In the final line of the final story of this
collection author Carole David tells us: "At my age, it goes without
saying". That aphorism serves well as a motif for the book. The stories
are sparse, even skeletal, and are notable for what is not revealed as much as
for what is. It takes a skilful writer to construct a compelling narrative in
the limited space that David allows herself, but this is a task David
accomplishes with aplomb, creating stories that resonate long after you finish
reading.   

This collection of twelve short stories was published in original
French language edition in 2001, and with Nora Alleyn’s translation is now
available to English language readers. Unholy Stories is a slim volume,
but the stories are a concentrated exercise in image making. They feature the
typical character of the short story: the loner, the outsider, the person living
on the margin. The stories are incomplete; there is no backstory, no resolution
of major issues, no historical sweep to provide a backdrop or context for these
glimpses of life. David takes Carver’s advice to short story writers: "Get
in, get out, don’t linger." These stories are over in minutes. Add
imagination and they expand far beyond the five or six pages given to each of
them.

In the opening story "Monster" a young woman in a failing
relationship waits for her partner in a restaurant. As she waits, the woman
eyes another couple. The man seems especially attentive, feeding his partner
and fussing after her, kissing her between mouthfuls. After dinner she stands,
revealing something that changes the complexion of the story. In
"Island" a young couple call on relations who live in a trailer park
on an island. They find a bizarre family of ten identically dressed girls, all
named after actresses. When a local tells the couple something of the girls’
father’s behavior towards them you wish the couple all haste as they board the
ferry back to the mainland. "Corridor to eternity" provides a
snapshot of a visit to the Emergency Room, including a child’s premonitory
dream. Just like such a visit, this story has readers hoping against hope. The
title story is a surreal tale in the manner of Borges. It features growing up,
hallucinogenic drugs and duplicity. "Monsieur George" and
"Female" provide a return to realism, but even here David imbues
commonplace events with a magical quality. People might be ordinary, but David
shows us that behind that façade there are all manner of machinations and
experiences that should have us alert for what goes on under the surface of
ordinary lives.

These stories are sharply observed, with telling details that situate
the reader clearly within the lives of the characters. Mostly set in Montreal,
they show a side of that city normally hidden from view. A strength of David’s
writing is that she is able to explore seedy people and places without judging
either places or their inhabitants. David leaves us in no doubt as to what is
going on, but she suspends judgment, allowing readers to form their own views.
If some of the situations are bleak, David’s writing is not. She has a
lightness of phrase, and an agility with words that makes these sometimes dark
stories both warm and accessible.              

Some readers may feel that David provides too little detail, that she
makes too many inventive leaps, and paints with too broad a brush to engage
with the characters. But there is a poetic imagination at work here. The
pleasure of these stories lies in the reader’s creative use of David’s
well-chosen details.

© 2006 Tony O’Brien

Tony O’Brien is a short story
writer, and lecturer in mental health nursing at the University of Auckland, New
Zealand: a.obrien@auckland.ac.nz

Categories: Fiction