Book: Nine Hundred Grandmothers

[liv]

Author: RA Lafferty

Details: (c) 1970 RA Lafferty; Pub 1975 Dobson Books Ltd; ISBN 0-234-77286-7

Verdict: Nine Hundred Grandmothers is quirky and fun on the whole; some stories are better than others.

Reasons for reading it: lethargic_man recommended it to me.

How it came into my hands: lethargic_man lent it to me.

Nine Hundred Grandmothers is a collection of rather bizarre short stories; in fact, scenarios would be almost a better word, because not all that much happens in most of them. The ideas behind many of the scenarios are very wacky, and quite often in a cute way. The characterisation is done with an almost sly sense of humour, gently mocking both rednecks and pompous intellectuals trying to confuse the layman by using too many long words. I was rather taken with the recurring theme of children who speak like adults, and the way a lot of the stories are based on the idea that childish magic actually works.

Thus we frustrate Charlemagne is a rather charming take on the old timetravel chestnuts; Narrow Valley is a fun little story; and I liked the 'what-if' behind Slow Tuesday Night. I think the real standouts were Land of the Great Horses, which I found very fun, and Through other eyes, which is a sort of Being John Malkovich type set up, but rather beautifully written, and thought-provoking and touching as well as silly.

Comments

[redbird]

Lafferty was, I think, a better short story writer than novelist, and this is a good introduction to his work. He works a lot in the tall tale/traveler's tale area, and scenario isn't a bad word for "look what they do in that place."

I read "Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne" to rysmiel, papersky, zorinth, and fivemack last week. It worked well.

Nine Hundred Grandmothers

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Which (along with a reading of "What's The Name Of That Town") is how I was introduced to Lafferty too. That and "Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne" are my favourites in that collection.

Does anyone know if there is any truth in the claim made in "Ginny Wrapped in the Sun" that little children develop an interest in the opposite sex around the age of four, which subsequently dies away as they enter their late single-digits? There was time I was invited for a Shabbos meal in Birmingham, and when the hosts' daughter discovered a particular boy friend of hers was going to be present, she went upstairs to change into a dress in which she'd have quite knocked my socks off (and would have been highly inappropriate for a Shabbos lunch) had it not been for the fact they were both four years old...

[liv]

He works a lot in the tall tale/traveler's tale area, and scenario isn't a bad word for "look what they do in that place."
I like that as a summary, yes. Thanks!

I read "Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne" to rysmiel, papersky, zorinth, and fivemack last week. It worked well.
I did think that some of those stories really wanted to be read aloud. And preferably by someone who can do regional American accents, I think. Sounds fun, definitely.