Title | : | Sniggerless Boundulations |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 1291712313 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9781291712315 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Paperback |
Number of Pages | : | 68 |
Publication | : | First published January 15, 2014 |
Themes include fear, time, aging, anxiety, and jealousy.
This collection of fifteen stories contains bizarre medical conditions, industrious creatures, conniving cops, killers, dead bodies, a rescue mission, homoeroticism, nonchalant students, a secret garden, and the road to hell.
Contains the stories:
The Tunnel (173 words)
Deep Water (127 words)
Shark Fin Soup (507 words)
The Dermoid Cyst (384 words)
Mrs Jackson (644 words)
It Had To Be Done (206 words)
Granted (1034 words)
The Package (482 words)
Strings & Ribbons (131 words)
Mini Play (485 words)
Tiptoe Through The Tulips (523 words)
Poppycock (327 words)
Telfer Speck (1499 words)
Earth Mites (409 words)
Garsdale (539 words)
Sniggerless Boundulations Reviews
-
Sniggerless Boundulations by Morgan Bell This book contains 15 short stories, some of which are considered flash fiction or micro fiction. Stories included are: “The Tunnel”, “Deep Water”, “Shark Fin Soup”, “The Dermoid Cyst”, “Mrs. Jackson”, “It Had to Be Done”, “Granted”, “The Package”, “Strings and Ribbons”, “Mini Play”, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”, “Poppycock”, “Telfer Speck”, “Earth Mites”, “Garsdale”.
They are mostly suspense-filled pieces. Most of them I quite enjoyed. There are some real thoughtful gems in this collection, capturing in stark light the darker nature of us humans. My three favorite stories were The Dermoid Cyst, Earth Mites, and Shark Fin Soup. There were a few stories that flew by way too swiftly for me & were over so abruptly I was left bereft and wanting more. A few left me with too many questions. Yet for the most part this was a delightful collection of dark short stories.
The Tunnel: This one has a bit of a creepy feel to it. Dark tunnel, fast moving vehicle, dead of night. One has to wonder if one of the occupants of the car is a serial killer. 5/5
Deep Water: A brief pondering about death and what people truly fear about it. Since it referenced one of my favorite crime TV shows, I cracked a smile on this one. 5/5
Shark Fin Soup: Noel Fischer is checking the mail at his box when an animal rights activist approaches him about signing a petition to stop harvesting shark fins. I had to ponder this one a bit more before I got it, but then I really liked the correlation between Noel and the finless sharks. 5/5
The Dermoid Cyst: Amy and Dawn are chatting about dermoid cysts. Crispin, Amy’s man, is sitting back listening to the ladies work each other up. Then Crispin ends the conversation by offering up a calculated tactless solution – which I found amusing. Hmm… maybe I am a little twisted too? 5/5
Mrs. Jackson: The setting is a highschool art class room. Someone is a little delusional about reality, but is it Mrs. Jackson (art teacher) or Amber (student)? I enjoyed this one because I initially thought one thing but by the end, I was thinking the opposite. 5/5
It Had to Be Done: This one left me with a lot of questions. It starts off with a woman doing a home pregnancy test and then quickly moves to her calling the authorities about an illegal immigrant (someone who has overstayed their student VISA). The ending, which I won’t spoil, just adds more questions. 3/5
Granted: Uncle Adam is encouraging Ethan to donate his extra shoes to charity. Then it switches to Anthony Bowler, a man who insists are keeping the public park toilets clean… though I think he is secretly looking for something else. I’m not too sure what Ethan’s little story has to do with Anthony’s story. Still, I enjoyed the hidden agenda of Anthony in the second half. 4/5
The Package: Madeline wants to know what Jordan has in the box. It turns out to be a wedding pic Jordan had made especially for his niece (I think it was his niece). He had the bouquet preserved and arranged around a large picture of the bride and groom. Madeline seems quite transfixed by the image. It’s a good set up but then straggles off and there isn’t a real ending. Huh? 3/5
Mini Play: Clive likes his wine, luxuries, and little manly cosmetics. Tom declines his offer of a glass of wine. The two have a little pissing contest about cars, feet, and (oddly) socks. It’s a tightly written piece with characters established swiftly. However, it didn’t peak my interest nor give me a chuckle. 3/5
Strings & Ribbons: A very short, short piece. Hints of mystery, of wonder. It was interesting but way too short to thoroughly enjoy. 4/5
Tiptoe Through the Tulips: Ebony & Delilah are visiting a flower garden, one that has it’s own concierge. This little paradise quickly becomes a bug-infested allergy-inducing hell. Ha! 5/5
