Book Review - 'The Searching Glance'

All we have is a brief glance at their meetings and the sense of loss and despair at the end. Attention to detail in the description of the main character and her work as a potter, but little is given away about her lover.

In “Over the Garden Wall” the main character is a recluse, or is he bordering on madness? Wanting to shut himself away from prying eyes and protect his little paradise. His attempt at protecting paradise is his downfall and costs him his life. We have to guess at the history of the character and how he has come to be in his situation and what has shaped his feeling, fears and motivations.

Each story is full of description and atmosphere, setting the scene for each tale. In “The Weight of the Earth” a man lies dying on a hillside. There is darkness and despair at the beginning of the story as the watchers wait for the hill walker to die, but dawn brings hope and life at the end.

This collection of short stories brings together a wide selection of characters and situations but all connected by longing and loss, which we view in small, quick snatches of their lives. For someone who does not normally read short stories I did enjoy this book and felt each had a satisfying end, like eating a tasty snack instead of a large meal.

By Dorothy Procter