Title: Backstories
Author: Simon Van Der Velde
ISBN: 9781838296407
Publisher: Smoke and Mirrors Press
Pages: 116
Source: ARC from Author
Backstories is a unique collection of stories each told from the point of view of a famous, (or notorious) person at a pivotal moment in their lives. The writing is literary but accessible and the voices vividly real. The settings are mostly 60’s and 70’s UK and USA, and the driving themes are inclusion, social justice and of course, nostalgia – but the real key to these stories is that the protagonists’ identities are withheld. This means that your job is to find them, leading to that Eureka moment when you realise who’s mind you’ve been inhabiting for the last twenty minutes.
Official Summary
I will be honest; I have never been a fan of short stories. When the author reached out asking if I would like to review his book I agreed with a heavy heart. I had no idea what to expect and actually left the book on the backburner for a week or so. But as the saying goes….. don’t judge a book by its cover….. having read this book, twice – I am comfortable saying that it is brilliantly creative and well worth checking out!
Be ready to have your hair blown back! This collection of short stories is guaranteed to keep you guessing. Each story has you eager to figure out who inspired it. This book is unique, clever and deeply thought-provoking. Some are easy to figure out, while some will have you heading to google to do some research.
Simon Van Der Velde created a masterpiece with Backstories. It is cleverly creative and written to keep you guessing. The stories are short and gripping leaving you unable to put this book down. I read this in one sitting, every story left me eager to see what was next.
These stories are brilliantly told, while some of the protagonists’ identities are not as easy to figure out, I found myself heading over to google – making reading this book a wonderful experience for not just reading but doing a little research as well. It was wonderfully entertaining and when the lightbulb turns on you are left feeling rewarded for figuring it out. I simply loved this book.
I do not make a habit of reaching for short stories, but this book managed to wow me. I enjoyed every page and I eagerly await the opportunity to read Backstories II coming in July. This is the first time a collection of short stories make it onto my Loved list. It’s truly a brilliant piece of work!
This collection will appeal to mystery fans, music fans, and history enthusiast alike. There is something in here for everyone. It is clever, creative and guaranteed to keep you guessing until the end of each story.
Even if you have never read short stories before, please get yourself a copy – I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
Audio Excerpt from Backstories
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Simon Van der Velde has worked variously as a barman, labourer, teacher, caterer and lawyer, as well as travelling throughout Europe and South America collecting characters and insights for his award-winning stories. Since completing a creative writing M.A. (with distinction) in 2010, Simon’s work has won and been shortlisted for numerous awards including; The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Wasafiri New Writing Prize, The Luke Bitmead Bursary, The Frome Short-story Prize, The Harry Bowling Prize, The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition and The National Association of Writers’ Groups Open Competition – establishing him as one of the UK’s foremost short-story writers.
Simon now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with his wife, Nicola, their labradoodle, Barney and two tyrannical children.
Thank you to Simon Van Der Velde for reaching out and proving me the opportunity to read, review and enjoy this book.
There has been concern about local readers (South African’s) not getting the English references – and while one or two might send you off to google – I do not doubt that local readers will love this just as much as the international market. So don’t hesitate to get yourself a copy – remember to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Until next time….. Happy Reading!
Great review- sounds like an interesting read!
Thank you
Seems super cool
Oh it is!
I love when you are pleasantly surprised by a book. This has a really awesome premise.
-Lauren
I agree
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