Mr Jolly

This collection is so unusual and challenging that I didn't hesitate to give it the full 5 stars.The stories in 'Mr Jolly' are varied in subject, but they share a bare simplicity of style and a pervasive sense of menace - with an occasional touch of the grotesque. Isolated individuals communicate - or fail to - in a bleak world where personal territory, conformity and brutality are explored. The stories come from an imagination which always has a trick up its sleeve, and the darkness is laced with humour.

"The bald men are gathering outside my gate. I can hear the hum of their voices drifting up through the thin night air. And now I am afraid. Really afraid."This darkly compelling collection grabbed me from the opening paragraph of the first story ("The League"). In a series of beautifully economical tales with more than a touch of magic realism, the author explores love, loss, the ending of relationships, personal identity and integrity, vulnerability, loneliness and redemption. The stand-outs for me were "Making Contact", in which a woman tries to deal with her husband's dissociated nighttime wanderings, and the title story "Mr Jolly", about a lonely gardener who builds himself a scarecrow. Saying that, I found something to love in every story in the collection - I'll be interested to see what other reviewers choose as their favourites.Even the funniest stories in "Mr Jolly" are still beautifully sinister; if you're looking for a cheerful, uplifting read this is not the collection for you. But if you want stories that make you shiver, then think, then shiver again, then grab a copy right now.

Mr Jolly is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of quirky and surreal stories. Most of the stories are quite short and all seem to have a reasonable ending (unlike so many short stories that drift off into foggy obscurity art the end). Hard to say much more without spoiling the stories themselves but, just to give an idea, imagine a residential home for older people being surrounded and invaded by hostile monkeys from whom the residents must flee.

Depressing short stories with generally dismal themes. Many don't seem to have any point. Many don't even seem to have any plot. I couldn't bear to continue reading them. They are well written, but they bring no joy.

Mr Jolly is a series wonderful short stories by author Michael Stewart, each one absolutely unique. Stewart writes about everything, from a man's relationship with his scarecrow to breakups that are inevitable but no less hard to deliver. Mr Jolly really taps into the full range of human emotions and interactions with each story an entertaining read and an opportunity for contemplation.I really enjoyed reading Mr Jolly, especially as one who hasn't read many short story anthologies. Each piece was unique enough and written in very different styles that it almost felt like it was written by multiple authors, rather than one talented one. At the start of the book the first few pieces all had some connecting factor which I absolutely loved and thought would be a continuing thing throughout but sadly that faded after the first quarter/third of the book. However, even without the linking element the stories were still hugely enjoyable and Mr Jolly was a really quick read for me; I glided through Stewart's writing so easily. And for an English student constantly bogged down by reading for uni or by assignments it's wonderful to relax with an uncomplicated but still enticing book at the end of the day. I would highly recommend Mr Jolly, whether you're an aficionado of the short story form or not. Stewart's book will not disappoint.

I read this book on holiday and it's the perfect book for dipping in and out of. There's an eclectic mix of stories which are funny, disturbing, moving and weird, sometimes all at that same time. There's some that I absolutely loved - The Butterfly on the Ceiling for example - written in the second person, which makes you feel utterly complicit in the story - 'she lets the sheet that was wrapped around her waist drop. And slowly you take her in your arms again.'There's some beautiful language and sometimes it feels like the stories turn into poems for the last few lines - The League - 'free to roam without torment, free to walk the earth without taunts or threats, free as every other bald-headed man walking on this skin of this spinning ball of sin and dust'.There's some great opening lines too - I can see you're not a dick, said God.Also, geek point - but no inverted commas for dialogue. I thought this might be distracting, but it's not, because all the voices are so distinct, you always know who's speaking and also whether it is spoken language or prose.And there's some really sad stories - like Already Morning and Making Contact - which are heart-breaking - and there's lines that just pop up and make you draw breath - 'is life loss?'. Thinking about it now, a few days later, loss seems to be a bit of a theme.There's also some stories that are completely bonkers and as you're trying to come to terms with the sadness of one, or the depth of another, you suddenly find yourself in a surreal situation and you're going, what the...To me, its this mash up that makes the whole collection. The truth is you never know what you're getting next and that's what makes it such a great read.