Poppycock: Louise & Betsy are kids chatting about how to get into Heaven. At least, I think they are kids. Pregnancy and driving are mentioned, so I wasn’t quite sure. There’s several silly place names like Balderdash Falls that mark the way to Heaven’s door. It was cute in a silly kind of way but ended abruptly. 4/5
Telfer Speck: Telfer wakes in the desert not knowing how he got there. He heads towards the river where Constable Skillion finds him. This is one of the longer stories in this collection. Constable Skillion outfits Telfer and sends him hiking out of town. Yet Telfer commits a few murders along the way, and the last of which is odd. Things get supernatural and circular. Perhaps Telfer is trapped in his own little hell. 5/5
Earth Mites: Hooray! A Scifi story! It was pretty cool. Damn mites! Perhaps they will infest the universe one day. 5/5
Garsdale: Garsdale is building a bone totem in some sort of canyon or crevasse. There’s a lost boy and searchers and a campfire. The tale is a bit creepy and full of suspense. I also liked the shear arrogance of Garsdale. And then the tale comes to an abrupt halt. I was left wondering if this was a spooky campfire story told from the inside out. 4/5
I won a copy of this book from the author (via the Lauren Dawes’ blog).
The Narration: Jon Severity has the perfect creepy voice for these stories. It’s a little rough, like that of a beloved uncle who has smoked a pipe since he was 15. And yet he is often telling these mini-mysteries where the main character may or may not be the murderer. His voice totally worked for those stories specifically. He really only had 1 female voice, that of a grown woman. It was fine for this collection. He didn’t really have a little kid voice. He does do regional accents quite nicely for the few times such were needed. -
This book contains 15 short stories, some of which are considered flash fiction or micro fiction. Stories included are: “The Tunnel”, “Deep Water”, “Shark Fin Soup”, “The Dermoid Cyst”, “Mrs. Jackson”, “It Had to Be Done”, “Granted”, “The Package”, “Strings and Ribbons”, “Mini Play”, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”, “Poppycock”, “Telfer Speck”, “Earth Mites”, “Garsdale”.
They are mostly suspense-filled pieces. Most of them I quite enjoyed. There are some real thoughtful gems in this collection, capturing in stark light the darker nature of us humans. My three favorite stories were The Dermoid Cyst, Earth Mites, and Shark Fin Soup. There were a few stories that flew by way too swiftly for me & were over so abruptly I was left bereft and wanting more. A few left me with too many questions. Yet for the most part this was a delightful collection of dark short stories.
The Tunnel: This one has a bit of a creepy feel to it. Dark tunnel, fast moving vehicle, dead of night. One has to wonder if one of the occupants of the car is a serial killer. 5/5
Deep Water: A brief pondering about death and what people truly fear about it. Since it referenced one of my favorite crime TV shows, I cracked a smile on this one. 5/5
Shark Fin Soup: Noel Fischer is checking the mail at his box when an animal rights activist approaches him about signing a petition to stop harvesting shark fins. I had to ponder this one a bit more before I got it, but then I really liked the correlation between Noel and the finless sharks. 5/5
The Dermoid Cyst: Amy and Dawn are chatting about dermoid cysts. Crispin, Amy’s man, is sitting back listening to the ladies work each other up. Then Crispin ends the conversation by offering up a calculated tactless solution – which I found amusing. Hmm… maybe I am a little twisted too? 5/5
Mrs. Jackson: The setting is a highschool art class room. Someone is a little delusional about reality, but is it Mrs. Jackson (art teacher) or Amber (student)? I enjoyed this one because I initially thought one thing but by the end, I was thinking the opposite. 5/5
It Had to Be Done: This one left me with a lot of questions. It starts off with a woman doing a home pregnancy test and then quickly moves to her calling the authorities about an illegal immigrant (someone who has overstayed their student VISA). The ending, which I won’t spoil, just adds more questions. 3/5
Granted: Uncle Adam is encouraging Ethan to donate his extra shoes to charity. Then it switches to Anthony Bowler, a man who insists are keeping the public park toilets clean… though I think he is secretly looking for something else. I’m not too sure what Ethan’s little story has to do with Anthony’s story. Still, I enjoyed the hidden agenda of Anthony in the second half. 4/5
The Package: Madeline wants to know what Jordan has in the box. It turns out to be a wedding pic Jordan had made especially for his niece (I think it was his niece). He had the bouquet preserved and arranged around a large picture of the bride and groom. Madeline seems quite transfixed by the image. It’s a good set up but then straggles off and there isn’t a real ending. Huh? 3/5
Mini Play: Clive likes his wine, luxuries, and little manly cosmetics. Tom declines his offer of a glass of wine. The two have a little pissing contest about cars, feet, and (oddly) socks. It’s a tightly written piece with characters established swiftly. However, it didn’t peak my interest nor give me a chuckle. 3/5
Strings & Ribbons: A very short, short piece. Hints of mystery, of wonder. It was interesting but way too short to thoroughly enjoy. 4/5
Tiptoe Through the Tulips: Ebony & Delilah are visiting a flower garden, one that has it’s own concierge. This little paradise quickly becomes a bug-infested allergy-inducing hell. Ha! 5/5
Poppycock: Louise & Betsy are kids chatting about how to get into Heaven. At least, I think they are kids. Pregnancy and driving are mentioned, so I wasn’t quite sure. There’s several silly place names like Balderdash Falls that mark the way to Heaven’s door. It was cute in a silly kind of way but ended abruptly. 4/5
Telfer Speck: Telfer wakes in the desert not knowing how he got there. He heads towards the river where Constable Skillion finds him. This is one of the longer stories in this collection. Constable Skillion outfits Telfer and sends him hiking out of town. Yet Telfer commits a few murders along the way, and the last of which is odd. Things get supernatural and circular. Perhaps Telfer is trapped in his own little hell. 5/5
Earth Mites: Hooray! A Scifi story! It was pretty cool. Damn mites! Perhaps they will infest the universe one day. 5/5
Garsdale: Garsdale is building a bone totem in some sort of canyon or crevasse. There’s a lost boy and searchers and a campfire. The tale is a bit creepy and full of suspense. I also liked the shear arrogance of Garsdale. And then the tale comes to an abrupt halt. I was left wondering if this was a spooky campfire story told from the inside out. 4/5
I won a copy of this book from the author (via the Lauren Dawes’ blog).
The Narration: Jon Severity has the perfect creepy voice for these stories. It’s a little rough, like that of a beloved uncle who has smoked a pipe since he was 15. And yet he is often telling these mini-mysteries where the main character may or may not be the murderer. His voice totally worked for those stories specifically. He really only had 1 female voice, that of a grown woman. It was fine for this collection. He didn’t really have a little kid voice. He does do regional accents quite nicely for the few times such were needed. -
I have had the pleasure of reading this collection of micro fiction twice. It is a beautiful publication, inside and out. There is tension and release in vignettes that lay bare the human condition and particularly the intricacies of mental illness. It is not, however, a sombre collection. Morgan has a sharp wit and an eye for detail. She has a wonderful understanding of the central ideal underlying storytelling - to show and not tell. There are some beautiful phrases that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.
-
An Odd Assortment of Brilliant Stories
I would not dismiss this short story y collection as breezy summertime reading as other reviewers have. There is nothing breezy about them. Each story is more like a snapshot which leaves the reader to use their imagination to ponder what happened before and/or after the the occurrences in the tale. Some of the stories are obvious metaphors like the first in which a couple out for a drive feel like they have been trapped in a tunnel for way too long. Others require a rereading or two for their point to come across. If I had to categorize these stories, I would call them post-modern, mostly for the fact I think it would annoy the author and she seems like a fun person I would love to annoy. Plus, she's in Australia and I'm in Florida and we have wild big cats and bears. Not those cute cuddly things that aren't really bears, you know the ones that eat plants and hug bratty children. No, we have black bears that eat dogs and run meth labs and trade their product to opposums in exchange for their babies. Florida opposums are crazy. One tried to get amorous with my Corgi.
But...
These stories are all very well written and deserve to be read. Check them out. -
In an effort to be transparent, I've never been a huge fan of the short story genre. I always find short stories tend to end, just as they're supposed to be getting going. Australian author Morgan Bell however weaves tales with depth, development and a sense of humour into such a sparse amount of words you forget you are reading a short story or flash fiction to begin with.
