Strangers in Another Country (ePub)

Set in London and Stockholm in the late 1960s, these four stories are driven more by characters than by action. The protagonists face social, economic, and existential problems. David frets about discrimination in the workplace but is rude and vain during a dispute with his girlfriend. Charlie is a poet suffering from the blues and disillusioned with life. By chance, Charlie meets a new male friend who promises to set him up with a date. Binky has romantic notions of women and love from Hollywood movies and some Shakespeare sonnets. Unemployed and only arrived in England a few months, he borrows money to venture on a holiday to breathe life into a half-baked romance for which he has high hopes despite his common sense. Then there is Moby, an outsider struggling to come to grips with himself and others. His faith in black solidarity comes to a test when he runs into a black male American who needs somewhere to pass a few days. The main characters are migrants from the English-speaking Caribbean. Themes include unattainable dreams, loneliness, alienation, disappointment and insufficient black solidarity. There is some humour to alleviate the frustration and pain in these stories. The question is whether this handful of fringe figures can lead a better life in a predominantly white country.

Author's Note: Following the above-mentioned review, this collection of stories has been professionally edited. I choose to reprint the review here because I consider it balanced and objective.

4.0 out of 5 stars

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A collection of stories set in the 60's, written in the style of the 60's

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2016*

Moby, the protagonist in the title story of Lawrence G Taylor's short fiction collection muses, "...life seems to be like that, not providing us with all the right things in one place." It's much the same with his collection of short fiction, "Strangers in Another Country.

If books that have less than perfect spelling or syntax easily agitate you, then "Strangers in Another Country" may not be for you. If however, you prize an honest voice and memorable characters that will remain with you long after you close the back cover, then this book has much to offer.

This series of two short stories and two novellas are all set in the 1960's and feature protagonists who have left homes in South America to live in Europe. These are not sympathetic characters you cheer for. Even knowing their insecurities and difficult backgrounds, they seem selfish and narcissistic. Sometimes you want to reach inside the pages and slap them, yet despite it all you can't help turning the pages to follow their journey.

But the real magic of this book is its style. There is a particular and recognizable sound and shape to the fiction written by men in the 60's. The voice, tone, pacing are all quite different than today's stories, and in this collection Taylor manages to brilliantly capture that 1960's narrative style. Within the first 10 pages I was entirely enchanted by this unexpected time travel.

I am impressed with the raw potential of these stories. I hope to see more of them.