The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher is one of ten short stories in this collection by Hilary Mantel – it was chosen as the title story, I suspect, because of the title which certainly attracts attention (SPOILER – the Prime Minister doesn’t die !) The author is best known for her Wolf Hall trilogy but these short stories are well crafted and interesting to read. None of them is particularly long and the whole book is a reasonable length.
All the stories seem to include characters who are in despair for some reason and none of them seem to love their fellow human beings much. Each of them tries to do something to remove themselves from a situation but it is obvious that nothing much is going to change in their lives. The author explores this by having her characters commit infidelities, have eating disorders, experience accidents and sudden deaths, and have chance encounters with people who may change their lives. These people seem to live on the edge of society and to be isolated or maybe they just feel isolated.
Each story is beautifully crafted and full of the detail that the author is so good at. She creates glimpses into the lives and situations of others that are very vivid and then closes them, often leaving the reader wanting to know more. I appreciate how well they are written, although I might prefer more satisfactory outcomes for the characters.
This is a clever and beautifully written book of short stories set in various locations across the world. It’s a book that I appreciated more than I liked. I found that I didn’t care enough about these people for the book to be truly enjoyable. Other readers may, of course, feel differently.
Anne Is Reading 