Booklover Book Reviews

The Tiny Wife Synopsis

A magical short novel from the author of All My Friends are Superheroes. A robber holds up a Canadian bank but instead of stealing money he takes from each person the item of most sentimental value. As time passes the loss of these items have a dramatic effect on the victims: one discovers God under her sofa, another is attacked by her lion tattoo when it comes to life, and the wife of our narrator starts to shrink. It is a remarkable short novella, a modern fable that is weird, uplifting and romantic all at the same time.(Amazon)

BOOK REVIEW

From the intriguing opening lines, I fell hook line and sinker for Andrew Kaufman’s The Tiny Wife.

The robbery was not without consequences. The consequences were the point of the robbery. It was never about money. The thief didn’t even ask for any. That it happened in a bank was incidental. It could have just as easily happened in a train station or a high school or the Musee d’Orsay.

At less than 80 pages, The Tiny Wife novella is written in a deceptively simple and whimsical narrative. It is even illustrated.

Andrew Kaufman’s The Tiny Wife is brimming over with such wonderful sentiment and metaphorical meaning that I read it twice in the same sitting.

Now that is really saying something for this work because I never read a book twice. The story contains all my favourite literary elements. It was quirky enough to surprise me, conveyed a message serious enough to leave a lasting impression on me, and it oozed such an intelligence in it’s crafting that I felt genuine admiration for the author’s talent.

I now know what I will be giving many of my friends, male and female, for Christmas this year – I think this is an absolute must read, a gift in every sense of the word.

BOOK RATING: The Story 5 / 5 ; The Writing 5 / 5

BOOK DETAILS: The Tiny Wife (Amazon);  The Tiny Wife (Kobobooks – epub);  The Tiny Wife (The Nile – Australia); The Tiny Wife (Audiobook)

Genre: Short Story, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi-Fantasy, Literature

Author Information: A Canadian writer, film director, and radio producer – check out Andrew Kaufman’s personal website.

- watch The Tiny Wife video trailer

Other books by Andrew Kaufman: The Waterproof Bible, All My Friends Are Superheroes

Other reviews of The Tiny Wife: The Bookbag ; The Book Whisperer ; Just William’s Luck ;  So Misguided ; Read Between The Lines

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