Opportunity
Grimshaw, CharlotteA collection of stories forming a series that can be read separately, but contributing to a unified whole. A man confronts death after an operation, a devout Christian encounters a man who hurt her long ago, a secretary uncovers her boss's secret shame. And in a house in Auckland, an elderly woman is writing the last book of her life, one which, she says, contains all of her crimes. Opportunity is "a novel with a large cast of characters each story stands by itself, and at the same time, adds itself to the larger one". A celebration of the subtleties of human impulse. NZ Interest.
Comments from Groups
A very cleverly crafted series of linking stories, simply told and well written... A quintessentially NZ anchored plot and scene placement but with universal values. Ohau 001 We all appreciated the author's skills in depicting such a range of characters but did not enjoy the general tenor of the book. 'Gritty' could describe it. Wellington 036 All found this book well worth the discussion. Husbands read it too. Parnassus 001 Well written. Enjoyed NZ setting. Felt disjointed. Hamilton 038 This book polarised our group - we either loved or hated it ... It is not an easy book to 'get' the connections but rewards re-reading. Christchurch 024
Pages
286
286
Year
2007
2007
Reviews
15-01-2024
The group enjoyed the book and felt that the last short story summed up what the first short story was about.
15-01-2024
A good book for discussion. Opinion was divided on the success of the links between the stories but everyone enjoyed the individual stand alone stories.
15-01-2024
The group enjoyed the short stories in this book. There was much discussion on how the stories varied.
15-01-2024
Not a favourite - no one really enjoyed the style. As a group we didn't feel the connection between stories worked so well; a bit try-hard. For something that should have been light reading, it was strangely hard work.
15-01-2024
We thought that the themes and predicaments were universal, transferable to societies throughout the Western world.
15-01-2024
A nice easy read.
15-01-2024
Either really liked or really disliked!
15-01-2024
Very enjoyable short stories. Well-written with believable characters.
15-01-2024
Those who liked short stories loved this book. Very cleverly crafted with links between the stories.
15-01-2024
A very light and not very interesting group of stories. No one read it all!
15-01-2024
Diverse opinions by the group. Good discussion. Very well crafted writing, but 'dark' subject matter.
15-01-2024
Mixed reaction on this one - some noticed links in the stories, others didn't. Some thought the writing clever, others not that impressed. I enjoyed these stories and the way they were woven together, and the fact that often the gender of the narrator wasn't obvious for some time.
15-01-2024
Very few read more than 2-3 stories. Did not enjoy the book.
15-01-2024
All enjoyed the stories. Good discussion. Recommended.
11-01-2024
This book was well received by the whole group.