should have written the review before reading the first 100 pages of the Francis Plug, which is very different! I enjoyed reading these poetic and elliptical stories, but in retrospect it is difficult to say why...

I am going to again shy away from the star system.And let this book speak for itself.BLACK VODKA (first story of the collection. An excerpt)At that moment I drop the silver fork in my right hand. It falls noiselessly to the carpet and bounces before it falls again. I bend down to pick it up and because I am nervous and have downed too much vodka, I start to go on an archaeological dig of my own. In my mind I lift up the faded rose-pink carpet of the Polish Club in South Kensington and find under...

Swimming Home was one of my favourite books of last year, so when I saw she released a collection of ten shorts stories, I knew I had to read them. Stories of love and loneliness, Levy has a unique blend of experimentalism and wit which has really hooked me.This collection of short stories has a real contemporary feel to them, as well as a European flavour to it. Every story was gripping and I stretched this book out as long as I could. One story a day and each one as good as the other. There is...

In awe with Levy’s way with words, more so with how she so carefully demonstrates how tiny traumas can snowball into something seismic. Be it an innocuous deformity as in “Black Vodka,” an abusive childhood in “Stardust Nation,” or an aimless self-discovery in “Shining a Light.” These stories are sad but also warm and bright and, man, nothing feels more reaffirming than reading the tribulations of fictional characters who seem so real. When I read Levy, I hear a trace of Sexton in her voice that...

As always with Deborah Levy, I finished this collection of short stories feeling satisfied and like I should read them all again, because there is so much that I missed in my first read through. I do think Levy’s novels are stronger than her short stories, but this collection of evocative and poetic glimpses into her various character's lives is well worth the read. Throughout all ten of the stories there is a common thread that questions our ties to other people and how these can be either form...

Don't be fooled by this slim, 120 page collection. Deborah Levy proves, once again, that she is among the best stylists working today. These stories are so deliberate and confidently written, and I found myself in awe of her writing and completely engrossed. I've now noticed that Levy seems to repeat certain words, or images through her work, and for the perceptive reader familiar with Levy, you may get a kick out of seeing things pop up in this collection. For example, in her essay, Things I Do...

Excellent. Refreshingly European and cosmopolitan, intimate and yet with wider political resonance.I loved each story and read them all several times.

3.5. As others have suggested, the story just isn't Levy's strong suit. Because she writes such fabulous sentences it's impossible not to appreciate the style but her characters - what the best of her stuff, even the non-fiction, is all about - feel a bit incongruous, out of place and provocatively under-served (which seems to be what the raves like).

Although Levy's prose is always a pleasure to read, I think her forte really belongs with the longer form, rather than these short (sometimes VERY short) pieces. Although all are strange and evocative, they seem to be over before they really build up any steam.

Oh, now wait, what? Something tells me that you must read some books at absolutely the right time for you or they will be meaningless. Ooo, Deborah Levy, you sneaky bitch. This collection is creepy or confounding or maybe just Peeping Tom-ish for these ten captured moments. The emotions that were set off from reading each one was a surprise. The language is so pointed...for Pete's sake, how did you get so much into such short spaces? I generally struggle to keep my attention for a short story as...

The stories in this collection are full of outcasts, lonely people who linger on the fringes of society: a hunchback, an orphan, a mentally ill drunk and refugees. The characters, despite the fact that they occupy a small space in these brief narratives, demand an emotional and empathetic reaction from the reader.The first page of the title story, “Black Vodka”, poignantly captures the feelings of someone who is bullied, made to feel like an outsider and a misfit for his entire life. The narrato...

Interesting... on a sentence level, I really enjoyed these stories. This writer has a strong, confident voice. The stories, though, felt more like vignettes which is, certainly, fine. I just wanted more. I also wanted to see more variety from one story to the next. It all read like one long story at times.The title story is phenomenal.

In the mid 1980’s I went through a reading period where I consumed a lot of short stories. I have a wonderful set of collections on my shelf of Australian examples and the 1986 publication “The Penguin Book of International Short Stories 1945-1985”, which contains wonderful examples of the genre by Beckett, Calvino, Camus, Capote, Doctorow, Marquez, Updike and more. At that time I was enjoyed the short grab that these stories could present. However I must admit that the novel has taken over most...

I did not enjoy this short collection of short stories. I'll start off by saying maybe it's me, I may not be the intended audience for this type of collection. I very much got the same vibe from this as I feel when I see "art for the sake of art" that feels like there's not much deeper meaning.This felt a bit pretentious to me, like it was attempting to be trendy and cultured but really fell short. Levy has excellent prose and her writing was great, but the stories left me wanting. I really feel...

This contemporary collection portrays love and loss in ten short stories. Each serve as a profound glance into a life somewhere in the world, with plenty of room for thought and contemplation. This is my first Deborah Levy read. While the writing is effortless and beautiful, I found some of the stories were either tedious or left me wanting more. One of the reasons I avoid short story collections is because it’s so rare to find a group of tales that all bring the same kind of delight and satisfa...

In this book, every story is going in the direction of something irreversible- a haunting mistake, a regretful past or the agony of a loss and the idea of making peace with these damages. This book made me think that 'Time' is not only a healer but an actor as well who knows how to pretend the act of perfecting life. P.S. The visually stunning writing of Levy makes me want to read every freaking book of hers. Out of the blue, wild comparisons that makes complete sense, I don't know how she does

A disappointment. Because I'm not good at reading short stories or because this is a little on the pretentious side? A little from column a, a little from column b. But, don't take my word for it, you be the judge. http://wp.me/p20PAS-hc

I think the fact that I read, nay demolished, this in one day says a lot, even though it is short as books go, I really could not put it down. Each story portrays a different aspect of love and loss that will touch every reader on their level depending on their own experiences and heartbreak.Black Vodka tells of an outsider advertising executive who discovers that there are people out there who can see past his physical appearance and those who find it and him simply fascinating and the effects

A gem, particularly "Black Vodka", "Stardust Nation", "Pillow Talk" and "Placing a Call." Even stories that weren't absolute standout stars had wonderful moments ("But my heart is in London with its tough tender girls walking arm-in-arm in their raincoats, smiling with teeth crooked, pierced eyebrows and lips, imperfect dreamers and schemers", from "A Better Way To Live", for example). There's a lovely rhythm between each of these shorts, each resonating with its own weight of impact. I first he...