Back of the book blurb: At the heart of this radical new collection of short stories from award-winning writer Nuala Ní Chonchúir is an exploration of the pain and pleasure of love: sexual love, romantic love, the love between parents and their children.
Expanding on the themes of her first short fiction collection, The Wind Across the Grass, her focus in these stories is on the events that cause relationships to fail. Set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland, and Europe of the past and present, they are brimming with sensuality, art, secrets, and loss.
She is Too Fond of Books’ review: The stories in To the World of Men, Welcome are the first writings I have read from Nuala Ní Chonchúir, an Irish writer who has penned another collection titled The Wind Across the Grass, and is targeted to publish a third volume of short fiction in the fall. (photo credit Finbar McLoughlin)
One of the greatest delights of this collection are the many voices the author channels. One such striking perspective is in “I, Caroline.” This is the story of Caroline Crachami (nee Fogle), a young woman not two-feet tall. Caroline’s parents sold her for twenty pounds to a “doctor” who exhibited her until the time of her death. The background is historically accurate, and Ni Chonchuir supplies Caroline’s words as she tells the reader of her final resting place, “a glass box in a museum in London”:
The Giant Byrne lives in the glass cabinet beside mine, I don’t know what size he is but he is very, very tall. We’re a righ pair – Ireland’s biggest and smallest – one huge brown skeleton beside a tiny white one – two natural freaks. Some people say I’m the teeniest person that ever was, a lot of them used to pay two and six to come and look at me at twenty-two New Bond Street. It cost an extra shilling to pick me up and handle me.
The sixteen stories vary in length, and, indeed, two of the shortest stories are teases of what detail Ni Chonchuir puts in her work. Barely stretching onto a third page, “Jacques D’Arc’s Dream” is told in the first person. Jacques D’Arc tells his sons and wife about a horrific nightmare which, the reader knows, foretells the story of Joan D’Arc’s martyrdom.
“Loveday,” one of my favorite stories, is a more satisfying length for me, and touches on a number of relationships – lovers, parents and children, and siblings. Ní Chonchúir’s exquisite observations put me at the top of the valley with the narrator in this passage:
… The breeze cleaned my head after the bus and I welcomed the gravelly road underfoot. The day was misty but I could make out the hump of the mountain beyond the houses and the blanket of dark sky draped above it. It was quiet as I tripped down the road. I knocked on the front door, enjoying the familiar weight of the brass knocker Daddy had put there years before. Gerard answered after a minute or two, he looked empty.
Nuala Ní Chonchúir’s writing is tight and beautiful. The style of prose vary to suit the mood of the piece, and each story is carefully edited of anything extraneous. This is a recommended collection for those looking to expand beyond formulaic and predictable short fiction.
And, now we come to the part of the review I’ve been avoiding. You may have noticed that I didn’t include a book jacket at the top of the page, as I typically do. The truth is, I was concerned that the cover art, a painting by Pauline Bewick, might draw spammers to my blog. I had to be careful where I read the book, as my young kids would have been quite curious. To The World of Men, Welcome, is not erotica, and I hope you’re not put off reading it by my decision to censor the cover art. It was a decision I wrestled with for quite a while.
You are right, the cover art does make the book look like erotica. I wonder what was the thought process behind that.
The story I, Caroline sounds really sad.
Hey, my kids go gaga over some of the Entertainment Weekly covers, so I don’t blame you. However, if the cover is that explicit, I’m wondering how many people have seen it in the bookstore and thought is WAS erotica? Oh well, either way, the books sounds awesome!
what is the point of using a cover like that? I mean, you just know that is what people will talk about, which if I were the author, would certainly not be what I want.
it’s not going to be “did you read that great story?” but rather “did you see that book with that cover?”
It sounds like a very interesting book, but I think Sandy has a point – some of the stuff in entertainment magazines is really pushing it, and those are real life “role models” not just drawings! But keeping away spammers is a challenge worth pursuing. When I picked rhapsodyinbooks I was only thinking of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Silly me!
I’m going to be the contrarian here and say that I don’t think it was necessary for you to censor the cover art. We’re all grownups here. I wonder who you want to protect or what the point is. *Shrug*. It’s your blog & up to you.
