Lisa's Review: Hellgoing: Stories

Hellgoing by Lynn Coady

My Rating: 2 of 5 Stars

I don't have a lot of experience reading short stories, but after learning last year's Giller Prize winner was from my home province, I decided this might be a good opportunity to expand into the genre (and a copy made its way under my Christmas tree).

Hellgoing is a collection of nine short stories that give glimpses into each of the main characters' lives, their observations, and relationships with those around them. I did not entirely enjoy these stories. I did like Coady's style of writing - her flow made for easy reading - but the content of the stories did not engage me. The characters had depth, but I did not find them likeable. I know that not all characters in books and stories need to be (or should be) likeable, but after nine stories I found myself happy that I was finally finished. I've read other reviews of this book, and it seems there are a many glowing reviews, so maybe I just didn't 'get it' or maybe short stories aren't for me. In reading other reviews that were less favorable, a common theme for reviewers was surprise, stating that Coady's other works are excellent. So that, coupled with the fact that I did like her writing style won't discourage me from checking out her other books.    

This is my sixth book read for the 7th Annual Canadian Book Challenge.