4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The mundane aspects of life become extraordinary and bygone eras are revisited in this collection of novellas and short stories. In Sing Ho! Stout Cortez: Novellas and Stories by Michael W. Thomas, readers can take a trip to the Spice Island of Grenada or meander the streets of suburban Britain. Either way, they’ll be entertained by these surreal stories. From a young man reminiscing about his schooldays to a middle-aged woman finally freeing herself from a traumatic experience that she repressed for decades, these tales are realistic and relatable. They seem like they could describe people you know in your own neighborhood, and that is what makes this collection so powerful.
The cover design is simple, but it perfectly reflects the content within. It features the image of a conquistador with a map of Grenada in the background. The illustration is set on a blue frame with white lettering. The themes of this collection include nostalgia, surrealism, music, Caribbean culture, British culture, sexual abuse, and resilience in the face of adversity. The two novellas were written from the first-person perspective, whereas the short stories were told from the third-person point of view. Colorful and unusual language was used throughout the book. Rape and other forms of violence were alluded to, but these situations were not discussed in explicit detail. Profanity was used several times in the text, but it was not excessive. The editing was excellent as I did not find any errors.
The book was named after one of the short stories in which a bold dreamer performed a one-man play at a New Year’s Eve party, and I must say that he, and so many of the other characters, were delightfully original. “The Maker’s Mark” was my favorite story in this collection, and the teenaged protagonist, Ian Wilkerson, was my favorite character because he reminded me of my younger self. Ian had the unusual habit of analyzing how people entered their vehicles. “Tickle, Tickle” was my second favorite piece because, even though it was upsetting, I liked the realism and the fact that the main character was able to come to terms with her horrific past in a truly empowering way. I also liked the inclusion of Grenadian vernacular in the novella called “Esp: The Voice of Grenada.” Helpful footnotes provided the definition of these words. It would be interesting to hear an audiobook version of this story read by someone with a Grenadian accent.
There wasn’t much to dislike about this book. Apart from the author’s sometimes baffling but unique writing style, my only complaint is with the short story entitled “Mister Sixth.” This story described a man who attended a class reunion, but the underlying message in the tale was unclear to me. This seemed inconsistent with the other stories.
Nevertheless, Sing Ho! Stout Cortez: Novellas and Stories by Michael W. Thomas has earned a rating of four out of four stars. Most of the stories in this compilation had a dreamlike quality about them. Even though the stories wandered in strange, divergent directions at first, they were brilliantly written in such a way that everything made sense in the end. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy short stories with a twist and those who appreciate historical fiction.
******
Sing Ho! Stout Cortez
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Caribbean motives and a profound historical background would add to the enjoyment. Thanks for a great review!
