JIGS & REELS

Author: Joanne Harris ISBN: 0060590130 9/2004 SHORT STORY COLLECTION Publisher: WILLIAM MORROW

Each of the twenty-two tales in this enchanting collection is a surprise and a delight, melding the poignant and the possible with the outrageous, the magical, and, sometimes, the eerily haunting. Wolf men, dolphin women, aging monsters, defiant old ladies, suicidal lottery winners, suburban witches, and middle-aged manufacturers of erotic leatherwear -- in Jigs & Reels where the miraculous goes hand in hand with the mundane, the sour with the sweet, and the beautiful, the grotesque, the seductive, and the disturbing are never more than one step away. Whether she's exploring the myth of beauty, the pain of infidelity, or the wonder of late-life romance, Joanne Harris once again proves herself a master of the storyteller's trade. An incomparable reading experience awaits anyone who willingly surrenders to the spins and leaps of Jigs & Reels.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

When I was finished reading Joanne Harris' JIGS AND REELS, I realized that there is something to be said for short stories. Not novellas that may run 100 pages or so, but literally short stories. Of the twenty-two stories, most average about 10 pages. One or two are about 20; others are only four or five pages long. It's the perfect kind of book to have on hand for the doctor's office, waiting in lines, any place I might go with nothing to do but kill time or even for just a quick read before going to sleep. I could read a couple of stories, or even just one, and pick up another book without that nagging feeling I get when I don't read a book to the finish.

No two stories are alike in this collection. The title says it all: JIGS AND REELS. One story is quick and short like a jig. The next flows along like a country reel that is just long enough to enjoy the music and dance along.

The topics are very diverse. The good, the bad, and the ugly each find their way into a story at some point. One moment you are reading about the elderly, the next it is a werewolf or witch; then you are inside the head of a murderer or a suicidal man. Children, teens and even a deadly germ become the topic of a tale. Some of the stories left me smiling; others had me thinking about things very differently.

Would I have liked a book like this by another author? I'm not so sure. I think I lucked out that this particular collection was penned by Ms. Harris. With each story, she takes the time to share a thought or two about the story—why she wrote it, how she felt about it, or where she was when she wrote it. I liked having that bit of insight to what she was thinking or where she was going with the story. As if she was leading her partner into the dance, perhaps?

I found Ms. Harris' style of writing to be refreshing; clean and forthright. There always seemed to be a little surprise or twist in each one, which had me looking forward to the next story and what it would bring. Best of all, I never felt like I was left hanging, as if something more needed to be said. I found that quite surprising since I often read a full-length novel and still feel as if something is missing.

This is a book I will be passing around to family and friends insisting they read it because I know they will be glad they did.

Sue Cloud