Sweet Home

Reviews

With skill and style, Erskine unpicks the underlying complexity of ordinary lives, the unexpected intricacy of ordinary situations. These are stories about ramification as opposed to redemption; dark, bittersweet and perfectly formed. Erskine’s arrestingly original debut short-story collection bears the ghost of 68-98, as she writes about the magic, ferocity and surrealism of contemporary Protestant Belfast. A collection of deft, depth-charged short stories. I was drawn to the depth and soul of Wendy Erskine’s characters in her debut story collection Sweet Home. Wendy Erskine's first collection, Sweet Home . . . is every bit as good as her early stories in the always astute Stinging Fly magazine promised. Acutely, brilliantly observed . . . Erskine writes about her characters without sentiment but with compassion and, perhaps most importantly, with a sense of the absurd that finds humour in the darkest of places . . . The stories in Sweet Home are often very funny, even when they unsettle. Shot through with glimmering beauty, Sweet Home is a delight. An exceptional ear for dialogue, an impeccable semantic rhythm and an uncanny ability to tease laughter out of the darkest moments mean Erskine is perfectly poised to stare, unflinching, into our neoliberal abyss. The result is a gripping, wonderfully understated book that oozes humanity, emotion and humour. Spiky and funny, dark and stylish – Wendy Erskine is a natural-born story-teller, and this is a brilliant debut collection. Wry and wise, gripping and funny, I loved this brilliant collection. The best collection of short stories I’ve read in a long time, a real spark-plug of a book. Sweet Home by Wendy Erskine is a short story collection that everyone should investigate. Completely brilliant . . . Erskine’s gift for understated black comedy, crisp dialogue and sharp characterisation ensures that Sweet Home is no wallow in kitchen sink misery. Reading it is an enlivening experience and Erskine’s career is one to keep an eye on in the years to come. Among the best short stories I’ve ever read. Expand reviews