The BBC National Short Story Award (2009) by Various Writers

After reading countless books depicting various themes and genres on thick; full length novels, I’ve decided to take a breather (another one after the sensual stories earlier :-)) and decided to read short stories instead.

I’ve read quite a number of short stories but the one that I can really recall is entitled “The Minority Report” written by Philip K. Dick. The main reason is due to the adaptation of the short story into full movie starred realistically by none other than the enigmatic Tom Cruise.

To cut the story short (metaphorically speaking); I didn’t want to browse around for short stories for too long. Thus, I bought the collection of best short stories for 2009. And in this case, I’ve selected the winners of The BBC National Short Story Award for 2009.

This book consists of 5 winners/writers and they are:

· Naomi Alderman; Other People’s God
· Kate Clanchy; The Not Dead and the Saved
· Sara Maitland; Moss Witch
· Jane Rogers; Hitting Trees with Sticks
· Lionel Shriver; Exchange Rates

Below are reviews for each of the stories mentioned above; and I promise you it is going to be a short review as befitting the story itself :-P

Naomi Alderman; Other People’s God
Story about a Jew named Mr. Bloom who bought an Indian God idol, Ganesha into his home and started to pray to it. His whole family then followed suit and felt “bestowed” by the newly introduced deity.
However, their neighbourhood rabbi came to know about it and in order to bring Mr. Bloom back to the “right-path”; he smashed the idol into smithereens. Thus, turning the ever gentle Mr. Bloom into angst filled person.

Kate Clanchy; The Not Dead and the Saved
There are no names for the characters. The Son is playing “The Son”; The Mother is playing “The Mother” and so on… if you get what I mean ;-)
It is basically about a terminally ill “Son” and the “Mother’s” tumulus relationship in which “The Son” is trying to live a separate life and “The Mother” is always there by his side to support him throughout his struggle with his illness and his life.

Sara Maitland; Moss Witch
This is a really strange story because at the start of the story, we’re introduced to the legend of the Moss Witches and by the end of the story; even I tend to believe that Moss Witches really exists.
It is about a bryologist who ventured into a moss filled jungle and stumbled upon a Moss Witch live in action. The bryologist was astounded by the knowledge of the Moss Witch as she rattled and muttered common and scientific names of various genera of mosses; from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered species.
However, the sweet story ended when the Moss Witch murdered the bryologist as he attempted to take some moss samples in front of her. She then stuffed the bryologist’s body with various mosses before instructing “them” (the mosses) to overtake the body and to grow as fast as possible; thus erasing the very trace of the murdered bryologist.

Jane Rogers; Hitting Trees with Sticks
I’m taking a really simplistic approach here but rest assured that this is another beautifully written short story from a perspective which I’ve never “experienced” before.
The gist of this funny story is about a suspected senile old lady who ventured out to her garden to check for her shopping items only to be locked out of her own house in the process. Out of place and no place to vent her anger, she grasped the garden broom and whacked the old tree in her garden.

Lionel Shriver; Exchange Rates
What would you do after you’ve dined with your dad? Who will pick up the bill? Is it the son’s responsibility of the father’s?
In this heart-warming story, the dad picked up the bill but then requested the son to provide free service to cash out his check and convert the currency in the process. However, due to currency fluctuation and in-depth anger of the son over the feeling of being short-changed by the currency exchange; the son remitted the conversion rate lower than the dad’s expectation.
His satisfaction over the deal ended prematurely when his dad passed away shortly after he sent a nasty email to his dad explaining about the short change.

Personal rating:

No rating but it is indeed a different set of genre compared to full length novels. A refreshing read indeed.

Cons:
1) N/A

Pros:
1) N/A