Cussedness
The natural cussedness of things in general.
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The Darkness of Wallis Simpson by Rose Tremain
These twelve short stories are as well written and entertaining as anything by Tremain, and skip easily between diverse locations and periods as convincingly as do her novels. So vividly realised and varied are these worlds that they often demand a considerable effort on the part of the reader in switching from one story to the next, and it is hard to see any clear theme linking the collection together beyond the author’s questioning need to explore her creations; thematic links are not in any way necessary, of course, and their absence does not detract from the enjoyment of reading each tale individually. The emotional range between and within the pieces is similarly wide, and Tremain is not afraid of exploring darker possibilities and scenarios, or, conversely, of writing a happy ending every so often. Good stuff.