Gift Of Stones

Rating:
Summary: A quick but absorbing read
Review: I shot through this book in a few hours but enjoyed it all the same. It is full of Jim Crace's trademark slightly erotic descriptions of otherwise banal objects. I enjoy his ability to describe a situation or scene that would normally be offputting in a manner that renders it strangely alluring. The story itself is relatively simple, a young boy coming of age, but told in this unique backdrop, it stands out from similar tales in its detail and mood.

Rating:
Summary: A well-sculpted novel.
Review: This sculpted story positively radiates through its simple but shapely prose. A village of stoneworkers labors smugly as their way of life begins to crumble from the intrusion of the Bronze Age. One among them sees and tells the truth, a man who lacks one lower arm. Unable to work stone, he takes on the craft of storytelling and feeds it with wanderlust. His tales create laughter but also foreboding in the villagers, who, like us, are made to confront love and work and "the slavery of skill".

Rating:
Summary: The nature of storytelling explored
Review: This short novel ruminates on a number of very interesting themes in an unusual way. It is a book about the nature of stories, the nature of people, and the ways that we think about ancient peoples. Most of all, though, it makes the reader think about how change affects individuals and groups ... all through the story of a young man and his daughter.

If a book about the stone age conjures images of The Clan of the Cave Bear for you, then wipe it from your mind before starting this. The Gift of Stones starts from a simple premise: an archaeologist has found the amputated arm bone of a young boy, and he and his colleagues imagine what must have been his life. This young man also imagines lives, and tells those stories, much to the delight of his village. His daughter carries on the tradition as the true narrative voice of the book.

I had never read any of Crace's work before this slim volume, but I've already gone out to buy all of them. He is a wonderful writer without over-writing or involving himself in senseless wordplay. If you are looking for a thought-provoking story with memorable characters, then this book is definitely for you.