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First Impression: A load of drivel that stole time from me that I can never get back. Skip it!

222 very short stories book cover

I offer my thanks to Helen Keeling-Marston for her generous doation of a free Advanced Reader Copy of her book. It provides the opportunity for me to keep the blog going despite the exchange of an honest review being less than flattering.

Where to even begin when tasked with writing a review that is longer than most of the stories presented in 222 Very Short Stories by Helen Keeling-Marston. I love a very good short story that has a lot of thought and packs in a lot of emotion whilst evoking several senses in very few words. From the very first story I had a niggling feeling that the book was going to be one of those ones that you either absolutely love or hate with passion, but I continued reading in the hope that the stories would improve. Afterall, there are 222 to get through, with lengths that vary from a couple of sentences to a few pages. Perhaps the opening few were just a warm-up. As a writer of very short stories myself, I have dealt with the issue of trying to create impact within such a short passage and have produced my own array of nonsense. Alas, the more I read, the more disappointed I became:

“I before e, except after c,” said the tutor. The pigeon fancier scratched his head.

Either I’m missing something, or this short story lacks a point. In my opinion, there were a lot of ‘uns’; uninspiring, unimaginative, uncreative, and unnecessary to name a few! Although Keeling-Marston set out to create a book of tales where at least one could be consumed in an evening, the poor jokes, poor attempts at humor, and lack of wit was deeply felt:

She needed to get some cash out, but there was a man standing in front of the ATM on one leg. After waiting patiently for five minutes, she decided that enough was enough and asked the man to hurry up. “I’m just doing what I’m told,” snapped the man. “The machine says to take your cash and check your balance.”

The writer tries too hard and misses the mark. On the flip side though, the book lacks any real theme. Therefore, the subject matter is vast with retellings of Greek myths, quips about Matryoshka dolls, visiting aliens, and all manner of strange things in between. That said, I still wonder whether the book would find readers interested in perusing the content. Interestingly, story 222 makes a sweeping summary of topics that have been covered under the guise that an angel had been sent to help many of the characters that had appeared throughout the entire book, and expressing regret over those that could not be.

Content-wise, there are a couple of stories I wouldn’t want young children reading, like the story of the dying 7-year-old. For this reason, I would rate the book as PG-13. However, anyone possessing a copy is likely to use it as a coaster or a doorstop, rather than its intended purpose. Summing this book up…it’s up there with being as useful as a paper umbrella in a storm, or a glass hammer. That said, two fellow UK reviewers on Amazon have rated this book as 5 stars, so it is one of those books you might have to judge for yourself. Be warned that at $10.99, it could be an expensive lesson to learn. Maybe wait for it to appear at your local library.

Quick Rating: ⭐/ PG-13

Have you say: What is the length of a good short story? Share your thoughts with the Papergirl Community in the comments below.

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