Sniggerless Boundulations is a collection of short stories and micro-flash fiction (something I didn't even know existed) that combine in-depth insight into the human journey, with liberal lashing's of dry humour.
My favourites in the book where; It Had To Happen - a poignant, story of a young woman, a pregnancy test and a Barista; Earth Mites - the story of earth being infested when all it really wants to do is enjoy middle age and The Dermatoid Cyst the story of a hypochondriac and the need to be "sicker," than a ill friend.
For those who enjoy short stories this is a collection that deserves a place in your library. For those of you like me, who maybe don't read a lot of short stories, Sniggerless Boundulations is a great collection to start with. -
Morgan Bell is clearly a writer who has no reservations about taking her stories "there". I love this collection of short stories because it allows to conceptualize our postmodern society's norm. Categories and identifiers do not limit this body of work. Instead readers find satisfaction, comfort, and the ability to hold a mirror up to the lives of themselves as well as their peers. Because the stories jump from topic to topic and theme to theme, it kept me on my toes. Sometimes I wanted to read on, but as I contented without pausing, I began to notice a deliberate distribution of stories from the author to convey certain emotions and thoughts in an effective way.
There are many layers to Sniggerless Boundulations, and it takes a critical eye to take them in properly. From bizarre medical conditions to homoeroticism, then to a secret garden, and nonchalant students, this book really has the kind of content you're not going to find in one book. I've seen no collection like this anywhere else! -
I wasn't sure what to expect with this collection of short stories, but a trusted friend said they were really good. So, I decided to give them a try.
She was right! They were so interesting and thought provoking. A few of them I even re-read a few times just to pick apart the subliminal message.
My favorite is probably "It Had To Be Done" ... but I don't know why! That is the what's so great about these collections of stories, they are so intangible.
It was definitely a great book, and I'm sure I will be reading it over and over again. -
A bunch of stories to love. Each one different, so you will be deep into the stories and they are done wonderfully.
A tunnel with no end.
Deep water and fear.
Learn about shark fins and how its gotten for soup.
A call about an illegal man had to be done.
Granted, a guy who has a lot and donates.
And thats just some hints into those stories, and you can even learn some things from these stories. People, life, the world. There are many things to read and learn from this book and I know you will all love it. -
Amazing read. Received a signed copy from Morgan, courtesy of the Goodreads giveaway program. The book surely makes for an interesting read.You finish a piece and it leaves a lingering, lasting impression on your mind. You do want to read more about it.
My 3 most favorite stories were
1) Deep Water
2) Sharkfin soup
3) Granted
Of course the rest of the 12 are super too. Go ahead, read the book, I am not adding spoilers here. -
Sniggerless Boundulations was creative and not only was it enjoyable to read, it made you think about the characters, the plot of each story and why a particular thing happened, which always makes the book that much more interesting. I loved this book, and I highly recommend it! Morgan left the ending of each short story ambiguous, to add your own interpretations at your will. A great read :)
-
5.0 out of 5 stars `Hell is the next suburb over.'
21 January 2014
By Mr. RB FORTUNE-WOOD
Format:Kindle Edition
By way of preface for the impressionistic vignettes to follow, Morgan Bell starts her collection of short stories and microfictions with `The Tunnel'--a condensed domestic drama in one scene. Rooted in an Australian postmodernity of iPhones, xenophobias, hopes and political clichés, the reader is treated to an odd assortment of quibbles resolved by pop TV references; eavesdropping on hypercondriacs; a yuppie kid's trove of unwanted shoes; neighbourly voyeurism; the truisms of hand-me-down cop wisdom, &c. all suggesting that 'Sniggerless Boundulations' is an expansive genre as much as a simple title. Like a hybrid of unfiltered reality, humanist morality play and whimsical Bizzaro.
There is great variety of content and form, encompassing the macabre twist of `It Had To Be Done', surreal comeuppance of `Tiptoe Through the Tulips' and nihilism of `Earth Mites' rendered as a joke at Gaia's expense. However, tying it together, there is the authorial refusal to gratify the reader's expectations, a constant urge to transcend banality at the same time as studying it and the pathos of comedy and poignancy finding expression in identical and excruciating moments. Unaffected, without warning, Bell's narratives produce a discomforting aesthetic, taking hold of the awkward and suspending that tender unease for as long as the prose can cope, `It was not heaven, nor was it hell.'