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- Apr 17, 2006
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- 332
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- Website
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Gotta love a good review. 
The latest AustralianReader.com newsletter has reviewed my book of shorts from last year, and published a new story on their site. Here's the review.
I love a story with a happy ending.
________________________________
OFF THE SHELF: INSIDERS, BY KIM MILLER
Few authors excel in description -- in fact, it's an area
in which many writers seek training and advice. But Kim
Miller's descriptive powers will surprise you. His book,
Insiders, was published through Mockingbird, an imprint
of Ginninderra Press, last year as a compact volume
containing seven stories.
On average, the stories were longer than I'd expected --
a little over 20-ish pages each. But their length turns
out to be a boon -- it gives the author time to develop
his characters and situations, and give readers a strong
sense of what's happening -- both in terms of what's
stated, and what's left unsaid, to be read, you could
say, between the lines. In short, each is "meaty", which
sets them apart from so many short stories that seek to
do too much in too little time, and end up feeling
superficial or cliched.
Miller's characters appear may ordinary enough, as do
his situations: You 'n' Me, for instance, presents us with
Alice, a solo diner at an Italian restaurant. And a casual
get-together in the back yard is the subject of The Mangoes
They Serve In Heaven, which was published today at
AustralianReader.com:
http://www.australianreader.com/index.php?section=articles&articleID=554
But, as that work shows, his style gives every story an air
of fantasy and a sense of tension that pulls readers in, and
leads us to expect something. And as such, each work is
tantalising from the first word. Insiders draws readers
in -- it demands our attention, but it also delivers real
rewards.
The stories are anything but formulaic -- a pitfall that
too few collections avoid -- and the freshness of each
keeps you hooked. I found this a great before-bed book --
one story a night suited me perfectly. But you could
easily read a few in an evening or a lazy afternoon
without feeling any sort of sense of repetition.
Insiders is available from good bookstores and
http://www.ginninderrapress.com.au
The latest AustralianReader.com newsletter has reviewed my book of shorts from last year, and published a new story on their site. Here's the review.
I love a story with a happy ending.
________________________________
OFF THE SHELF: INSIDERS, BY KIM MILLER
Few authors excel in description -- in fact, it's an area
in which many writers seek training and advice. But Kim
Miller's descriptive powers will surprise you. His book,
Insiders, was published through Mockingbird, an imprint
of Ginninderra Press, last year as a compact volume
containing seven stories.
On average, the stories were longer than I'd expected --
a little over 20-ish pages each. But their length turns
out to be a boon -- it gives the author time to develop
his characters and situations, and give readers a strong
sense of what's happening -- both in terms of what's
stated, and what's left unsaid, to be read, you could
say, between the lines. In short, each is "meaty", which
sets them apart from so many short stories that seek to
do too much in too little time, and end up feeling
superficial or cliched.
Miller's characters appear may ordinary enough, as do
his situations: You 'n' Me, for instance, presents us with
Alice, a solo diner at an Italian restaurant. And a casual
get-together in the back yard is the subject of The Mangoes
They Serve In Heaven, which was published today at
AustralianReader.com:
http://www.australianreader.com/index.php?section=articles&articleID=554
But, as that work shows, his style gives every story an air
of fantasy and a sense of tension that pulls readers in, and
leads us to expect something. And as such, each work is
tantalising from the first word. Insiders draws readers
in -- it demands our attention, but it also delivers real
rewards.
The stories are anything but formulaic -- a pitfall that
too few collections avoid -- and the freshness of each
keeps you hooked. I found this a great before-bed book --
one story a night suited me perfectly. But you could
easily read a few in an evening or a lazy afternoon
without feeling any sort of sense of repetition.
Insiders is available from good bookstores and
http://www.ginninderrapress.com.au
