Helen Garner is a renowned Australian novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and journalist. This collection of stories, first published between 1985 and 1998, is my introduction to Garner, who's known for her “generous, category-defying imagination and her signature blend of sharp observation, honesty, and humor."
Helen Garner
The fourteen tales in this book are more 'slice of life' vignettes than short stories, and they demonstrate Garner's focus on interpersonal relations, women, and memorable, sometimes life-changing, moments.
A number of journalists and reviewers have written in-depth analyses of Garner's work, but - since that's not my field - I'll just give brief impressions of some of the stories.
🦘🦘Postcards From Surfers🦘🦘
A woman is visiting her parents and aunt in Coolangatta, and writes a series of postcards to a man named Philip, relating things she's doing with her family. For example: "A big red setter wet from the surf shambles up...my parents send it packing with curses in inarticulate tongue. Go orn, get orf, gorn!" In the end, the woman doesn't send the postcards, but bins the lot.
This story contains a humorous scene about a woman who senses she stinks for days, though she washes and washes. It turns out the woman forgot to take out her tampon.
My thoughts: The postcards demonstrate unrequited love or a bad break-up; and women should always remove the tampon.
🦘🦘The Dark, The Light🦘🦘
A man returns to his hometown for his wedding. The people in his former social group talk about him endlessly, and expect to hear from him, but most of them don't.
My thoughts: The man has moved on from (what he thinks of as) his old boring lot.
🦘🦘In Paris🦘🦘
In a communal living situation, it's a Frenchman's turn to make dinner for the group. The only food in the house is fish and brussels sprouts. A female roommate from Australia tells him to just cook the fish and brussels sprouts, but the Frenchman insists - in his country - these aren't eaten together. "It is not done, they do not complement each other. Fish and potatoes, yes....But not green vegetables."
My thoughts: The Frenchman is a gourmet and a bit of a snob.
🦘🦘Little Helen's Sunday Afternoon🦘🦘
A little girl visiting relatives peeks into the shed, where her teenage cousin and his friends are fooling around. The cousin warns against 'telling what you saw' and makes the girl look at his surgeon father's slides of 'horrible children' with war injuries.
My thoughts: The cousin is mean and the incident is potentially scarring.
🦘🦘All Those Bloody Young Catholics🦘🦘
An Australian man and some friends, one of whom is a woman called Watto, are having drinks. The man goes on and on and on, telling stories. As an example: "Oh Christine was beautiful though - I'll never forget the night you and her brought Gerry back here, Watto, he was that drunk...and then you went off, Watto, and left the poor young girl stranded with this disgusting drunk on her hands. Laugh! Aaahhhhh. Course much later she goes off with Chappo....and years after that she took off with that show pony McWatsisname...course, she's living with someone else now. They fought over her, you know. They fought in the pub....Cut it out, I says, look you don't have to fight over cunt! If I was to fight over every sheila I'd ever f**ked there'd be fights from her to bloody Darwin! Why do they fight over them? Those bloody young Catholics...Look if I can't get a f**k there's a thousand bloody massage parlors between here and Sydney...."
My thoughts: This guy is a hoot.
🦘🦘A Thousand Miles From The Ocean🦘🦘
A woman meets a man in Australia and then - against her better judgement - visits the man in Germany, where he lives. The woman is uncomfortable and out of her element, and the man doesn't put himself out for her visit. So she leaves and goes touring by herself.
My thoughts: Kudos to the lady.
🦘🦘Did He Pay?🦘🦘
This story features a type of man often seen in Garner's books and stories. He's a slim, charismatic, good-looking musician who has frequent one-night-stands and sleeps on the couches of friends and acquaintances. "He drifted from house to house between gigs, living on his charm....He was never in the way. In fact he was a treat to have around, with his idle wit and ironic smile....If someone he was not interested in asked him to spend the night with her, he was too embarrassed to say no. Thus, many a woman spent a puzzled night beside him, untouched, unable to touch."
My thoughts: Women, stay away from this guy.
🦘🦘My Hard Heart🦘🦘
A woman's husband returns from a trip and says he's leaving her for someone else. The next day, the husband is gone to be with the new woman.
The husband has apparently been serially unfaithful because the wife gets a call from a young woman asking for the husband. The wife says, "He's not here...This is his wife speaking." The caller responds, "Oh yes! He told me he was involved with you." The wife says, "Involved! He's MARRIED to me." The caller replies, "Oh well, married....involved...."
The wife is crushed, and turns to her friends to talk about the betrayal. In a café, the wife's friend Elizabeth confides that her husband is dying from a tumour. Elizabeth says, "I used to think there was justice and fairness. That there was a contract, that things meant something. Now I know your foot can go straight through the floor." Tears, black with mascara, pour off Eliabeth's face, and she confides, "I think what I'm trying to do is to die. Because I can't BEAR him to have to go out there on his own."
My thoughts: Men can be cheaters, life can be hard, and things can always get worse.
*****
I rarely read short story collections, and lean toward humorous stories when I do. Still, I found Garner's sketches engaging, and was glad when women showed their mettle. If you're unfamiliar with Garner's writing, this might be a good place to start.
Thanks to Netgalley, Helen Garner, and Pantheon for an ARC of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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