Counterparts, a short story by Belinda Mc Keon in Dubliners 100
I am really enjoying working my way through the new Dubliners 100 collection of short stories. I love it when I reach a story that I think is the highlight so far. Belinda Mc Keon is the highlight so far for me.
Some reasons for this.
I love her and her writing. She is in the Ann Enright style of writing. Well observed, shrewd and sassy. This story is written in that way too.
the second most important thing to me throughout this collection is the fact that the author takes one of the nubs or themes of Joyce’s original and makes it truly into her own. A story that Joyce might relate to if he were alive now and a story that I can relate to and read side by side with the original or as a stand alone. So, that’s why this story is pretty genius.
This story keeps with the theme of anger and routine and the whole pointlessness of this type of office life but these ideas are fed through the media that is twitter. the words and style pick up on this frenzy and anger of twitter. Belinda, herself is an avid twitter user and she uses this insight in hugely comical ways. A depressing and angry tale. Love it.
Counterparts is a short story written by Belinda Mc Keon in response to the Joyce original. You can find this in Dubliners 100 which is published by Tramp Press.