Customer Reviews

Piranha to Scruffy & Other Stories

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It's been a long time since Ruth Rendell published a book of short stories, but _Piranha to Scurfy_ is worth the wait. There is plenty to like here; although the nine stories (including the novellas "High Mysterious Union," and "Piranha to Scurfy") have their high and low points, overall they make an interesting and entertaining addition to Rendell's work.

I should say at the beginning that I do not believe, as some seem to do, that Ruth Rendell's work is in any way in decline. Though _The Chimney Sweeper's Boy_ and _Harm Done_ will never rank among my favorite Rendell novels, I don't believe that they are on any different literary level from her books of five or ten years ago, and I freely admit to preferring her most recent work to earlier books like _One Across, Two Down_. I think Rendell's prolificacy leaves her books susceptible to uneven quality. Additionally, her affinity for writing and plotting in several different styles means that many readers will not like all of her books.

The title story, called "Piranha to Scurfy" in the Rendellian tradition of the initially incomprehensible title, is a claustrophobic story of paranoia and obsessive compulsion that reminded me initially of earlier Rendell books like _The Bridesmaid_ and _Talking to Strange Men_ but an important difference soon became apparent; there is a surprisingly funny side to "Piranha to Scurfy." The protagonist is so unattractive, so irritating, that it is nearly impossible for the reader to feel empathy for him. "Piranha to Scurfy" does not force the reader to align herself with the protagonist/murderer in this story as she has in some of her other work; the dramatic depth of this story is therefore less than in a book like _Live Flesh_ but judged on its own merits and as a story which is intended to be humorous, "Piranha to Scurfy" succeeds.

Of the shorter stories, "Catamount" was an enjoyable story that illustrated something that every horror movie viewer knows to be true: just because you know what's going to happen doesn't mean it won't scare the bejesus out of you when it does. "Walter's Leg" was funny, and almost something of a tease on Rendell's part; sometimes, she seems to say, nothing really terrible happens. "Fair Exchange" reminded me of some of the occult-inspired short stories of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie. "The Professionals" was an interesting portrait of not-quite-cheeky-enough bootblack and a brief case study of class in that bizarre microcosm, the department store.

Some of the stories were less satisfying; "The Wink" was a story about revenge, but not a particularly spectacular or satisfying revenge. "The Astronomical Scarf," reminded me of a 7th grade essay written from the point of view of Ben Franklin's pocket watch and seemed to get bogged down occasionally. "The Beach Butler" was well written, the characters quickly and skillfully drawn but seemed to lack resolution.

"High Mysterious Union," the eighty-page novella that finishes the book was a departure from the rest of Piranha to Scurfy, and not just because of its greater length. It doesn't share the humor present in the other stories and the writing is more studied than that in the rest of the book. The narrator and her friend are strangers in a small village, but the villagers are very much outsiders to normal society. The unusual behavior of the villagers and the choices forced upon the outsiders are thought provoking and reminded me of a fleshed-out scenario from a "Book of Questions." What would you do? Why? The story seems to want to know.

Taken as a whole, Piranha to Scurfy is even more engaging than its component stories. Rendell demonstrates her facility for writing from several different viewpoints and in several different styles. Additionally, Piranha to Scurfy shows a sense of humor often absent from Rendell's non-Wexford stories, and the excellent craftsmanship we have come to expect from Rendell's work. Though even longtime Rendell fans may not like every story in the book, this volume contains a selection from which almost anyone should be able to find something they like.

In her latest collection of sories, Ruth Rendell explores again some of the invisible traits in our nature. While some of the stories deal with the unusual or with borderline personalities, the rest take an ordinary event or person and show us the dark inside. What has always amazed me in Rendell's books is her ability to convey violence in actions and emotions without actually describing violent events or behaviors. And she does it again in this short story format.

It is always refreshing to get a mystery/suspense collection that is built on a more elaborate scheme than a juxtaposition of good and bad.

Of the nine stories in this collection, the seven in the middle are good. Some of them are very good. But the stories that open and close the collection are great.

Rendell has the ability to put people in strange situations and make us feel what they feel: danger, fear, panic, disgust, or just plain unease. Her stories have a sense of justice. We see someone doing something they shouldn't and a part of us wants justice. Rendell knows how to write such a story and make it thoroughly satisfying.

The title story focuses on a young man named Ribbon. Ribbon is well-off, not filthy rich, but well-off. He spends his time reading novels, examining their grammatical and factual inaccuracies, and writing letters to the publishers and authors involved. He's the original literary snob (and a real jerk). But who can blame him? His mother taught him this behavior, after all. Ah, but she's no longer with Ribbon. And when a book by a despised author takes on a life of its own, Ribbon doesn't know where to turn. But it's silly to be harassed by a book...isn't it?

