These prize-winning stories deal with life, love, loneliness, delusion, misunderstanding and death. An office worker wakes to find his body invaded by a mysterious parasite. A desperate woman seeks escape through fire. A girl who knows only the forest is taken to the city for the first time. A solitary young boy conjures a girl from leaves to replace his twin sister. In one story a governess is forced to come to terms with the truth of the family she has loved and served, and the world in which she lives. In another, a one-night stand with a sadist triggers a meditation on sexual pleasure and serial killers. Some characters look for work, for ways to change their lives, for somewhere new to live; others for someone to love or be loved by, or to hurt. Not everyone is good. Not everyone is honest with himself or herself. Not everyone gets what they want, or deserve.The stories' settings range across time and space, from the colonial outback in the late nineteenth century to contemporary urban life in London and Rome and Paris, to both warring sides of the Second World War. The tone is comic, dry, satirical, vivid, magical, disturbing, poignant and spare. Not a word is wasted in these stories, which describe the world not only as it is and was, but also as it might be.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
For Little Monsters: Beautifully written and crafted, and more compelling than many thrillers. -- John Harding Daily Mail For Little Monsters: When I was thirteen, my father killed my mother' is an opening line that could go one of two ways. Thankfully, it pans out into a haunting novel, not a turgid misery. This is the story of a young girl ripped apart by grief, shunted off to an uncaring relative and, finally, finding the stability she craves in her Uncle Joey. But the chance to upset the equilibrium of human relationships is only ever a breath away. Good Housekeeping This volume contains the best story I have read in several years, although the prize jury felt otherwise: Charles Lambert's "The Scent of Cinnamon". While other stories in the anthology push the creative boundaries of the short story form, Lambert's story is a classic short story in the O. Henry mould, complete with a surprise revealed at the end that adds a whole new dimension to what you have just read. The story is not one word longer than it should be, and every word is meaningful and well-chosen. The portrayal of longing amidst isolation is powerfully moving. This story is a work of art which should be taught in schools as a model of the form. Amazon.com "The Scent of Cinnamon," a love story of heart-rending proportions, is written in a language that is simple and readable, yet one that rides on the undercurrent of the classics, and in most parts, modern-day magical realism. Intimate situations are probably the hardest to depict. In this beautiful story, Lambert proves himself a master. Manila Standard Today Talented Charles Lambert presents "The Scent of Cinnamon," a memorable and haunting tale of an arranged marriage between a widow and a farmer. It's the kind of story you have to read twice, for the ending is so surprising - and so good - that rereading is the only way to make sense of it all. Oakland Tribune
About the Author
Charles Lambert was born in Lichfield, the United Kingdom, in 1953. After going to eight different schools in the Midlands and Derbyshire, he won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge from 1972 to 1975. In 1976 he moved to Milan and, with brief interruptions in Ireland, Portugal and London, has lived and worked in Italy since then. Currently a university teacher, academic translator and freelance editor for international agencies, he now lives in Fondi, exactly halfway between Rome and Naples.
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More About the Author
Charles Lambert was born in Lichfield, the United Kingdom, in 1953. After going to eight different schools in the Midlands and Derbyshire, he won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge from 1972 to 1975. In 1976 he moved to Milan and, with brief interruptions in Ireland, Portugal and London, has lived and worked in Italy since then. Currently a university teacher, academic translator and freelance editor for international agencies, he now lives in Fondi, exactly halfway between Rome and Naples. His first novel, Little Monsters, was published in 2008, the same year as his collection of prize-winning stories, The Scent of Cinnamon and Other Stories. Any Human Face, his second novel and the first in a trilogy set in modern-day Rome, is now available.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The words fall away until only the story is left behind.,
By
This review is from: The Scent of Cinnamon (Salt Modern Fiction) (Hardcover)
I'm often a fan of authors who generate pyrotechnics with words--like Williams S. Burroughs and Martin Amis (at his best). At the other end of the spectrum are writers who call attention to the words they select, trying to describe situations with brute force. British author Charles Lambert uses words that serve the story, never forcing a clever turn of phrase just for the sake of it. Rather, he brings you into the characters' worlds through voice and detailed descriptions.
The short stories in The Scent of Cinnamon are exquisite little gems. It rather makes sense that Lambert's latest novel is a literary thriller because these stories feel like mysteries. Not whodunit mysteries, mysteries of life. I sense the stories trying to work out the enigmatic. And many of them have surprise endings. Twists you don't expect. Often unexpected character actions that, once they take place, cause the rest of the story to fall into place. Ahhh, that was what was going on. Other times, there is no resolution, no bow tie. Sometimes the stories are surreal, like dark magical-realism; other times they are raw in their reality. Some occur in the distant past, others in the present. Even if the genres are not consistent between the stories, I found them linked by both the constant quest to understand human nature (which sometimes ends with a shrug--we must accept that we'll never understand most things), and by the authorial voice, which, as I said, is rather self-effacing but very precise. Careful and methodical. The character voices are convincing. Many of the narrators are children, providing an outsider view of the crimes of adults. I will admit to an occasional head-scratching ending. But I'm okay with that--mysteries are not always meant to be solved. The primary reason I don't like short stories is that when I do like them, I don't want them to end. My favorite in this collection, All Gone, was like that: I could've kept living in the world of this story for a good time longer. Even so, it was satisfying, as it felt Lambert packed a small space with a lot of experience. Set in 1965, All Gone is the story of a young boy, whose mother opens up a sundry shop in a rather blue-collar bit of England. Lambert does an amazing job of conjuring a sense of the people in this place and time. A slice of life story that feels nostalgic and yet integrates elements of class and economic critique effortlessly. The Scent of Cinnamon will absolutely appeal to short story fans and might even sway a few, like myself, who normally avoid the medium. I enjoyed this collection so much that I'm now moving on to Lambert's newest book Any Human Face.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
gems indeed,
This review is from: The Scent of Cinnamon (Salt Modern Fiction) (Hardcover)
Excellent collection of tales. I read one a day - now rereading and enjoying all the more
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great collection,
By Joe Mall (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Scent of Cinnamon (Salt Modern Fiction) (Hardcover)
This is a fantastic collection of short stories, by the author of Little Monsters. The title story sent shivers up my spine, and I'm not surprised it won an O. Henry prize. But the others are just as good. There's an incredible range, from fantasy to satire to psychological realism. Quite a few of the stories have a gay theme but they're written for everyone. I loved this book and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes short fiction, and to anyone who thinks they don't. This one might change your mind.
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