Seventeen Stories by Mark Valentine
As a young child I felt that I had been born into the wrong family, in the wrong country, and even in the wrong century. Finally, in my twenties, I set out in search of a place where I could feel at home. That I ended up in Sweden was not a conscious choice; in short, it just happened. In the fifty years that I have lived here, I have put down my roots and immersed myself it Sweden's history and culture. Yet, as an immigrant, I am neither American nor Swedish; I am just myself. That suits me perfectly.Parts One and Two in this collection of short stories begin with semi-autobiographical portrayals of sibling rivalry while growing up in middle class America in the forties and fifties. Eventually this childhood obsession shifted its focus to a place called Europe, which in turn led to a radical change in my life. Although I found my roots at last, life did not automatically become all roses. Love is a powerful force. When it degenerates into domestic violence, it leaves deep psychological, emotional, and physical scars that never completely heal. The stories in Part Three are inspired by the lives of people I have known, or known about. Up until the middle of the 1950s, life for those living in the Swedish countryside was much the same as it had been for centuries. Not only did the poor live under primitive material conditions, but their treatment, by those considered to be their superiors, was often inhumane-especially when it came to children, who were frequently looked upon merely as a source of free labor and incapable of having feelings. But life had always been so and few had higher expectations. They made the most of the situations in which they found themselves. The two stories in Part Four are pure fantasy.Although born in America, Judit Martin has lived in Sweden since 1969. As a single mother, she raised her two daughters while teaching English and working as a weather observer for the Swedish weather bureau. She has written two documentary books in Swedish and a number of short stories in English. Her two novels, Augusta's Daughter and Kajsa, depicting 19th century peasant life, are published by Penfield Books. Her photo book, Swedish Medieval Church Painting, was recently published by Terrestrius Press Ltd.
Valentine, Mark: - Mark Valentine's stories have been selected for Best British Short Stories edited by Nicholas Royle, Best New Horror edited by Stephen Jones, The Mammoth Books of Ghost Stories edited by Richard Dalby, and the Ghosts & Scholars books edited by Rosemary Pardoe, as well as for many other anthologies. Along with The Swan River Press, he also publishes with other independent imprints such as Tartarus Press (UK), Sarob Press (France) and Zagava (Germany). His twenty or so books include studies of Arthur Machen and the diplomat and fantasist Sarban, and essays on book-collecting and the esoteric. He also edits Wormwood, a journal of the fantastic.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781783807437 |
| ISBN 10 | 1783807431 |
| Title | Seventeen Stories |
| Author | Mark Valentine |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | The Swan River Press |
| Year published | 2021-04-30 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |