Pigsong
Pigsong is the third in a series of short stories, collectively titled Storytellers, by Frank Delaney, who also brought us The Last Storyteller. There will be a new one each month for the year 2012.
It starts with a short lead-in, Author’s Notes, that explains the idea behind the story, delving into the concept of using fables as instruction, and the shared myths of diverse cultures the world over. I never knew India had a flood myth that predated (and is closely paralleled by) the story of Noah’s ark.
The story is told in a style that echoes Aesop’s Fables, using anthropomorphic animals to relate a truth, and focused around the central character, the seanchai, an itinerant storyteller who was traditionally welcomed into someone’s home for the night, and given food and a warm bed in exchange for entertaining the family (and as many neighbors as the host’s home could accommodate) to set the stage.
Mr. Delaney is a gifted writer who works magic with his prose, in the style of the old Irish myths:
Once upon a time and long ago, when snow tasted like cream, and timber tasted like sweet cake, and every tenth egg laid by a duck had a diamond in it, there lived up in the North of Ireland a very bad man.
It’s a quick read, and left me with new respect for pigs. I could hear the old storyteller in my head, and practically smell the fire burning as he told his tale.
The series is available as ebooks through Amazon.
4 Comments on “Pigsong”
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What an adorable opening! Love it.
I’ll keep an eye out for it. And by the by, pigs really are extremely intelligent animals. That’s why I’ll never insult them by calling a jerk, a pig.
I have heard that about pigs, I understand they are smarter than most dogs. It’s one reason I really don’t eat pork anymore, makes it kind of creepy.
I believe these stories are only available as ebooks. I don’t have a Kindle or Nook or anything, but I have Kindle for PC, and have read a couple books that way. It’s not my favorite way to read, but these stories are short enough that I didn’t mind reading it onscreen.
This book sounds so interesting. I love the excerpt you posted. “when snow tasted like cream” – wow!
I have kindle for PC too, and like you, I don’t really like to read books that way. I like good old-fashioned paper best.
I still prefer paper myself. Maybe someday if I break down and get an ereader it won’t be so bad, but it’s just not comfortable holding a computer on your lap to read anything of any real length. These shorts aren’t bad, though.