The Means Of Escape

Penelope Fitzgerald

Editions

Review

Some months before her death Penelope Fitzgerald was in the shop and she informed us that she was publishing a collection of short stories.  She said she wasn’t convinced that it was a wise thing to do, but her publishers had persuaded her to.  Anything by Penelope Fitzgerald is worth reading and these short stories certainly come as a welcome addition to the novels published during her lifetime.  The title story, about an escaped convict in Tasmania bears her elusive characteristic style, which is something to do with being concise and exact, but also with its twin shadows of gallows humour and romanticism.  The other stories, however, are disappointing.  I agree that Mrs Fitzgerald’s instinct against publishing was, as usual, sound, but still this book is welcome for the sake of completeness and those who know and love her work should not miss them.  But if you are new to this author, I urge you to try her novels – starting perhaps with The Beginning of Spring pbk £5.99 or The Blue Flower pbk £7.99. - review by Johnny de Falbe