Bearded
Ladies: Reviews
"These
stories are a delight. The writing is witty, satirical, compassionate,
clear as a rock pool and as full of treasures." (Australian Book
Review)
"Grenville writes powerfully . . . her women acquiesce in the
illusions men wrap them in, but make a point of telling the truth to
themselves." (Times Literary Supplement)
"These
pieces are witty, cynical yet deeply moving portraits of relationships,
with a light touch of wicked humour." (Ballarat Courier)
"Grenville's language is as fresh as new paint." (The Age)
"With these 13 stories, a vibrant Australian voice speaks of
universal concerns. This is a collection to be savoured as much for the
colloquial ease of the writing as for the hypocrisy it exposes."
(Publisher's Weekly)
"The worlds of these stories are sharp and painful but told with
great delicacy, with a controlled drift toward tenderness and back again.
In welcoming Bearded Ladies, one can look forward to a further
development of a considerable talent." (The Bulletin)
"Kate Grenville's most memorable stories are those charged with a
current of dark sexuality." (Overland)
"Grenville's stories leave the reader with a strong emotional impact.
Her style, while carefully worked, is deceptively easy." (The
Advertiser)
"Not often enough do reviewers have the chance to hail a significant
new talent. I have that pleasure with Kate Grenville's first story
collection. Don't miss it." (The Newcastle Herald)
"Kate Grenville is a serious writer, and interestingly cosmopolitan.
She writes a pared-down colloquial conversational language with an
occasional astounding image and a fine sense of menace." (The
Canberra Times)
"A bold black wit so spare that it is astringent, and uncluttered
prose that sets down its stories of marginality and dislocation with an
economy that brings Hemingway to mind." (Sydney Morning Herald)
"Clever stories that find truth in exact speech rhythms and
cadences." (Weekend Australian)
"What distinguishes Grenville's fiction most is her tone: it shifts
and surprises. The writing cracks with sudden lightning flashes of
rebellion." (American Book Review)