Monday 28 January 2013

Devouring Books: Touchy Subjects by Emma Donoghue

"I suppose I'd read too many books to be normal."

Remember that time when I got really into Emma Donoghue, and read all the things by her I could find (3 books, as it happened) and then kind of neglected her a little bit for like a year? (You probably don't. But that happened). Well, the wonderful Bex bought me Touchy Subjects for Christmas because she is the beacon of loveliness, and I swear I didn't mean to read it straight away, but... Well, there was the mini-readathon and everything, and this book is short stories, and well... I just kept on reading!

I was the tiniest bit apprehensive that this was short stories, actually, only because I'm used to Donoghue's novels, and what if *whispers* she's not as good at writing short stories and I have to say something mean about her?!
I have so many gifs that would have been appropriate 
for WILKIE readalongs now. It breaks my heart.

OBViously I didn't need to worry at all, because it turns out that Donoghue can write whatever the hell she wants, whenever the hell she wants, and it is always always excellent. I find it so difficult to pin down exactly what I like about her writing, because it kind of seems like there's nothing remarkable about it, but it's just SO clear, and seems to flow so well that she always always gets me and there's nothing I can do to stop the effect she has on me. It's crazy-good, but I don't know whether that means she just writes in a way that I essentially find perfect, or if she actually is as good as I think she is.

Maybe it's a bit of both.

And now we come to the awkward part where I don't know how to write about short stories.
I mean... I don't know man, they're all pretty good. As the title of the book suggests, the stories are divided up into sections, each of which is a 'touchy subject'- babies, desire, death... and each of the stories contains its own touchy subject. This makes each story incredibly different (and I really do mean incredibly different- Donoghue isn't just one to stick with what she knows, either that or she knows A LOT) but also means that there's a thread running through them that makes them all make sense together. Which isn't something that can always be said about short story collections, STEPHEN KING I'M LOOKING AT YOU.
Anyway! The point is that each story is really really very good (I think there was maybe one I didn't like that much, but it wasn't bad) and they are all so different from each other that even now I can clearly pick them apart in my brain and think about them separately, which is really rare for me and short stories- they tend to merge into one, apart from the few really good ones, so I think I'm going to have to say that all of them were the really good ones!

If, say, I was going to pick a favourite from each section (and this is under duress, I should add) I guess I'd go with:
  • Expecting- A woman has an awkward encounter with a stranger where he assumes that she must be pregnant and so she pretends to be, only there's a lot more to it than that, and it made me think about what obligations we have to strangers, and how strange it is that we feel that we do.
  • The Cost of Things- A story about a relationship and a cat, and how the cost of things isn't necessarily the same as how much you value them.
  • WritOr- This was maybe my favourite story in the collection, about a writer who has to advise members on the public on their own writing, starting off being enthusiastic and kind, and being torn down by how difficult he finds pretending to like bad writing is. He's a lot less of an ass than that makes him sound, and I felt for him, but also for his deluded students.
  • Team Men- A coming of sexual-age tale about two boys on a football team who fall in, well, lust with each other. It's all very hush hush and non-talked about feelingsy and maaaan did I need to watch Brokeback Mountain after reading it.
  • Baggage- There was just so so so much unsaid, and undiscovered in this story that I loved it, cause I enjoy when my mind runs wild with speculations, even after the story has ended- especially after that. It's pretty great
So those were my favourites, but as I said, they were all great. Really really great. So clearly drawn that, even if it was never mentioned, you could pretty much guess where they were set, and, just as short stories should, they really showed a snapshot of a part of lives that you can really imagine continuing beyond the confines of the story, having pasts and futures and involving characters that practically live and breathe.

I mean, I really really like Emma Donoghue, has that been clear enough? 
Ok, cool! That's all, then.

17 comments:

  1. *slips off quietly to add yet another book to her library list*
    I'm not normally a Short Story Person, but maaaaan this one sounds good. Even those little mini synopsis thingies you did there are intriguing. Possibly I should read ROOM first, since it's been sitting on my shelves pretty much since the week it was published. STORY OF MY LIFE. :)

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    1. I really liked Room- I read it in a day and was TRAUMATISED by it, but it's like really well thought out and interesting and all those kinds of things. BUT I kind of like everything else I've read by Donoghue even more than that. But you can totally start with Room cause THAT'S WHAT I DID! :)

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  2. I think you should write a review just using Gosling and Skarsgard gifs.

