Review by Graham Foster

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Andrew Michael Hurley is a short story writer who has been on Transmission’s radar from the very early days of the magazine. And deservedly so. This, his second collection of short stories following 2006’s excellent Cages and Other Stories, is presented as a study of dislocation. Some of Hurley’s characters are physically dislocated (the Polish immigrant in a strange city in ‘Bricks’, or the typist struggling with different realities on a Greek island in the title story), but some are emotionally dislocated (the woman who tries to help a destitute girl in ‘Spire’, or the ex-criminal struggling with an old mistake and the imminent arrival of a new baby in ‘Milk’).

Hurley proves himself to be the master of describing muted emotions and numbed mindsets, and the melancholy that infuses the stories is well balanced. But to describe these stories as merely melancholic and muted is a great disservice. Hurley ensures that there is intrigue in the narrative, many of his characters deeply affected by events that lie in that vague margin just off the page – not necessarily an easy trick to pull off, but again the author shows a knack for balance. The reader is never subjected to bouts of mysterious filler and the facts that do filter into the narratives are tantalising, adding texture without giving the game away – ‘Spire’ describes a fractured marriage, but the details swirl around giving the reader a patchwork of history that colours the narrative of a woman finding solace in helping a down-at-heel young girl.

Among the subdued tone of the stories, Hurley often lets his imagination take hold of the stories. This is also to be applauded, as he does so with great panache. ‘The Unusual Death of Julie Christie’ mutates from a story dealing with the transitory mental space between relationships to a meditation on the possibilities of alternative realities, and does so with seemingly little effort.

The Unusual Death of Julie Christie and Other Stories is a muted, tender and skilfully rendered collection – proof that a selection of good, sad stories can be the tonic that we all need once in a while.

The Unusual Death of Julie Christie and Other Stories by Andrew Michael Hurley (Lime Tree Press, £TBC) is out soon. There are more details on the author’s website.