Rare Stories by Liam Bell

 

Inspired by words marked as “rare” in the Oxford English Dictionary, this A-Z showcases the imaginative, characterful, and inventive possibilities of short fiction.

From a woman trapped in her cul-de-sac to a pilot with a pig gristle nose, the collection travels through small-town Northern Ireland and feuding museums in Malta, encounters a girl who has befriended a taxidermied deer, a man who sells fake chameleons, and an expectant father who loses himself in jazz music. Often weird and wonderful, the thousand-word stories in this collection take on the rare words which sparked them from a slant and, in doing so, produce a series of entertaining and darkly-humorous snapshots of contemporary life.

RRP £7.00

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This collection is aptly named in all senses of the word "rare". The stories are poignant, lyrical, and with a compassion and understanding that reminds me of George Mackay Brown's writing.
Each story is a gem - and shines with humanity. I've bought this as a gift for several friends and all have remarked on how special these tales are.

 

Liam Bell uses rare words such as 'queuemanship', 'flatter-blind', and 'jazzaphonic' as springboards from which to leap into his stories with a unique descriptive vigour.
An inventive and enriching read.