Books 2013: Something I've been meaning to tell you

The winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2013 was Alice Munroe. This is an author who has been on my reading lists for a decade or two, but who has somehow never made it to my bedside table. Or my Kindle. Until now. Luckily for me, I've made a promise to myself to read all the Nobel prize authors. Sometimes I don't quite agree with the Nobel judges, but this year, I found the author an absolutely worthy winner.

Munro is mostly known for her short story collections, and my choice fell upon Something I've been meaning to tell you, originally from 1974. The book contains 13 different stories. The strange thing is that after reading them all, I felt like I'd read a novel. Somehow it felt like all the main characters really was one person, no matter how different they all were. I think this says something about Munros strong voice as a storyteller.

This particular collection has a strong sense of quietness, of longing and of melancholy, but is never sentimental. That is not Munroe's style. It is everyday life disguised in extraordinary words that make you want to read more. I will. Hopefully.

Munro, Alice (2004). Something I've been meaning to tell you. Vintage: New York.