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    1. That's clearly where I'm headed. One day all of the internet will just be people talking to each other with gifs. And it will be wonderful.

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  3. "I find it so difficult to pin down exactly what I like about her writing, because it kind of seems like there's nothing remarkable about it, but it's just SO clear"

    Yes, this.

    I'm only on the second section, for I have gotten distracted by like 14 other books, but I heart her short stories more than her novels. Both're good, but I think she does better in a smaller medium. That being said, I think I like her historical short stories much more than these. BUT I SHALL FINISH THEM. Because 'Read Everything By Donoghue Except for Room.'

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    1. Isn't it though?! WHY IS SHE SO GOOD I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

      I don't know that I prefer her short stories, but that's maybe only because I tend not to like short stories as much as novels in general, so if an author does both I tend to like the novels better or something? (Except for Annie Proulx. Who should probably only write short stories.) OBViously I will prefer these to her historical short stories, because historical fiction ARGH (Although I will of course read them. Obvs.)

      BUT ROOM! It's good! It was my first Donoghue and without it I might never have read more! Why you no read it?!

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  4. *goes off to add this book to my TBR list*
    I am nervous about short story collections so some of them are just sooo bad. So bad. Though those are usually ones where it's a whole bunch of writers so I'm thinking this will be better because it's just Donoghue. Plus I feel like I should read some Donoghue that isn't Room, since I'm currently doing the opposite of Alice

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    1. I waaay don't like short stories as much as novels but seriously, these are SO GOOD. Mainly because they're by Emma Donoghue, but it's just like... Everything about them is amazing and I love them? If you'd prefer to read a novel though, I'd like to recommend Hood, but it is SERIOUSLY sad. So be prepared for that!

      Definitely read some Donoghue that isn't Room though. Even though I liked Room! It's just completely non-representative of her subject matter and whatnot.

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  5. I like Donoghue too - I've not read enough by her! Added this one to my wishlist so I can start to rectify this situation :)

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    1. Yay! Like I said above, I also recommend Hood, but these stories are honestly the best short stories I've read for a really long time. Maybe ever. (I don't read that many short stories, but still. They're awesome.)

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  6. This is going onto the wishlist! :) I've been meaning to read more short stories.

    I've only read Room, what Donoghue (that isn't short stories) would you recommend I read next?? :)

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    1. YAY! *celebrates at making everyone read Donoghue*

      My favourite Donoghue book is Hood, BUT (disclaimer!) it's really really really sad. So that's worth noting, because I know some people don't so much like the sad things. But I really do!

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  7. Have you read Kissing the Witch? That book made me the loyal Donoghue fangirl I am (I even read Room which I was dreading like a dreading thing). I have this in the TBR and can't wait to get to it! (once the review queue is done.)

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    1. I haven't read Kissing the Witch! I am trying to read all the Donoghue though, so after Slammerkin (which I own, so should probably read next!) maaaaybe Kissing the Witch. Did you like Room? I don't really understand all the hatred towards it!

      But yeah, this is way good :)

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    2. I read room after seeing Emma Donoghue doing a reading from it -- which was amazing -- and I really enjoyed Room -- it isn't my favorite of hers -- I love her hist fic more -- BUT while at the reading, I took my copy of Hood to get it signed by her. I gushed about how it was my first lesbian novel, and I'd read it at 18 and loved it, and she had laughed and said she was surprised it hadn't put me off being a lesbian. (Here's the report and the picture of me geeking out.) She's amazing.

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  8. See, you are a smart one there with finding an author you like and promptly reading all of their books. I find an author I like and say "I like this!" and then forget they exist. Por ejemplo, I read Kate Atkinson's Behind the Scenes at the Museum when it was the only thing she had written and I loved it SO MUCH OH MAN, but then forgot that she'd likely go on to write other things. And now look! So many books to catch up on!

    All this to say, I liked Room and I need to read all the Donoghue.

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    1. Oh yeah, I'm good at latching onto an author and reading ALL THE THINGS that they've written. Hence the Stephen King thing I do. And I've also read the majority of things Steinbeck has written, and I'm working on Murakami...

      Yeah, I do this a lot. Go back to Atkinson, is what I say! (because you really like her, as opposed to me having any idea what her writing is like haha). But yes, READ ALL THE DONOGHUE. It's awesome. :)

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