This review was written for and first published by Bookmunch.
Precipitation is a gorgeously produced little book containing three short stories by Ailsa Cox and inspired artwork by Patricia Farrell. It is the fifth in a series of collaborations between writers and artists published by Manchester based independent press Cōnfingō.
The collection opens with Heavy Showers and Thunder, a deliciously disturbing account of a cyclist, Luke, stranded by inclement weather who seeks shelter with his former in laws, George and Barbara. We learn that Luke’s first wife died and their child, Jess – now a teenager – rarely sees these grandparents. Barbara harbours a painful desire for revenge.
Luke’s current domestic situation is made more challenging by the young child he and his second wife, Miranda, are raising. While all of this percolates in the background – Miranda’s annoyance, Jess settled in her new life, George welcoming the company Luke brings – it is Barbara’s plans that provide the tension. The backdrop of a storm, outside a poorly maintained house, adds to the darkness of her consuming hatred.
The second story, Stan’s House, focuses on a young writer who has moved from her city upbringing to a small house in the country. Fleur is a published poet who recently benefited from an unexpected inheritance. She feels happy in her new home, sharing it with her partner, Jon. They have minor issues with a neighbour but Fleur is advised by other local residents to ignore the unfriendly woman.
As the seasons change, Fleur settles into a comfortable routine. Jon, who must live away during the week for work, becomes less happy with their arrangement. There is an undercurrent of malevolence as Fleur gradually changes. This is portrayed with a rare subtlety leaving the reader to decide what is happening.
The final story, The Empty Quarter, also focuses on a writer. Jason was raised by parents who had always lived in ‘a nowhere town in England’ and had no desire to be anywhere else. When the boy leaves for university he travels around the world, finding work abroad and having his debut novel published to minor acclaim. The life he builds does not bring him the happiness expected and he understands it will not last anyway.
“To be honest, he’d never dreamed of being a novelist; he never thought of himself as a born writer. No, his greatest wish was to be an explorer.”
Jason does, however, understand that it is not the current world he wishes to explore, where faraway places are now filled with tourists and have thereby lost the original authenticity he craves. His solution is to create a mirage, to be a travel writer without travelling.
The three artworks included are monochrome images presented as collage. Each contains a figure who could be representative of a character from the preceding story. They work well, especially as the tales are so brooding, lashed by the British weather. No explanatory notes are provided so the reader may contemplate and derive their own interpretation.
Any Cop?: These stories were each highly enjoyable to read – taut and engaging. That much is left for the reader to figure makes the writing as interesting as the visual artistry.
Jackie Law
