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| Not the End of the World |
Title: Not the End of the World
Author: Kate Atkinson
Publication Date: 2002
Pages: 288
How I Found It: I'm a fan of Atkinson's work
Date Completed: 8/1/17
Summary: A collection of short stories in which our modern reality is blended with classical myths and a potential future.
What I Thought: I am not usually a huge fan of short story collections. I think they are wonderful for certain things, but I generally enjoy a more in depth plot and chance for character development. Short stories really are a totally different art form than the novel.
That being said, I did not realize I was picking up a short story collection when I grabbed this book. I am a big fan of Kate Atkinson's writing and have wanted to go back and read more of her early work. As often happens when I am reading work by an author I already enjoy, I did not read the description too closely. So, I was in for a surprise when I realized it was a short story collection.
Atkinson's writing still enchants me. She has a particular way with words that I really enjoy. As with most collections like this, there were some stories I greatly enjoyed and others I felt I was tolerating to get to the next one. At first, I was baffled by the sudden mythological twists in the stories. Once I caught on that Atkinson was weaving ancient mythologies into modern times, though, I had a lot of fun looking for the connections. It definitely made me feel a little behind on my comprehension and recall of classic myths.
The book is enjoyable for what it is. I still don't love short stories in comparison to full-length novels (although, Levar Burton's new podcast is helping sway me). Still, Atkinson's writing was enough to convince me here. I do want to continue reading her work. Hopefully, next time that will mean another novel.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Will I Re-Read: Maybe
Other Books By Kate Atkinson: Life After Life / A God in Ruins
A Reduced Review: Atkinson's writing style was enough to win me over, even though short story collections aren't my favorite medium to read.
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