David Gardiner Review
The format of this book is very unusual. It begins with 21 short stories ranging in length from about 800 to 6,450 words. These are followed by a 50,000-word novella. With such a diversity of material it would make little sense to attempt plot summaries, and Boyd would probably protest that "plot" in the conventional sense is not the prime focus of his interest, as well as which he has already provided within the book short introductions to each of the pieces. I have known the author and been an admirer of his work for many years. As Prose Editor of Gold Dust Magazine for the whole 16 years of its existence I had the good fortune to become the first publisher of many of the stories in this collection.
One of the areas in which he excels is in creating characters that are so well realised, multi-faceted and afflicted with the same contradictions and uncertainties as ourselves that as soon as we meet them, we feel that we have always known them. This is a rare gift and by itself would be enough to place him in the first rank of practitioners of this particular art. You can find examples in practically any of the stories – one that I would particularly recommend is "Intimidation".
But he also has a facility for making us stop in our tracks after reading a tale of ordinary, often very flawed and marginalised people struggling through their ordinary lives, when we realise that we have been left with a question to ponder that is of almost cosmic significance. An outstanding example of this is the ending of "Walls" where we are shown the survival of some core of what we might think of as nobility in the most damaged and abused of our fellow creatures. Who, we ask ourselves, is the more admirable, Andrew Carnegie or the bruised protagonist of this story?
Regarding Boyd's writing technique, his stories are mostly reflective pieces made up of the inner thoughts of the characters through whose eyes we see the world. His narrative is quietly compelling. The collection as a whole is nothing less than a master class for anyone wishing to study the craft of writing.
As deafness, illness, and demonic forces close in around him, Ludwig van Beethoven must summon his faith and genius to complete the Missa Solemnis—a sacred masterpiece he believes could bring divine light into a darkening world.
Soldier's Gap is a non-traditional mystery with literary elements. The high school principal is brutally murdered, but Deputy Sheriff Dave Jenkins's search for meaning and love is a much more significant theme.
"Murder isn't usually this fun
