Stupid Stories For Tough Times by Andrew Crowther

 

Stupid Stories for Tough Times by Andrew Crowther.

Published 3rd July 2024 by Renard Press.

From the cover of the book:

In Stupid Stories for Tough Times a woodland spirit causes havoc in suburbia; a wayward uncle causes suspicion in the family; a ferocious troll seeks a friend; and Churchill's statue goes walkabout in Westminster.

In much the same vein as the short stories of W.S. Gilbert, whose oeuvre Crowther knows more about than perhaps anyone else, these tales of life and death are filled with the impossible and the improbable, the ordinary and the absurd.

Together these so-called Stupid Stories for Tough Times are a tonic for our times – a search for sense in the strange and baffling times we live in, shot through, as all good stories should be, with humour and observational wit, with purpose, fate and dogs.

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Stupid Stories for Tough Times by Andrew Crowther is a pocket-sized anthology of wonderfully witty short stories, flash-fiction type prose, and a clever skit on a very famous Tennyson poem.

For the purpose of this review, we will refer to the entire contents as short stories, for they all tell a tale of one kind of another. Each has a distinctive style, evoking different shades of fables, magical realism whimsy, unsettling metaphorical horror, and gritty social commentary, which really showcases the scope of Crowther's writing.

The stories are infused with meaning, although quite what Crowther intends to convey might not be immediately obvious, and I am very impressed by quite how much he covers in terms of razor-sharp satire, dark observations on the state of the world, and sensitive explorations of the human condition. Pretty admirable given that this little gem runs to under a hundred pages.

Crowther explores rich themes with remarkable insight, managing to take you through just about the entire range of human emotion as he touches on attitudes towards artistic endeavours, war, work, politics, social conscience, and the circle of life and death (among other things). My absolute favourite was Troll, with its musings on loneliness, which brought a tear to my eye, but they are all special in their own way, even those oozing allegorical rancour that feeds your nightmares - such as Jasper (surely very timely given the recent publication of the shady memoir no one needs). Fortunately Crowther finishes on a note that rings with hope, lifting your spirits with his short, sharp Happy Ending.

Beautifully produced by Renard Press (French flaps and decorative end papers, no less), there is nothing remotely stupid about this lovely little book, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. It would make a perfect present for anyone who enjoys looking at life through the bitter-sweet comic lens of irony!

Stupid Stories for Tough Times is available to buy now in paperback. You can show your support of indie publishing by buying direct from Renard Press HERE.

Thank you to Will at Renard Press for sending me copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Andrew Crowther is not only the Secretary of the W.S. Gilbert Society, author of the major biography Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan, and the undisputed authority on the life and works of W.S. Gilbert, but is also himself a writer, author of the short novel Down to Earth and a variety of comic plays including Welcome to Paradise, Funny Men and Working Lives. His works seem to share with Gilbert's a heartfelt belief in the complete nonsensicality of the universe.