I cannot wait for autumn. I completely reject the idea that our fifth heatwave is pending: it’s been one long, hot, horrible summer interspersed with some cooler days on occasion. In an effort to be less grumpy about the humidity and try and embrace it to some extent, I read Stories for Summer and Days by the Pool. This short story collection is published as part of the marvellous British Library Women Writers series, edited by Simon at Stuck in a Book who provides a great Introduction.
Short story collections can be variable but this is consistently strong, as you would expect from big-hitters including Elizabeth Taylor, Daphne du Maurier, Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Maeve Brennan, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Muriel Spark…
While, as previously established, I despise London in summer, it is an appealing setting in Black Cat For Luck by GB Stern.
“The sea has its enchantment, and the woods have their witchery, and even a meadow full of cows shambling down to drink from the brook is all very well; but there is that about a big city in early June which can surpass all these via magic of its own: a promise in the flicker of sunshine through the flat leaves, and on the pale, shining, mottled trunks of the plane trees, more exciting than the broadest fulfilment.”
It follows the intrigues of a summer garden party in the more exclusive areas of the city: an ambitious young man called Maurice Jodelet, a savvy young woman named Barbara, and Sir Nicholas Broadfoot “of the Foreign Office” are drawn into a wittily conveyed, slightly twisty tale of small-scale drama.
This was a great example of how a plot-driven tale can be set-up and perfectly executed in a short space. The characterisation, particularly of the two young people, was well realised. I have some GB Stern novels buried in the TBR somewhere and on the strength of this story I’m keen to dig them out.
Phyllis Bottome was an author I didn’t know among such lauded company, and her story The Shark’s Fin is a more typical summer setting, with a newly married couple on honeymoon in the Caribbean. Dorothy is young and pretty, and fully aware of her appeal:
“Her eyes were not quite the blue of the Caribbean sea, but they sustained the comparison.”
In just eight pages Bottome creates a perfect mini-portrait of a spoilt, naïve young woman, and the significant ramifications that self-centred, impulsive actions can have even when a situation appears outwardly unchanged. It’s the sort of story perfectly suited to the short-form.
I highly recommend this collection; a carefully chosen range of great writing which is hugely enjoyable.
To end, my local lido is not as glamorous as the Caribbean, but it is the largest freshwater outdoor pool in the UK and has been incredibly warm this summer (I’m not one of the hardy types who swim there all year round, when they smash the surface ice in winter):
madame bibi lophile recommends 
Autumn has long been my favourite season, just as long as we are not cut off by floods and storms. I send much commiseration for having to endure a humid hot London this summer.
I couldn’t resist this collection and absolutely loved it. I am a late comer to short stories; I used to think ‘why read 8 short stories when you could immerse yourself in a ‘proper book’? I have been converted, thanks to collections such as this one. I’ve found all the BLWW collections to have been very strong. (I love their novels too; it is definitely a weakness of mine to covet every new publication!).
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Autumn is such a lovely season. I hope you don’t get cut off though. Fingers crossed for the mellow version Keats wrote about!
I drifted away from short stories too for a while, but I’m glad I returned, they can work so well and be really powerful.
The BLWW series is so strong isn’t it? The gorgeous covers make them extra covetable too!
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On the list it goes! It’s been bad enough over here in Bath but London is always a couple of degrees warmer plus all those buildings acting as radiators. Wishing you a cooler, fresher autumn.
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So glad this appeals Susan!
Bath does get a lot of the heat too I know. Thank you for your commiserations – the built areas are so hot, Oxford Street pavement reached 56C 🥵
Hopefully we’ll both have a lovely autumn ahead!
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Horrendous! Fingers crossed.
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Oh my gosh, so many thoughts.
Firstly, I need that book (you might remember, I love a swimming story).
Secondly, sending love re: your unbearably hot summer. Although not ‘hot’ by Australian standards, I appreciate the fact that you aren’t equipped for hot (we have air-conditioning everywhere, but equally aren’t equipped for cold weather) so understand that 30 degrees in London is like 40 degrees in Melbourne.
Thirdly, Tooting-Bec is your local? When I visited my bestie in London, she introduced me to Tooting-Bec (her local, although she is not a swimmer). Honestly, a rare holiday where I didn’t take my bathers, mostly because we had a jam-packed schedule and it was February, so I didn’t expect to be able to swim. Had I known it was possible, I would been in, in a flash! https://booksaremyfavouriteandbest.com/2014/05/10/show-off-holiday-post-london/
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I think you’d like this one! I did remember you enjoy a swimming story and when I saw the book I thought ‘that’s a Kate cover’!
Definitely not hot by Australian standards 😁 But any day over 30C is horrible and we’ve had a whole run of them – our infrastructure needs to catch up. We tend to only get the odd day that hits 40C thank goodness, and I don’t think we got there this year although we managed 38C 🥵
You’re braver than me if you’d swim in the lido in February! Although I know people who swim there all year round and swear by it, so maybe I’m missing out…
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Oh! I just looked at my post and you commented that Tooting is your local. I wish we’d met all those years ago!
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That would have been so great!
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It’s a great collection, isn’t it? And like you I enjoyed reading new to me authors, there were some really interesting stories in the book. As for summer – pah! Roll on autumn!!
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It really is a great collection! Great to hear how you enjoyed it too Kaggsy.
Roll on autumn – it can’t come soon enough!
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This sounds like a great collection – maybe one for the winter months when we’ve forgotten the horrors of the summer and are beginning to long for some warmth and sun again! Enjoyed the video too, thanks.
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Glad it appeals FF! Yes, good plan, it would definitely brighten dark days.
So pleased you enjoyed the video – I learnt some facts about the lido I didn’t know, and I’ve been going there since I was teenager!
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I love summers and pools and might like these stories in the winter months, which get awfully long for my taste.
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The stories would definitely help bring some sunshine to get through the long dark days of winter!
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I too am an autumn person. Can’t wait for coats and boots and cold! Though this collection does sound great.
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It is a great collection! Hopefully autumn is nearly here for us now. I’ve visited Belfast in autumn and thought the city looked beautiful, so I know you’ve a treat in store!
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I’m ordering the book straight away, sounds terrific – and how lovely to see the lido, I spent many weekends as a teenager there getting up to not much good!
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Amazing! So glad this appeals!
I was there in my teen years too – maybe we crossed over 😊
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