Book Review – JIGS AND REELS by Joanne Harris
Jigs and Reels Synopsis
Take your partners, please. Suburban witches, defiant old ladies, ageing monsters, suicidal Lottery winners, wolf men, dolphin women and middle-aged manufacturers of erotic leatherwear. In these twenty-two short stories from the author of HOLY FOOLS and FIVE QUARTERS OF THE ORANGE, the miraculous goes hand-in-hand with the mundane, the sour with the sweet, and the beautiful, the grotesque, the seductive and the disturbing are never more than one step away. JIGS & REELS is Joanne Harris‘ first collection of short stories, As she says in her Foreword, a good short story can startle, ignite, and illuminate…giving you vivid, anarchic glimpses into different world, different people. Here, she proves she is as good as her word by creating an eclectic selection of tales for our times that will delight, surprise, entertain and horrify in equal measure. Sly, funny, sometimes provocative but always personal, JIGS & REELS shows a side to Joanne Harris you have never seen before. So go on, be tempted. After all, it’s only dancing. (The Nile – Australia)
BOOK REVIEW
Joanne Harris is a wonderful writer and that talent is on full display in this collection of short stories. The eclectic mix of stories in Jigs and Reels covers a broad range of genre from fantasy, drama, reflection and mystery. Just like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get next…
In Jigs and Reels readers get a glimpse into the dark but deliciously humorous mind of Joanne Harris.
While not necessarily a pre-requisite, short stories with a real twist at the end are those that generally appeal to me most. Just some of my favourites in this collection of 22 stories were:
- The Ugly Sister – from the seed of Cinderella to a more gritty reality
- Free Spirit – dark and menacing, scarier than your average full length thriller
- Tea With The Birds – thoughtful, deep and charming
- Breakfast at Tesco’s – love for real people in the real world
I thoroughly enjoyed Jigs and Reels. Joanne Harris’ prose is so intelligent and elegant – a pleasure to read.
BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 4.5 / 5
BOOK DETAILS: Jigs and Reels (Amazon); Jigs and Reels (Audible); Jigs and Reels (ebooks.com); Jigs and Reels (The Nile – Australia)
Genre: Short Stories, Action, Mystery, Romance, Drama, Humour, Sci-Fi-Fantasy
Author Information: Check out Joanne Harris’ webpage
- Watch a short video of Joanne Harris talking about Jigs and Reels
Other Reviews of Jigs and Reels by Joanne Harris: Bookotron ; Book Reporter ; The Octogon
Some other novels by Joanne Harris: Chocolat ; Five Quarters of the Orange; The Lollipop Shoes ; Blackberry Wine ; Coastliners ; Gentlemen and Players ; Holy Fools ; Runemarks ; The Girl With No Shadow ; Sleep Pale Sister
* I purchased this ‘pre-loved’ (used) book from BetterWorldBooks.com
I’ve loved both of the Joanne Harris books I’ve read. Never heard of this one but sounds like one I definitely need to add to the wish list!
I have not read Harris’s work before, but enjoyed reading your review of this collection. I often find that the short stories of my favourite authors, contain their best writing. Tim Winton and Daphne du Maurier, instantly comes to mind. It seems their short fiction is like a concentrated version, and I think that authors often give themselves more permission to experiment, and reveal more of their own natures, with short fiction.
Ooh, I will have to chase down a copy of Daphne Du Maurier’s short stories – can imagine they’d be something special.