3/5 stars
What's it about? Mental illness, addiction, and ennui haunt this selection of short stories by Anna Kavan. A sinister and strange moan of a book.
How’d I find it? I have heard twitterings among booksellers about Anna Kavan before and was intrigued to find this copy among the offerings at Lost City Books.
Who will enjoy this book? Admirers of Lucia Berlin and The Bell Jar should enjoy, as well as those who seek speculative elements in their literary fiction, such as Kavan’s ever-morphing city that recalls Italo Calvino.
What stood out? The selections from Asylum Piece open the book grimly, salvaged by the strength of later standouts like “A Bright Green Field” and “Face of My People.” The stories benefit from an illuminating forward by editor Victoria Walker about Kavan’s life and influence.
Which line made me feel something? From “Ice Storm:” “The big unbroken trees sprayed like unclear fountains towards the mist. Through the centre of each jet of clouded crystal the black branch was threaded. The trees were lovely and frightening to look at. I tried not to feel afraid of the trees. Dear God, let me not start being afraid of things in the natural world.”