Review: Last Gasp Anthology

This anthology of four historical short stories takes the idea of the alien or outsider in a foreign land.  In the first three stories the outsider is a British man and in the final story the outsider is an American in Canada.  Whilst I enjoyed all the stories, and feel that they are all worth reading for those who like historicals, I liked some better than others.  I also found that those who like a high degree of romance in their stories may be disappointed as in many stories the emphasis is clearly on the historical content rather than the romantic relationship.  Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, especially for me, just that those who like their historicals to be heavy on romantic and sexual content may not find this book to their taste.

The first story, Tributary by Erastes, is set in Italy during the 1930s and follows bored Guy, as he tootles around Europe in his car before settling at an isolated hotel in the Italian Alps.  Rather predictably the hotel is full of Brits who are there to take the air and holiday.  Whilst there he meets Professor Calloway and his 'assistant' Louis.  Guy finds Louis' dark good looks irresistible, but there's the added complication of Calloway's affection and love for his young assistant.

To be honest, Erastes was always going to be on a winner with this story for me.  I studied the literature of the 1930s at College and have a great affection for that era.  This meant that I was thoroughly delighted to read about some of the prevailing feelings at the time, especially in relation to the First World War.  Guy served in the home office and never saw active service, and Louis was too young to fight.  Both men are suffering from a form of survivor's guilt in that Guy is ashamed of his wartime desk job when compared to Calloway and another military man staying at the hotel, both of whom have suffered from war injuries.  Louis is disappointed that he never got the opportunity to fight for his country.  These feelings lead to a sense of shared feeling between the men and forms the start of their relationship.  Other themes such as the ennui of the British abroad , the May to December relationship and the circumspect way that both Guy and Calloway conduct their relationship with Louis all add to the period feel and made this a very enjoyable story.


The second story was The White Empire by Chris Smith.  Set in Hong Kong during the Victorian era, the story follows first person narrator Vaughan, a clergyman and the younger son of an aristocratic family, who has decided that in order to win his battle over his homosexuality he needs to volunteer for an overseas mission.  He travels to Hong Kong and discovers a city in the thrall of opium.  Vaughan is determined to do all he can to eradicate opium but finds his path blocked by British bureaucracy and by his feelings for Lord Runfold.

This was the longest story in the anthology and my least favourite.  Not that there was anything wrong with the writing, which was excellent, or the characterisation, which was well rounded.  The sights, smells and tastes of Hong Kong are all lovingly described in all its dirt and foulness, and the manners and morals of Victorian society are exposed as mere niceties which hide the rot underneath.  The problem with the story was all mine, as I'm not hugely fond of stories set in the Victorian period (unless they are written by the Brontes).  I also found it a little odd that at the beginning of the story Vaughan is deeply committed to overcoming his homosexuality and yet that seems all but forgotten by the end.  There's not even a gradual change, he just abruptly changes his mind and his position as a clergyman is never mentioned towards the end of the story.   Having said that, this is perhaps the most traditionally romantic of the four stories and does give an interesting insight into the British opium trade in Hong Kong, something I knew nothing about.


The shortest story in the anthology is Sand by Charlie Cochrane.  Set in Syria during (I think) the early 20th Century this story follows Charlie, who has been charged with the thankless task of minding his friend Bernhard who has been sent overseas for a number of indiscretions with women.  Charlie's job is to ensure that Bernhard stays as far away from the opposite sex as possible.  Their destination is a archaeological dig in the Syrian desert run by Dr Andrew Parks and whilst there, Charlie learns that given the right companion the "bloody sand" isn't that bad after all.

This was the most lighthearted story out of the collection and I enjoyed it a great deal.  Much of the humour is derived from the acerbic comments of the long-suffering Charlie towards his rather dim-witted friend and the desert conditions.  It's not all humour though as both Charlie and Andrew have loved and lost someone in the past and also have to cope with life in the desert with all its dangers.  The way the romance between the pair develops was quite delightful as was the understated way the men expressed their feelings for each other.  The setting itself wasn't described in as much detail as the previous stories, but overall this was a great little read with an unusual setting and pleasant characters.


The final story was my favourite, despite the lack of a British character!  The Ninth Language by Jordan Taylor is set in the Canadian Yukon at the height of the gold rush, 1898.  Native American Mitsrii kills a man who he witnesses killing wolves.  When Mitsrii is captured and brought to nearby town Dawson, a young translator Troy Karlson is brought to find out why Mitsrii killed the man.  Troy is desperate to act as an ambassador between the whites and the Native Americans and hopes that Mitsrii will help him find some of the NA tribes and villages, but the young NA man is both unwilling and  impatient with Troy and his blundering ways.

What I liked most about this story was the mixture between the beautiful Yukon setting, where nature rules in all its glory, and the difficult relationship between Mitsrii and Troy.  Much of the story is set in the wilderness as Troy learns to appreciate the balance in nature as well as realise the harm that the white men bring to that.  Mitsrii leans a little towards the noble savage cliché, but it was refreshing to see a character who could calmly kill a man but also respected the cyclical way of the natural world.  I felt dreadfully sorry for poor Troy for most of the book.  He's so earnest in his search for ways to bring white and NA people together and yet his naivety and clumsiness when compared with Mitsrii was endearing.  The relationship between the the men develops from antagonism on the part of Mitsrii, the grudging acceptance and finally attraction.  The emotions are understated and moving, and I found tears in my eyes before the end of the story.


For those readers who enjoy historical stories this anthology is a must.  On the whole I found it an enjoyable read, if a little slow moving at times, and I would recommend it with a grade of 'Very Good.

Buy this anthology HERE.