Malcolm Bradbury (1932–2000)

As I was reading a masterful short story by Salman Rushdie, he was being stabbed on stage. I had just talked about how certain authors in this collection (and in literature, generally) operate on a different level than others who are still very good, then I read about the contemptible attack. I hope he will recover as soon and as completely as possible.

I found this to be a very strong collection, with absolutely no weak points, and some real gems. Each short story was at least fine, but some were simply outstanding:

Samuel Beckett: Ping - I have a soft spot for the nonsense which of course does have sense and such a strong rhythm in all its minimalism that it is positively enjoyable

Dylan Thomas: The Burning Baby - nightmarish as its title, intense and skilful, with all due respect, trying to purge my memory of it

Ted Hughes: The Rain Horse - a tad less nightmarish but still very much in that territory, also very intense and skilful

Salman Rushdie: The Prophet's Hair - this is where I had to pause to acknowledge how certain authors produced works that were not better but on a completely different level of quality than others, and those others were also very good. (for me, authors of this different quality include Auster, Nabokov, Esterházy) I intend to use this in ESL lessons as I did with the following one.

Kazuo Ishiguro: A Family Supper What a twist! I loved how he built up the readers' expectations very clearly towards one final outcome and then provided an utter anticlimax. This is a short story I already used with my C1-level students. As I was making photocopies for them to read, I accidentally dropped the last page, which gave me the idea to make them write their own ending to the story. (Some loved the idea, others detested it.) I only gave them the last page when they handed in their versions. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and would definitely repeat with other groups.

I really appreciate the following as well:
Graham Greene: The Invisible Japanese Gentlemen - another one up for ESL lessons
William Golding: Miss Pulkinhorn
Alan Sillitoe: The Fishing-boat Picture
Doris Lessing: To Room Nineteen
Muriel Spark: The House of the Famous Poet
John Fowles: The Enigma - started as a detective story but turned out to be something even better
Malcolm Bradbury: Composition - with its 3 different endings
Beryl Bainbridge: Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie - very powerful
Ian McEwan: Psychopolis - turning so suddenly from a constant mood, and capturing the shock perfectly
Julian Barnes: One of a Kind
Clive Sinclair: Bedbugs… (mehr)