BEAT ON THE BRAT is Nigel Bird’s second collection of stories, and it’s nice to see that he lives up to the high standards he set with DIRTY OLD TOWN. What makes this collection work, aside from Bird’s deft hand at pacing and creating believable, sympathetic characters, is the touching sense of humanity that shines through all of them. These are stories that make you feel pain, heartache, hope, fear. His characters really feel like real people, and reading BEAT ON THE BRAT connects you to them on a level that will startle you.
Just picked this one up on your recommendation -- looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that I hope he beats on the brat with a baseball bat :)
ReplyDeleteNo, really. Nigel has a gift for giving a sense of place to what he writes.
My favorite thing about Nigel's work is that it's so... humane. He's very empathetic to the suffering of others, and that makes you really care about his characters.
ReplyDeleteThis post means an awful lot to me, like a recharger must feel to a battery. Coming from a writer I respect immensely, I'm delighted to read those words.
ReplyDeleteCullen, you have no idea (or maybe you do) how great it is to have readers, so I'm glad you're on board. Without people looking at the pages, it's like the sound in a forest with no-one around thing. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to let me know.
Beat On The Brat is a title I love. I also think it puts many off trying it out. I'm glad you guys weren't in that category.
x
Ben - I did.
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