'House Party'

Continuing my reading of Sparks from the Fire (Swan River Press, out now folks!) we find ourselves in L.P. Hartley country. Yes, the setting is modern, but the characters in this story inhabit that grotesque world where going out and killing wildlife at great personal cost (but minimal personal risk) is somehow considered normal. 

Unsurprisingly, Rosalie Parker's sympathies are not with Gavin, the drunken lout out gunning in the rain. Indoors we find sensitive, bookish Jamie, the friend of Gavin's wife Diana. Jamie is left to look after the couple's mid-range children, and does his best to amuse them. Jamie's feelings for Diana are implicit, and there is an intriguing dream-sequence that recalls a famous Greek myth.

Gavin, rich idiot that he is, drunkenly shoots off some of his fingers, bringing his fun to an end. The injury triggers a change in the relationship, with Diana taking the initiative. While arguably a realistic tale, the discovery of a stag killed with an arrow - not a commonplace event in England these days - suggests that something odd is going on. As with Hartley's stories, much is suggested and the reader can imagine more. 

Another snippet from this running review will materialise very soon.