Other Stories and Other Stories is a wonderful collection of, er, stories.

"Everyone, real or invented, deserves the open destiny of life."

The "open destiny of life" is exactly what Ali Smith always bestows her characters, and is part of what I loved so much about Girl Meets Boy a couple of months ago. She is generous to them, fills them with feelings and quirks and emotions that just pour off the page. There is 'Kasia's Mother's Mother's Story' about a devout Catholic women, oppressed by too many children and too little food, scavanging for spiritual comfort. There is 'Small Deaths', which is about a flea infestation. Only Ali Smith could write a really great little story about a house with a flea infestation. There is 'The Hanging Girl', which is chillingly spooky, about a girl, hanged and haunting another girls many years on. Except, is it really a ghost, or is it really a psychological blip?

As ever, though, Ali Smith is at her best when writing about love. I have never read another writer who puts love and its exaltations and fears into words quite so perfectly. The last story in the collection - and such a fitting end to the book - is called, simply, 'A Story of Love':

"Goodnight, we said, like every night, and you longingly hopelessly happily fearfully selfishly loyally temptingly knowingly passionately lovingly wordlessly kissed me

and I kissed you all of it back
goodnight." ( )

This book keeps unfolding. It's been a few months now since I read the last story for the first time, yet it still grows. Not only are these sharply observed, entirely engrossing stories; what AS does with the form, her pitch-perfect playfulness, is quite astounding. As a dedicated reader/writer of short fiction, I can only be grateful this book fell into my hands. Any reader looking for challenge and pleasure in equal degrees, need look no further than Other Stories. I realise I have broken into 'blurbing', but really, it's that good. It's an eye-opener.