I’m with the “no need to censor the cover art but you have to make up your own mind” crowd. I’m not a short story or short fiction lover, although this collection sounds good.
I think the cover looks like a thousand paintings that hang in art museums. It does not look like erotica. I guess it depends on if you would shield the kids from famous paintings in the Smithsonian because they are nude.
Yeah, I can see the concern. I couldn’t have shown that to my kids, that’s for sure.
I really wonder what the decision to use that cover art was. Like you and others have pointed out, I’m sure many readers feel let down.
I don’t think anyone would have noticed that the cover was not depicted in this post had you not mentioned it. I can see why you would be careful that your kids did not see it but like the other poster said.. it looks like many you’d see in the museum. It’s your blog though and only you can decide what is appropriate for it.
Violet – the painting is “Lovers and Feathers” by Pauline Bewick, an Irish artist.
Sandy – The settings are fantastic, too. Ireland (and Europe) for all of them, I believe. Contemporary and the past; the historical settings were some of my favorites.
caite – I didn’t ask the author how/why she chose it, but I did give her a heads up that I’d be writing about it.
rhapsodyinbooks – I wanted to keep away spammers, and keep positive first impressions; I’m not sure I succeeded
Marie – I love to hear from the contrarian librarian! I’ll re-post what I wrote you on Twitter: You’re right, I did intentionally draw attention to it, hoping to stir up opinions, both pro, con, and on-the-fence about my approach. Loved the collection, but had a real hard time posting the pic because judgements are made based on 1st impressions and I wanted ppl to read more about what was inside the cover. Also my kids read the blog (and pull it up at school), and I didn’t want to deal with fall-out from that and potential spammers. So controversial in an under-the-radar-way. And right back ‘atcha with all the compliments; always interested in your opinion.
Beth F – I wonder if she has any of the stories online. That “I, Caroline” is only about 6 pages long, but it packs a punch!
Rebecca – no, I absolutely don’t shield my kids from art in a museum (or graphic pics in newspaper or magazines … we’d talk about the article if they were interested).
Susan – my son (the older one, 11) picked up the book and was looking at the cover. I said “the painting is called ‘Lovers and Feathers’. I need to look in there for a quote now” and held out my hand to get the book back!
Ti – no one may have noticed that I didn’t have a cover posted, but the omission was glaring to me!
Hi Dawn (and all the commenters!),
Thanks a million for reviewing my book – I really appreciate it and I’m glad you like the work.
Like most authors, the cover choice was not mine and though it is naughty, I really love it. Bewick is a well-known and highly respected artist here in Ireland. We share a publisher. They thought it was appropriate for the book as a lot of the stories are about love relationships (albeit, ones gone wrong!)
Anyway, for those interested, I blogged a little about the review on my blog and there are links to other published stories of mine at my website.
http://www.nualanichonchuir.com/links.php
Thanks again!
Nuala
This book sounds really wonderful. I think I’m going to have to pick it up.
As far as the cover goes, I agree with the it’s your blog, group. Even at home, I have some books that I keep higher on the shelves.
I was excited to read your review after you Twittered about the cover, so definitely captured my attention! I kind of like the cover but I can see where you’d have mixed feelings, and while I wouldn’t shield my kids from the art if it were in a museum, I think that’s different from having them wonder about what’s behind that cover on a book, (or having them pull up the image on my blog). One thing’s for sure: it’s memorable!
This sounds like a very intriguing book, particularly the I, Caroline story. I am trying to read more short fiction and thin this would be a great addition to my library. I am going to see if I can get a copy of this book. Thanks for the great review, and don’t worry too much about not displaying the cover. I agree that if you had posted it, you might see an increase in spam which is only one of the adverse consequences. I would also have been cautious if I had younger children as well. Great review!
Ha, well I probably never would have picked up the book with that cover. Truthfully, I don’t particularly feel a rush of affection for art like that in general. (I generally prefer landscapes or scenic art as it were, I guess)
But the cover to a book is just that…a cover. You probably gave the book a fairer shot by not displaying it. And now you can still be listed in family friendly blog directories.
PS..can you add a subscribe to comments by email feature?