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Reviewed
by Joel Willans
Jai
Clare is something of a crusader against the world of mainstream
publishing. Indeed on her blog, she says that the industry wouldn’t
know originality if “it came and bit them in the bum.” It’s an
interesting point of view and one borne out by her first collection, The Cusp of Something,
published by Elastic Press.
Clare is certainly an original writer and her book a challenging, yet
ultimately worthwhile read.
The collection,
which contains twenty-five stories written over more than a decade, is
an eclectic mix. Clare has a poet’s touch. Open any page and you will
find yourself immersed in descriptions of great beauty and metaphors
that amaze.
In some of her stories, such Delaney
Wears a Hat, Memory of Sky and A Song of Need,
plot, character and theme are submerged by Clare's love of language. In
fact, these stories resemble poetry more than prose. For the reader,
their main problem is that they allow the experimental to become the
unfathomable. As a consequence, the unspoken contract between reader
and writer is left broken.
Fortunately,
most of Clare’s stories have strong characters, too. In Ramblista, we meet
beautiful cousins eager to tell their life story. In Bone to Bones, we
are introduced to a groupie with a taste in piano players, while the
protagonist of A Man of
Shapes is a rapist’s female accomplice. When Clare
reverts to more traditional storytelling with protagonists that are
challenged and changed, the result is usually a more satisfying
read.
Although the
stories are set in different locations, the predominately female
characters are often searching for the same thing, meaning in their
lives. In The Ruins of
Lutz and More
Moments of Sheer Joy, this involves making a journey that
is both spiritual and sexual. Female sexuality is constantly explored
in Clare’s writing. Sex for the characters, like Gail in Mad Angels, changes
from being a form of exploitation to a form of empowerment. By having
women objectify men, rather than vice versa, Clare inverts gender roles
and invites her reader to question their own attitudes.
The Cusp of Something
is a collection that should not be rushed. When read one after the
other, Clare’s stories can overwhelm with their prose. Like going to a
ballet, if you are too enthralled by the music, you risk losing
interest in the dancers. The heavy reliance on internal rather than
spoken dialogue can also slow the pace of her stories and, although
interesting, her characters are sometimes difficult to relate to or
fully understand.
That said, this
is a book that should be savoured. It’s colourful and often beautifully
written, although by no means an easy read. This, presumably, is why
it’s not to mainstream publishing’s taste. Doubtlessly, Jai Clare can
write more commercially viable stories, but whether she would want to
sacrifice her lyrical style is less obvious. Hopefully, we won’t have
to wait another ten years to find out.
Joel
Willans is a
copywriter for a Helsinki ad agency. His fiction has appeared in many
magazines including Bonfire, Pen Pusher, Brand, Southword and Penumbra,
as well as several anthologies. In the last year, he achieved success
in a dozen competitions and is currently on the shortlist for the
Bristol Prize.
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Publisher: Elastic Press
Publication
Date:
2007
Paperback/Hardback?
Paperback
First
collection?: Yes
Author
bio: Jai
Clarewas born in South Africa, brought up in southwest England and now lives in London. She has been published in The London Magazine, Agni, The Barcelona Review, Bonfire, Nemonymous, Pedestal Magazine, and Night Train, amongst others.
Read
an interview with Jai Clare What
other reviewers thought:
The Fix The Truth About Lies
Goodreads AuthorTrek Charles Lambert
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