Constitutional

A sensational short story collection from Britain's master of the genre. Charting tantrums, funerals, pregnancy and love affairs, these stories unroll with piercing wit and compassion. One woman finds grief for her lost lover is assuaged when she invests in a new front door. Another grows increasingly frustrated as the grim reaper scythes through her circle, with farcical and tragic results. Elsewhere, a chain-smoker’s brush with death appears to help him reassess his priorities, a south London builder avenges the duping of his adored mother, and a phlebotomist’s relationship is pushed to it limits by her preoccupation with war. And in the title story, a teacher’s circular walk on Hampstead Heath leads to revelations about mourning, ageing, and new life. "A masterful contemporary exponent of the genre. Simpson now deserves to be compared with Flannery O'Connor and Alice Munro." - Robert McCrum, The Observer"Simpson's use of language is remarkable: she handles prose with the risky precision of a trapeze artist, swooping and tumbling through empty air, seeming certain at moments to succumb to whimsy or sentimentality but at the last moment recovering her grasp on the deftly constructed framework of her narratives. It's a virtuoso performance; its effect on the reader is both consoling and exhilarating." - Jane Shilling, Sunday Telegraph Charting tantrums, funerals, pregnancy, war and love affairs, these stories unroll with piercing wit and sympathy. One woman finds grief for her lost lover is assuaged by involvement in some carpentry repair work. Another grows increasingly angry as the grim reaper scythes through her circle, with farcical and tragic results. Elsewhere, a foreign correspondent receives an unwanted ultimatum, a south London builder avenges the duping of his adored mother, and a chlorinated changing-room encounter brings about a much-needed break with the past. And in the title story, a circular walk on Hampstead Heath leads to revelations involving feats of memory, a Shakespearian heroine, crossword clues, nonagenarians, and new life. In this collection of short stories, Helen Simpson explores the spaces we inhabit - both physical and mental - and delves into the relationships between change, memory and experience, exposing the gulf dividing youth and middle age and the line between life and death A sensational new short story collection about womens lives, from Britains master of the A masterful contemporary exponent of the genre, Simpson now deserves to be compared with Flannery OConnor and Alice Munro. The Observer Funny and entertaining, this book of short stories deals with - among other things - time and change. As they chart tantrums, funerals, pregnancy, war and love affairs, these stories unroll with piercing wit and sympathy.