Into Your Arms: Nick Cave’s Songs Reimagined
Fremantle Press
Following on from their short story collection where authors took inspiration from the songs of Paul Kelly, this new collection focuses on dark troubadour Nick Cave for the sparks of inspiration.
Twenty-one of Australia’s favourite and up-and-coming authors deliver a short tale that in some way references a song by Cave. Some of them are direct, a Nick Cave record is bought at a shop, or playing on the radio, or maybe the reference is more hidden.
If you’re a fan of Nick Cave’s work there’s a fun game to be had in spotting where the mentions lay, and it might prompt you to ask Siri to start playing the relevant song on your phone. If you’re not familiar with Cave’s output it doesn’t matter, here is a fine collection of short stories to indulge in.
Like all short story collections with multiple authors, it can be a roller-coaster ride as you switch through different styles writing and new characters and scenarios appear every few pages.
Sometimes it best to treat collections like this as something you can dip in and out of. Pick it up and read one tale, and then wait until another day to commence the next. It’s the perfect collection to work through as you drink your morning cup of coffee or read one each night before heading off to sleep.
Among the authors contributing a tale to the collection is Christos Tsiolkas, Jon Doust, Gillian O’Shaughnessy, Tony Birch, Sarah Bailey, and Mykaela Saunders. Each offering a very different journey.
In Dance Hall Days, Christos Tsiolkas creates two memorable characters who bump into each other and catch up for a coffee recalling their youth in Melbourne’s goth scene of the 1980s. Jon Doust offers a dark story of depression, death and recent history.
Mark Smith’s Love Letter is filled with vivid characters and tale of enduring love, drug deliveries and the passage of time. While Richard J Frankland conveys a love story that comes complete with a recipe for a great stew.
With a vast array of voices, characters, settings and themes, there’s a lot to be taken in as you work your way through this collection.
Lezly Herbert
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