Review by felipemguerra -- Watchwords (black and white)
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felipemguerra
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- Latest Review: Watchwords (black and white) by Philip Neal Gatter
Review by felipemguerra -- Watchwords (black and white)
[Following is a volunteer review of "Watchwords (black and white)" by Philip Neal Gatter.]
I have always considered an anthology of short stories one of the best ways to get to know the work of new authors. After all, short stories do not require the same commitment as a longer novel, and if you are not enjoying one of the stories there is a good chance that the next one will be better.
Watchwords (black and white) – and I confess that I did not understand the parentheses in the title – is an anthology of dramatic tales written by the anthropologist-who-became-a-watch-collector-who-became-a-writer Philip Neal Gatter. In the prologue, which grabs the reader from the first line, he explains how a lost watch was the starting point for a curious hobby (collecting vintage watches), for the beginning of a long friendship with a vintage watch repairer and, finally, for the stories gathered in this book (the author's first).
Also in the prologue, Gatter confesses that the content of many stories is autobiographical: “I was a man in his fifties reflecting on significant events in his life”. Trying to identify which of the stories would have been lived by the author is part of the fun.
Maybe watches as a physical item is something that don't make so much sense to new generations. But until recently, a good wristwatch or pocket watch used to enter a person’s life very early, faithfully accompanying its owner to death, when it was passed on to someone of the family. Therefore, watches can have very rich stories behind their hands.
The 16 short tales collected by Gatter in Watchwords are precisely narratives about watches and their owners. In some, the item appears more prominently; in others, its existence is only suggested. In any case, the author begins each story with a photo and a brief description of the watch that inspired him when he wrote that story. It's a curious idea at first, but it soon becomes repetitive – unless you're also interested in old clocks.
Although some stories have a sense of humor – like Cyclops, in which the protagonist confuses the death of a client's dog with the death of her long-ill mother; or Dedication, about the mysterious inscription on the back of a watch –, in general the anthology is centered on dramatic and historical accounts. Wars (World War I and II) and homoaffective relationships are recurrent themes, but the author also addresses topics such as alcoholism, self-mutilation and suicide.
Considering the anthology theme, I confess that I expected narratives in the fields of adventure or fantasy. But Gatter preferred to remain in the reigns of drama and realism. It's quite possible that a considerable part of the 16 stories are actually episodes that happened to him or to his family. For example, one of the most sensitive stories – about an idealistic soldier in World War I who is most concerned with the horses – is a “romanticized biography” of the writer's grandfather, who fought in that conflict.
One of the most interesting aspects of Watchwords is showing the world as a dangerous place for the LGBTQ population, both yesterday and today. My favorite story is To Bernard from Mary, 1939, built from the exchange of correspondence between two characters discussing the possibility of changing sex, in the middle of World War II!
In general, the tales do not appeal to sexuality, but there are two or three who engage in more adult themes and which may shock some readers (especially those who do not like same-sex love stories). "Nineteen Seventy-nine" is the one that brings the most graphic descriptions of sexual relations between men, and deals with child sexual abuse.
Even though the result is quite irregular, Watchwords fulfills the purpose of any good anthology: it presents a new author through a variety of themes and narrative styles, so that each reader will certainly have their favorite and least favorite stories.
For those who also like collections of short stories, and the themes related, it's a great reading option – even if the conclusion of some of the stories leaves a lot to be desired.
I rate Watchwords (black and white) 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Watchwords (black and white)
View: on Bookshelves
I have always considered an anthology of short stories one of the best ways to get to know the work of new authors. After all, short stories do not require the same commitment as a longer novel, and if you are not enjoying one of the stories there is a good chance that the next one will be better.
Watchwords (black and white) – and I confess that I did not understand the parentheses in the title – is an anthology of dramatic tales written by the anthropologist-who-became-a-watch-collector-who-became-a-writer Philip Neal Gatter. In the prologue, which grabs the reader from the first line, he explains how a lost watch was the starting point for a curious hobby (collecting vintage watches), for the beginning of a long friendship with a vintage watch repairer and, finally, for the stories gathered in this book (the author's first).
Also in the prologue, Gatter confesses that the content of many stories is autobiographical: “I was a man in his fifties reflecting on significant events in his life”. Trying to identify which of the stories would have been lived by the author is part of the fun.
Maybe watches as a physical item is something that don't make so much sense to new generations. But until recently, a good wristwatch or pocket watch used to enter a person’s life very early, faithfully accompanying its owner to death, when it was passed on to someone of the family. Therefore, watches can have very rich stories behind their hands.
The 16 short tales collected by Gatter in Watchwords are precisely narratives about watches and their owners. In some, the item appears more prominently; in others, its existence is only suggested. In any case, the author begins each story with a photo and a brief description of the watch that inspired him when he wrote that story. It's a curious idea at first, but it soon becomes repetitive – unless you're also interested in old clocks.
Although some stories have a sense of humor – like Cyclops, in which the protagonist confuses the death of a client's dog with the death of her long-ill mother; or Dedication, about the mysterious inscription on the back of a watch –, in general the anthology is centered on dramatic and historical accounts. Wars (World War I and II) and homoaffective relationships are recurrent themes, but the author also addresses topics such as alcoholism, self-mutilation and suicide.
Considering the anthology theme, I confess that I expected narratives in the fields of adventure or fantasy. But Gatter preferred to remain in the reigns of drama and realism. It's quite possible that a considerable part of the 16 stories are actually episodes that happened to him or to his family. For example, one of the most sensitive stories – about an idealistic soldier in World War I who is most concerned with the horses – is a “romanticized biography” of the writer's grandfather, who fought in that conflict.
One of the most interesting aspects of Watchwords is showing the world as a dangerous place for the LGBTQ population, both yesterday and today. My favorite story is To Bernard from Mary, 1939, built from the exchange of correspondence between two characters discussing the possibility of changing sex, in the middle of World War II!
In general, the tales do not appeal to sexuality, but there are two or three who engage in more adult themes and which may shock some readers (especially those who do not like same-sex love stories). "Nineteen Seventy-nine" is the one that brings the most graphic descriptions of sexual relations between men, and deals with child sexual abuse.
Even though the result is quite irregular, Watchwords fulfills the purpose of any good anthology: it presents a new author through a variety of themes and narrative styles, so that each reader will certainly have their favorite and least favorite stories.
For those who also like collections of short stories, and the themes related, it's a great reading option – even if the conclusion of some of the stories leaves a lot to be desired.
I rate Watchwords (black and white) 3 out of 4 stars.
******
Watchwords (black and white)
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: Watchwords (black and white) by Philip Neal Gatter
