5.0 out of 5 stars
Short stories that track your heart and won't let you go,
17 Jul 2009
Tamera (London, England)
Ballistics: Short stories that track your heart and won't let you go. From a writer taking time to discover his ageing relative; kids with home-made crossbows out to destroy the Dirty Old Man, a barmaid courted with facts for over a decade; a daughter mutilated, a family destroyed, by a fateful set of keys. These stories are a fascinating combo of bold, gut wrenching, funny, and skilful writing. Alex Keegan has won many prizes and this collection shows exactly what makes a winning short story.
If you love short stories then you must read this book. If you love novels then you must read this book: it's just like being immersed in a novel with intricate layers that resonate long after you've put the book down. Buy and savour!
Friday 24 July 2009
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Ballistics Review by Barry Cooper
I hate Alex Keegan.
He expects you to write every day AND review his books. In spite of all that, I have managed to read Ballistics, in between writing EVERY DAY, rehearsing for a performance thingy and running a writers' group. So here goes.
Reading Alex Keegan's BALLISTICS is quite an experience. His heroes are not the sort you run down the the main street to watch go past, they probably have more affiliation with those that do the running. Little events happen to little people in such a way that you feel the same joy or concern that you would if you were a family member. I offer a quote by le Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) "The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none." Alex's stories are Alex's stories.
If there is any downside, it may be that the sentiment of some of the more colloquial pieces may be lost on certain people who have not visited Wales and experienced their fierce pride, especially in the valleys.
He expects you to write every day AND review his books. In spite of all that, I have managed to read Ballistics, in between writing EVERY DAY, rehearsing for a performance thingy and running a writers' group. So here goes.
Reading Alex Keegan's BALLISTICS is quite an experience. His heroes are not the sort you run down the the main street to watch go past, they probably have more affiliation with those that do the running. Little events happen to little people in such a way that you feel the same joy or concern that you would if you were a family member. I offer a quote by le Vicomte de Chateaubriand (1768-1848) "The original writer is not he who refrains from imitating others, but he who can be imitated by none." Alex's stories are Alex's stories.
If there is any downside, it may be that the sentiment of some of the more colloquial pieces may be lost on certain people who have not visited Wales and experienced their fierce pride, especially in the valleys.
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