BrokenTune

Ok, ok, So, I read this collection of short stories yesterday. I hadn't heard anything about them and hadn't received any recommendations for it, but I had followed Brian's (the author) posts on GR for a while and wanted to find out a bit more about his own writing.

I ended up missing Downton Abbey, because the stories got me hooked. And if you knew me, you'd know that this is quite a feat - missing Downton Abbey, I mean, not getting me hooked on a good story.

Blue Ice is a collection of short stories. Some of them are connected. All of them have a twist (some more than one!). And what is not to like about a good twist?

I read a few short stories this year mostly by Daphne Du Maurier, F.S. Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie and Jean Rhys, and so far Blue Ice is my favourite. It would be difficult to compare Blue Ice to the stories of the other authors I've listed because the subject matter is quite different and Blue Ice mostly deals with stories that have been heavily influenced by events which have shaped American writing post-WW2. Some of the stories show clear influences of Kurt Vonnegut's writing - which is an aspect I enjoyed very much.  

All in all, Blue Ice is a fine example of why short stories are distinct forms of literature from novels. There's an art to them that not every author is able to master.