The Whole Story and Other Stories explained
The Whole Story and Other Stories is a short story collection by Scottish Booker-shortlisted author Ali Smith, first published in 2003 by Hamish Hamilton.
It contains twelve stories :-
- "The Universal Story" : A man buys up every copy of The Great Gatsby in a second-hand bookshop. The narrative focus switches between the proprietor, a 1974 Penguin edition of the book, a fly landing on it, and the man, who it transpires is buying every copy of the book he can find for his sister, who is constructing a boat out of them financed by an Arts Council grant...
- "Gothic" : Gives an insight into the life of a bookshop clerk and the eccentricities of the customers and how she deals with them.
- "Being Quick" : A traveller returning home sees Death on the concourse of King's Cross station; later, a fatality on the line delays the train and the traveller decides to walk the remainder of the journey but cannot phone home as her mobile phone has died...
- "May": A woman falls hopelessly in love with a neighbour's tree...
- "Paradise" : Follows the live of three Scottish sisters; one a shift manager in a fast-food restaurant (who single-handedly foils an armed raid); the second is a hostess on a boat taking day-trips on Loch Ness and the third is drunk in a cemetery vandalising angels.
- "Erosive" : An Apple tree is infested with aphids, the owner falls in love...
- "The Book Club" :A young girl borrows books from a bookseller, reading them carefully so they can still be sold; later her mother joins a book club...
- "Believe Me" :A woman admits to her female lover that she is married and spends her days with her husband. Her lover then admits she is also having an affair with him...
- "Scottish Love Songs" : An elderly lady is haunted by a Pipe Band who continually march through her house playing, rendering her all but deaf...
- "The Shortlist Season" : A young woman believes herself to be allergic to modern art...
- "The Heat of the Story" : Three drunk women stagger into Midnight Mass...
- "The Start of Things" : A lover is locked out on a cold winter night...
Reception
Upon release, The Whole Story and Other Stories was generally well-received among British press. [1] Globally, Complete Review saying on the consensus "Fairly impressed, if not always clear as to what she's up to".[2]
External links
Notes and References
- News: Books of the moment: What the papers say. 12 July 2024. The Daily Telegraph . 3 May 2003 . 160.
- Web site: 2023-10-04 . The Whole Story . 2023-10-04 . Complete Review.
