[books 2016] John Connolly short stories
17. Night Music: Nocturnes 2 by John Connolly
My favourite John Connolly book is Nocturnes, his first volume of short stories. It's the first book of his I ever read and I was impressed not only by the individual stories in it, but the variety of voice that he employs.
So I was pretty excited when he put out another volume. I started reading the first one right away, but then it sat on my shelf for a while. The first story, "The Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository" is indeed good, but it is about fictional characters coming to life & the social mechanisms for looking after them. Unfortunately I'd just read Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair, which is based on much the same idea, and is done better (and while Fforde got there first, it's not like it's a completely original idea to either).
There follow a few really short numbers that failed to excite me.
Then comes "The Fractured Atlas: Five Fragments", which just blew me away. Creepy, interesting, it's got the lot. And all the stories that follow are just superb.
So my faith in one of my favourite writers was restored, just in time for his new Charlie Parker novel to come out (which I am reading now and I love it).
My favourite John Connolly book is Nocturnes, his first volume of short stories. It's the first book of his I ever read and I was impressed not only by the individual stories in it, but the variety of voice that he employs.
So I was pretty excited when he put out another volume. I started reading the first one right away, but then it sat on my shelf for a while. The first story, "The Caxton Private Lending Library and Book Depository" is indeed good, but it is about fictional characters coming to life & the social mechanisms for looking after them. Unfortunately I'd just read Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair, which is based on much the same idea, and is done better (and while Fforde got there first, it's not like it's a completely original idea to either).
There follow a few really short numbers that failed to excite me.
Then comes "The Fractured Atlas: Five Fragments", which just blew me away. Creepy, interesting, it's got the lot. And all the stories that follow are just superb.
So my faith in one of my favourite writers was restored, just in time for his new Charlie Parker novel to come out (which I am reading now and I love it).