The final story, "High Mysterious Union," is a story that works on many levels. It's a great story, but it also speaks to our society and how we view culture, community, and sex. Ben is a writer who stays in a friend's cottage in a British village to work on a manuscript. Ben becomes obsessed with one of the local girls, a young local girl. Ben's almost old enough to be her father. You might think this is a typical Lolita-type story, but you soon realize that's not it at all. It's an amazing story, one of those that stays with you long after you've finished reading it.

Ruth Rendell is better known for her novels, especially her Inspector Wexford series, but in "Piranha to Scurfy" she produces a volume of short stories that do her credit. Writing short stories is not the same as writing novels and Rendell proves she can do both with equal excellence. Suspenseful, intriguing, insightful, captivating--the author's nine stories are worth the short read of each! Interestingly, she moves her setting from her comfortable England to the colorful American West, Colorado to be more specific, in one of the stories, "Catamount." The transition of setting goes well and Rendell feels just at home in America as she does in Kingsmarkham.

The title story is a reference to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and the protagonist is a "literary critic" of sorts, who writes to authors pointing out their mistakes. But don't be misled--this is Rendell at her best, her chillling best. Small wonder it is the first story (and title) of this collection. But the other seven are also worth reading, as well. While I really do prefer Rendell the Novelist, these stories are tops in their own "write"! (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Any selection of short stories will have stronger and weaker pieces to make up the whole. And if you ask three different people to rank these stories you would most likely get a lot of variation in the lists that they would make. Different people are drawn to different things--and this is a set of stories to prove that rule. My husband and I read this book out loud to each other and we had amazingly different opinions about the merits of each story. I just read the reviews others have left for this book and I see the variety of responses there too. Both my husband and I liked this book. But we were both drawn to very different aspects of these stories. Every one of these stories has a special kind of interest; each works on building tension and characters in different ways. Some are predictable. Some have surprises. But it is the fun part of reading short stories by a writer as good as Rendell. You don't necessarily know what you will find when you start a story. Her ability runs across a broad range -- and she gives you a taste of her talents in the variety presented in this book. While this book is not going to land on "my hundred favorite books list," it is a good entertainment and it reminds me of eating snacks. It is a great book to have around to pick up and take a nibble of: Complete stories are presented to you quickly, neatly and each has a special flavor. But it isn't the stuff of a satisfying meal.

The stories range from being chilling and disturbing to being a bit on the dull side. It is still worth reading as some of the stories are very good but overall I think the collection is a bit uneven.

A hum-dinger of a book. Good, solid, tight writing with no fat. I could not put this one down. From the first story, 'From Piranha to Scurfy,' ( a reference to a volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica) to the last, 'High Mysterious Union' the psychological impact that Rendell has on your mind will creep you out. I really loved this book and will never think of books in the same way again.(you'll see why after you've read it!) A day or night spent with a Ruth Rendell book in your hands is time not only well spent but an investment in your mental health...surely neither you nor I are as mentally unstable as her literary creations!

This collection displays Rendell's continuing mastery of storytelling no matter the length or format. The tone here is somewhere between Vine and Rendell, and could easily have been written under either name. The title story (perhaps a novella' I'm never sure where the cutoff is here) combines Vine's mastery of rich character and Rendell's relentless plotting.

While Rendell is widely acknowledged as a brilliant mystery writer, she should be so regarded irrespective of genre.

Many and varied stories from a top-notch mystery writer. Each is quite different from the others. Some are short and some are long. All worthwhile listening to.

Ruth Rendell is one of my favorite contemporary writers, and I was not disappointed by this collection. The three I most enjoyed were the title story, The Professionals and High Mysterious Union. What sets Rendell apart from most suspense writers is the originality of her characters. She has a knack for creating highly ambiguous personalities with unexpected (and often amusing) eccentricities. Ambrose Ribbon, of Piranha To Scurfy, is such a character. An intellectual elitist and loner, he writes scathing letters to popular authors, pointing out trivial errors in their works. The way he gradually comes undone reminded me of Poe's The Telltale Heart.

The final story, High Mysterious Union, is set in a wonderfully
eerie atmosphere. Although we've all read stories or seen films about sinister rustic villages, no one can do this better than Rendell, and this story has an unusual twist (the villagers aren't devil worshippers looking for sacrificial victims, as I first suspected).

All in all, a brilliant collection of stories. If you're not already a Ruth Rendell fan, this will probably make you want to read some of her novels.