Jim Crace's first story collection was advertised as a "novel in seven stories" about "an imaginary seventh continent." I expected a Borgesian account of the geography and sociology of the unnamed land and/or interlocking stories where main characters recur as minor ones. Continent didn't fulfill either of these expectations; instead, it is merely a pleasant set of stories about people in a vaguely colonial setting.
A couple of the stories are tall tales, about a race between a man and a horse ("Cross-Country") and about the world's largest ceiling fan ("Electricity"). The best stories are about traditional crafts adjusting to the modern world ("Talking Skull" and "Sins and Virtues").
A couple of the stories are tall tales, about a race between a man and a horse ("Cross-Country") and about the world's largest ceiling fan ("Electricity"). The best stories are about traditional crafts adjusting to the modern world ("Talking Skull" and "Sins and Virtues").
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