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How to Gut a Fish

LONGLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL PRIZE 2022
3.42 goodreads logo

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( 264 ratings, 43 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How to Gut a Fish by Sheila Armstrong is a compelling exploration of interconnected lives shaped by memory, loss, and the passage of time. Set against the stark beauty of the Irish coast, the narrative weaves through personal tales, capturing the essence of human experience and connection. Through multifaceted storytelling, Armstrong invites readers to dive into the intricacies of emotional landscapes and the resilience found in facing life's challenges.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate beautifully crafted short stories that delve into the human condition, exploring themes of isolation and connection. The author's poetic and evocative prose invites readers into vivid, sometimes unsettling, worlds, making it a compelling read for those who love thought-provoking literature.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

LONGLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL PRIZE 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR SHORT STORY OF THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR ALCS TOM-GALLON TRUST AWARD

'Unsettling, unpredictable, and brilliant' Roddy Doyle

'In sumptuous and evocative prose, Sheila Armstrong writes stories that are unnerving and unsettling. Stories which make you go, wait, wait, what was that? 'Claire Fuller, author of Unsettled Ground

On a boat offshore, a fisherman guts a mackerel as he anxiously awaits a midnight rendezvous.

Villagers, one by one, disappear into a sinkhole beneath a yew tree.

A nameless girl is taped, bound, and put on display in a countryside market.

A dazzling and disquieting collection of stories, How to Gut a Fish places the bizarre beside the everyday and then elegantly and expertly blurs the lines. An exciting new Irish writer whose sharp and lyrical prose unsettles and astounds in equal measure, Sheila Armstrong’s exquisitely provocative stories carve their way into your mind and take hold.

'Dark, devilishly well written and full of atmosphere, How to Gut a Fish is one of the most original and affecting short story collections I’ve read in years' Jan Carson, author of The Fire Starters

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Sheila Armstrong's How to Gut a Fish is praised for its unsettling and unpredictable short stories. The collection is noted for its sumptuous, evocative prose that transports readers to unfamiliar realms, offering both captivating and eerie experiences. Armstrong's writing is described as hypnotic and dreamlike, with the stories evoking curiosity and a deep, lingering impact on readers. Each sentence is crafted with a unique artistry that draws admiration from reviewers, highlighting her originality and profoundly perceptive depiction of everyday life.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526635822

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 February 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 161g

Pages: 224

About the Author

Sheila Armstrong is a writer from the northwest of Ireland. She spent ten years in publishing and now works as a freelance editor. Her first collection of short stories, How To Gut A Fish, was published in 2022 and her debut novel, Falling Animals, will follow in 2023.

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