Review: Twelve Post-War Tales by Graham Swift

Twelve Post-War Tales wasn't quite the collection of stories I was expecting. The stories were set post-war but not necessarily about the after effects of the war.

 

Graham Swift's short stories were diverse in era, location and characters. Most had a reminiscent feel with the narrator looking back on past events in their life.

I enjoyed how Swift infused different moods into each short story - some were melancholy, humorous and tranquil with themes of loss, childhood memories and reminiscence.  

 

Some of my favourites were:

The Next Best Thing - a story about a soldier stationed in Germany in 1959 and inquiring about the fate of his Jewish relatives during the war.

 

Chocolate - a group of 70 year-old men chatting in a pub and ribbing each other as one tells the story of a sweet girl he met back in the 70's.

 

Passport - Anna-Maria waking on her birthday and can't remember if she's 81 or 82. She finds her passport which has her thinking about all the journeys she never took and how she became an orphan during the blitz.

 

All the stories are different in their telling however all have an element of history through memories.

 

My rating: 3.8 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (averaged over the twelve stories) 

 

Publisher: Scribner Australia

Publication date: 30th April 2025

Genre: Short Stories

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$35.00 (hardcover)

Source: courtesy of the publisher