Illustrated Short Fiction of William H. Coles 2000-2016 is certainly an apt name for this collection of stories, but the name lacks any pizzazz or creativity. I would very much like to see at least a little less of a description of what’s within and more of a title. It seems bland and boring. I would suggest a change of title at the very least. I doubt many people would pick up the book because of that title. The first story is “The Gift” and tells the story of a seventeen year old girl who finds herself pregnant. Within the first few sentences I developed a dislike for the mother character, whose ideals could be called reserved at the very least. I could not find a bit of sympathy for that woman. However, the other characters- from the young girl herself to the nuns- were extremely likeable (dare I say, amiable?) and compassionate. The story was emotionally moving from beginning to end. This is paired with an illustration by Peter Healy of a mother and child. While the drawing itself shows …show more content…
The drawing shows two people (the main characters) with two coffins. The background of it is extraordinarily dark, as only death can be, and the entirety exhibits fantastic detailing. Although I happen to be drawn to most of the picture, the faces seem off-putting. It’s almost as if they are a part of another picture altogether and were pasted on to this one after the fact. The story itself is about two very different people who have to deliver eulogies for people with whom they each shared a complicated relationship. My first impression was that, at least to me, William H. Coles has an unbelievable talent for writing unlikeable characters. Grace and Candy, the mother and daughter characters (respectively, and both deceased) seemed selfish and, at the very least narcissistic. The story seemed to end abruptly, as if the story should have continued but the author just didn’t want to write