Midnight All Day - A short story collection from the noted UK based writer Hanif Kureishi. I had not read any books by him till now so I was eager.
He is damn good - so good that sometimes you wonder what is he saying. I am not being sarcastic here. Some of the stories were difficult, to say the least. I probably would make sense of them when I re-read them again. However, I remember a quote on poetry by someone known saying that it if it requires explanation then it is not good enough. Some times I wonder if this is applicable to the short stories also. Complexity is fine, but incomprehensibility?
Anyway, his stories, thankfully are not incomprehensible. They are complex, because they are about people. ANYthing to do with people is always difficult, isn't it? Especially if it is about how well or badly they handle relationships in life.
The running theme of the book is about difficult relationships - the presence of a third wheel, in particular. Extra marital affairs, affairs with older men, difficult women, dying relationships shadowed by the presence of a lover - he has explored many angles. It is quite an interesting book. Some of the stories bothered me at many levels - which is to say, they were really good in disturbing one's equilibrium. I generally do not mind open-ended stories, but some so abrupt, it felt as if the author lead me to a mysterious house, promising all sorts of goodies and then just when I was about to cross the threshold, banged the door right on my face.
I want to read other books and stories by Hanif Kureishi. Definitely worth the effort.
He is damn good - so good that sometimes you wonder what is he saying. I am not being sarcastic here. Some of the stories were difficult, to say the least. I probably would make sense of them when I re-read them again. However, I remember a quote on poetry by someone known saying that it if it requires explanation then it is not good enough. Some times I wonder if this is applicable to the short stories also. Complexity is fine, but incomprehensibility?
Anyway, his stories, thankfully are not incomprehensible. They are complex, because they are about people. ANYthing to do with people is always difficult, isn't it? Especially if it is about how well or badly they handle relationships in life.
The running theme of the book is about difficult relationships - the presence of a third wheel, in particular. Extra marital affairs, affairs with older men, difficult women, dying relationships shadowed by the presence of a lover - he has explored many angles. It is quite an interesting book. Some of the stories bothered me at many levels - which is to say, they were really good in disturbing one's equilibrium. I generally do not mind open-ended stories, but some so abrupt, it felt as if the author lead me to a mysterious house, promising all sorts of goodies and then just when I was about to cross the threshold, banged the door right on my face.
I want to read other books and stories by Hanif Kureishi. Definitely worth the effort.
2 comments:
Well written review. Really like the analogy of you being led to a house and having the door shut on your face. Writing short-stories is a tricky business. Hanif has been on my to-be-read list for a while. I have Midnight all Day with me.
Thanks Sash! So glad to have you in here :)
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