Real Life by
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
hbk out February 99
Published by Severn House
at £16.99
An ironic title, this, for life between these covers is far from real. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has written a collection of decidedly offbeat short stories, which fall into two distinct types. There are wry, witty, slightly magical tales tending perhaps towards magic realism - a Tree of Knowledge self-seeds in a suburban garden in "Gardener's Question", while in "Helping Hands" a knitted toilet-roll cover comes quietly to life. These stories are interspersed with sad little tales, some of which have a sting in the tail, but some of which quite frankly don't really go anywhere. There are also one (very slender) detective story, one futuristic post-post-feminist tale, and a ghost story. The latter is one of the most pleasing, although not especially original: a small boy visits in turn two old ladies who compete fiercely for his affection - we're not particularly surprised at the outcome, but still the story has more substance than some of the others and is an enjoyable read.
What the stories all have in common are a crisp, humorous style, ("....Central European villages, implicit with sinister noblemen of nocturnal habit" was a phrase which particularly caught my fancy) and precise and amusing descriptions of their characters ."Cakes of Wrath" is set in a genteel Edinburgh tea-room, and Harrod-Eagles' depiction of its widowed and spinster clientele and their prescribed routines is gently hilarious. All the stories, even the light and frivolous, are rather downbeat and one learns to expect that although the more long-suffering characters will undoubtedly triumph, the victory will be subtle and understated.
Real Life by
Cynthia Harrod-Eagles