Piranha to Scurfy: And Other Stories

Rating:
Summary: From Peaceful to Scary!
Review: A hum-dinger of a book. Good, solid, tight writing with no fat. I could not put this one down. From the first story, 'From Piranha to Scurfy,' ( a reference to a volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica) to the last, 'High Mysterious Union' the psychological impact that Rendell has on your mind will creep you out. I really loved this book and will never think of books in the same way again.(you'll see why after you've read it!) A day or night spent with a Ruth Rendell book in your hands is time not only well spent but an investment in your mental health...surely neither you nor I are as mentally unstable as her literary creations!

Rating:
Summary: Something for everyone
Review: It's been a long time since Ruth Rendell published a book of short stories, but _Piranha to Scurfy_ is worth the wait. There is plenty to like here; although the nine stories (including the novellas "High Mysterious Union," and "Piranha to Scurfy") have their high and low points, overall they make an interesting and entertaining addition to Rendell's work.

I should say at the beginning that I do not believe, as some seem to do, that Ruth Rendell's work is in any way in decline. Though _The Chimney Sweeper's Boy_ and _Harm Done_ will never rank among my favorite Rendell novels, I don't believe that they are on any different literary level from her books of five or ten years ago, and I freely admit to preferring her most recent work to earlier books like _One Across, Two Down_. I think Rendell's prolificacy leaves her books susceptible to uneven quality. Additionally, her affinity for writing and plotting in several different styles means that many readers will not like all of her books.

The title story, called "Piranha to Scurfy" in the Rendellian tradition of the initially incomprehensible title, is a claustrophobic story of paranoia and obsessive compulsion that reminded me initially of earlier Rendell books like _The Bridesmaid_ and _Talking to Strange Men_ but an important difference soon became apparent; there is a surprisingly funny side to "Piranha to Scurfy." The protagonist is so unattractive, so irritating, that it is nearly impossible for the reader to feel empathy for him. "Piranha to Scurfy" does not force the reader to align herself with the protagonist/murderer in this story as she has in some of her other work; the dramatic depth of this story is therefore less than in a book like _Live Flesh_ but judged on its own merits and as a story which is intended to be humorous, "Piranha to Scurfy" succeeds.

Of the shorter stories, "Catamount" was an enjoyable story that illustrated something that every horror movie viewer knows to be true: just because you know what's going to happen doesn't mean it won't scare the bejesus out of you when it does. "Walter's Leg" was funny, and almost something of a tease on Rendell's part; sometimes, she seems to say, nothing really terrible happens. "Fair Exchange" reminded me of some of the occult-inspired short stories of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie. "The Professionals" was an interesting portrait of not-quite-cheeky-enough bootblack and a brief case study of class in that bizarre microcosm, the department store.

Some of the stories were less satisfying; "The Wink" was a story about revenge, but not a particularly spectacular or satisfying revenge. "The Astronomical Scarf," reminded me of a 7th grade essay written from the point of view of Ben Franklin's pocket watch and seemed to get bogged down occasionally. "The Beach Butler" was well written, the characters quickly and skillfully drawn but seemed to lack resolution.

"High Mysterious Union," the eighty-page novella that finishes the book was a departure from the rest of Piranha to Scurfy, and not just because of its greater length. It doesn't share the humor present in the other stories and the writing is more studied than that in the rest of the book. The narrator and her friend are strangers in a small village, but the villagers are very much outsiders to normal society. The unusual behavior of the villagers and the choices forced upon the outsiders are thought provoking and reminded me of a fleshed-out scenario from a "Book of Questions." What would you do? Why? The story seems to want to know.

Taken as a whole, Piranha to Scurfy is even more engaging than its component stories. Rendell demonstrates her facility for writing from several different viewpoints and in several different styles. Additionally, Piranha to Scurfy shows a sense of humor often absent from Rendell's non-Wexford stories, and the excellent craftsmanship we have come to expect from Rendell's work. Though even longtime Rendell fans may not like every story in the book, this volume contains a selection from which almost anyone should be able to find something they like.

Rating:
Summary: What the h* does Piranha to Scurfy mean?
Review: This book is so boring, I barely made it half-way through; the stories are idiotic in the sense that if you don't understand it, it must be art.