Check out this fantastic review from 'Talking Zebras' - Cleckheaton of John Ling's book, The Paper Aeroplane Man.
John Ling's collection of short stories is very entertaining - from the tender evocation of an old man's suicide after the death of his beloved wife, to the black comedy of an ill-suited couple's hilarious attempts to do away with each other, all the stories are testament to the author's perceptive observation of human life in all its guises. There is folklore ( Dr Rohling's Practice) and autobiography (Norris's Nostrils) as well as more contemporary concerns
( mental health and drugs).
The title story highlights the ongoing problem of prejudice and ignorance and both 'The Visit' and 'Fair Exchange' are uncomfortable reads. The sensuous descriptions in 'The Cottage' are haunting and moving. By contrast, the very visual physical humour of ' The Snorin' is surreal and macabre.
No subject is out of bounds. The reader is taken through the whole gamut of human feelings and foibles. A first rate storyteller - although I might be a bit reluctant to eat food prepared by someone with such a detailed knowledge of domestic poisoning techniques! Linda Kurowski
(Talking Zebras – Cleckheaton)
