Miranda Wilson

Collecting, Miranda Wilson
Reviewed by James G Allan

In his late sixties, still mourning the death of his wonderful wife Rose, Walter has to adjust to his son William, daughter-in-law Dolores, and granddaughter, Millie, coming to live with him. The arrangement is awkward, until he shares his collection of tiny things with Dolores and she shares her paintings of corners with him. Through the appreciation (decidedly not forthcoming from Wiliam) of each other's eccentric and very personal show more artistic expressions, they find a soul-matedness: a piece of the intimacy that is lacking in both of their relationships with William. Walter gets caught up in the spinny world of art promotion and marketing, then suddenly plunges into the passionate intimacy with Dolores that had been latent all along.

Wilson paints a thoroughly natural path from the awkward house-sharing with in-laws to soul-mated intimacy, from uniquely private hobbies to high culture artistic notariety, and from the withering old age in bereavement and sentimental memories to a discovery of the creative and sensuous vitality of old age.

Wilson's writing is simple, even prosaic, but deeply engaging, utterly devoid of gimmickry. At the climax of the novel, I was so deeply moved and satisfied, I could not imagine how the author would end it. I stopped reading for three days -- I was afraid to look! But when I finally read the ending, it was beyond what I had dared hope. Neither a sentimental comic ending, nor a goofy little contrived twist; but a sweetly tragic extension of the whole movement of the novel. show less

Loved this book! Was lucky enough to receive an early reviewers copy, and is one of the few I’ve received where I’d happily have parted with my own cash for a copy (rather than chancing one’s luck with delightful, ‘off-piste’ freebies). Collecting tenderly captures the ways in which desires (intellectual, physical and artistic) do not decline or disappear as one ages, creating realistic characters – albeit in occasionally extraordinary situations. As other reviewers have pointed show more out, the novel has several genuinely laugh out loud moments, particularly around descriptions of the contemporary art scene and look out for manifestations of performance art! Highly recommended! show less

This is a terrific book. Pacy and well written, it's easy to get caught up in the story from the start. Walter is a retired engineer, living a quiet, retired life as a widower, when his staid, boring son William moves in with his new wife Dolores and baby daughter Millie. William lost his flat and all his savings in a failed dot com business and needs a place to stay while he saves to buy a new home for his family. Walter is banished to the spare bedroom in the basement and soon starts to show more feel marginalised in his own home. However, he is soon captivated by his adorable granddaughter and gradually warms to Dolores, who is bored and frustrated at having her wings clipped by motherhood. Walter also has a quirky hobby that gets him out of the house and leads to him being 'discovered' as an artist. This opens up a whole new life for Walter and shows him that the world is full of possibilities. show less

Miranda Wilson's first novel 'Collecting' interweaves two stories, both seen from the perspective of Walter, a retired 69-year old engineer, widowed some years, who has developed an unusually hobby: collecting and collating the tiny detrius that he finds discarded on the streets of east London where he lives. Events are triggered when his son William moves home with his new wife Dolores, and their baby. One strand of the story explores Walter's growing relationship with baby Millie and his show more frustrated daughter-in-law Dolores. Dolores is also the trigger for his collecting to be picked up by a trendy Shoreditch gallery. Suddenly Walter becomes the figurehead for a OBA art movement, is clubbing, taking drugs, attending art happenings and attracting media attention from 'Dazed and Confused'. Wilson writes fluently and engagingly. I enjoyed her dig at the contemporary art world, and its great to see an older narrator at the heart of a story, discovering life and relishing it. She writes well about the emotional links that grow between Walter and his grand-daughter, and about Dolores clear frustration with motherhood and married life, and Walter's sympathy with her - and frustration with his son. I wasn't convinced by the way Wilson brings her story to a conclusion, but 'Collecting' is nevertheless a strong and engaging debut. show less