chesilbeach

Title: Love Begins In Winter Author: Simon Van Booy Publisher: Beautiful Books Synopsis from the back of the book: On the verge of giving up - anchored to dreams that never came true and to people who have long since disappeared from their lives - Van Booy's characters walk the streets of these stark and beautiful stories until chance meetings with strangers force them to face responsibility for lives they thought had continued on without them. Review: The five stories in this collection are linked by the theme of love, but also by the theme of childhood. With these two themes in common, it's probably not unsurprising that the book is emotional and affecting, beginning the heart-breaking dedication at the start of the book. The collection opens with the longest story, Love Begins In Winter, a tale of grief, and love, and includes an incredible depiction of the recital given by the narrator, a cello soloist. Next is Tiger, Tiger which considers the effects of the relationships of parents on children, followed by The Missing Statues with a different view on a similar theme. The Coming and Going of Strangers is the fourth story, and my favourite in the collection, following Walter who is a wonderfully, romantic hero. Finally, The City of Windy Trees, is another uplifting tale, which shows how seemingly inconsequential meetings make an ordinary life extraordinary. While some of the best novels are the stories of peoples lives, for me, the best short stories are the glimpses and snapshots of the incidents, emotions and relationships that define an individual, and although I haven't read a huge amount of short stories, these are some of the best I've encountered. The writing is beautifully considered, lyrical and expressive. but in the sparse style which suits the short story format. Although it's a short 226 page book, I took a good few days to read it, as it requires the time to savour the words on the page, but I can definitely recommend it.

Finished Love Begins In Winter by Simon Van Booy this afternoon. Another excellent collection of short stories, that I'll write a full review for shortly.

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This sounds like a really interesting book, Lexie. I've gone a bit YA book mad recently, but I will add this to my wishlist and maybe pick it up in a few months.

Sounds like you enjoyed it, Gyre! I'm still not sure about reading it myself. I don't mind the concept of it (Jasper Fforde also used Pride and Prejudice in one of his books, which was fantastic), but I just don't think this will be my cup of tea. If I see it in a charity shop, or very cheap somewhere, I might pick it up, but I don't think I'll be actively hunting it out. Great review though

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I wait in the shadows. Love Begins In Winter by Simon Van Booy

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