Brother, What Strange Place is This? is Tom Saunders’ first short story collection.
First published in 2004 by UK Authors, Bristol; a new imprint was issued by Reuben Books in 2009.
From the pagan brutalities of a Welsh island at the time of the Armada in “The Seal Man” to the quest for redemption of an English jazz pianist in modern day Cuba in “The Calle de Obra Pia,” the stories explore the complexities of history and the twists and turns of the human journey.
Beautifully, often lyrically written, these stories reveal a keen and playful intelligence at work and all are executed with humour and compassion. The characters are, by turn, quirky, difficult, off beat and yet each is sympathetically rendered.
The title story “Brother, What Strange Place is This?” examines the relationship between two brothers, one excited by the possibilities of the 20th century, the other, a classical composer, mad with remorse over the instincts he is unable to discipline and understand.
This is a truly remarkable debut, both original and imaginative. Not just a book for lovers of finely crafted short stories, but for everyone interested in the art of writing and in literature itself.
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Only a few copies left in stock.
Only a few copies left in stock.
