Through 12 short but immensely powerful stories, Jen
Campbell can restore your faith in poetry, and in the beauty of the English
language as an art form.
From replacing the hearts of your loved ones with those of
an animal, and selling ghosts in jars with promises of luck or company, to
recreating the world through thoughts and memories, to catching the devil in
the form of sea crabs, Campbell’s stories are as varied as they are unique.
Reminiscent of fairy tales with a philosophical shadow and often deliciously
macabre edge, these stories are moving and living, a testimony to the evolution
of the organism of language.
Campbell’s background in poetry serves her well, as she
plays with language and prose to create a whimsical yet deeply profound collection
of tales which will not only inspire your imagination and indulge your
nostalgia, but will force you to reconsider the everyday, and look at the
beauty behind rituals, myths and beliefs to ingrained into society that we take
them for granted and no longer see them.
Let Campbell’s words wash over you as you delve into The
Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night, and emerge feeling bemused,
inspired and delighted. This book is beautiful, powerful, and great fun, and you need to experience it.
The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night by Jen
Campbell is published by Two Roads Books (an imprint of Hachette Books) and is
available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.
No comments:
Post a Comment
What do you think? Let me know!