I just published a new review at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/562692034
The Woman Who Gave Birth To Rabbits by Emma Donoghue
Really quite enjoyed this collection of short stories. I liked the history behind them all and finding where the thread for the story started. Plucking a single moment or name from history and moulded a story around it. Reminds me of a writing exercise, one that I should set for myself in the coming weeks, so watch the blogasphere.
The Last Rabbit
This is the story that gave the book its title, the story of a women who embarks on a plot to make the whole of England believe that she gives birth to rabbits. The story telling is gentle, easy and the characters although without any real depth have great connections and understandings of one another and the world around them. This tale takes us right up to the ‘last rabbit’ bore.
Acts of Union
A great story of trickery. Although you don’t learn much about the character of the niece I quite liked her, she said little and let others speak to her on their presumptions of her thinking the worst, without her being anything but polite. She also, from one line about the suitor’s alignment, at the end shows she’s quite knowledgable of the world.
The Fox on the Line
A story showing that we don’t always say what we think. Interesting how someone would suppress their thoughts and feelings because of someone else who they thought had a worthier cause.
Account
Debate: is this a story or a list of interesting historic facts to model a story around?!
Revelations
A really interesting story about a cult based on the book of Revelations. Friend Mother is the leader and people doubt and follow backed up by the law. Hugh is a blind follower and it is his view that the story is told through, which is blinded by faith in this woman.
Ballad
I really nice story about connections. I can’t really pin my finger on what makes it great but the intrigue and connections between the characters within a country in turmoil works.
Come, Gentle Night
I think this is my favourite story so far, it suggests no whys but sets a really interesting scene and plays it out well. The first night after a couple’s wedding and what this implies for their future together.
Salvage
I story of two cousins who try to rescue sailors from a shipwreck. A story of salvage and vicarious bravery, nice bit of suspense in the middle of such a short tale and a few mysterious points of intrigue that get you asking questions.
Cured
Women at the hands of men! A woman being told that she’s not intelligent enough to understand what will happen to her under the Doctor’s watch, she is disfigured and then told she’s ill in the mind for thinking so. To be free she must she bow to the power of the man.
Figures of Speech
A woman is about to give birth and talks to her lady’s maid. A history and context is created between them all through conversation, although nothing really happens a lot has in the past – even though she is ‘only’ a woman.
Words for Things
The info at the back implied this story was more about Mary the governess than Margaret the young girl, but I felt much more attached to Margaret. A young girl with a very strict mother who is stubborn and in love with words. She struggles to find words for herself in everyday life and yearns to understand herself.
How a Lady Dies
A woman dying and her loves and longings in the world. Will dying make these things closer to her or enjoying life? Set in Bath two woman are friends and spend every day together building a relationship that differs internally to externally.
A Short Story
A sad, short life for one so short. A human exhibited as a freak of nature and eternalised by science.
Dido
A really interesting story of a black woman raised in a privileged white home during the time of slavery. Conflicting social and family ties when what you feel conflicts with the thoughts of the masses you wonder what is right.
The Necessity of Burning
A lovely story of a peasant woman who gets caught up in the Cambridge riots although avoids them at first. We learn her sad story under the direction of the ‘learned men’ and still she bows to authority as she thinks she should – if only because she believes rioting will get them nowhere.
Looking for Petronilla
A little confusing I like the idea more than the story. An immortal haunted by the love and sacrifice of someone she hadn’t given enough thought to. But the story didn’t say anything of the narrative character it just told a small segment of story using comparisons to modern day.