OCTOBER 2010
The Art of Contraception = Book of the Month
Susie at the London BYT Launch (Photo: Rosie Reed Gold)
‘BOOK OF THE MONTH: This is Susie Wild’s first collection of short stories. The title hints at a connection to contraception but some of the stories hold only loose connections, concentrating more on relationships and the obsessive behaviour of the often odd characters. Wild’s stories seem to have their core buried in the small things; those hidden behaviours we all try to keep secret – in the same way that Raymond Carver does. Veering from the purely observational into a strangely unnerving other-worldliness, these stories have at times a Lynchian (or even Twilight Zone) quality. Like the story of the pregnant woman at work looking for a sandwich thief while at the same time trying to hide her bizarre cravings. The stories in this collection are all interesting and well constructed [...] this collection actually becomes easier as you get used to her style of writing and the more you read the more you appreciate the tales.’
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