Penny Jones’ collection of 21 stories, Behind a Broken Smile, is a collection full of harrowing moments, complex characters, and touches of humour. There’s always so much more going on that what’s on the page. That’s Jones’s real skill, giving you enough so you understand what’s going on, and allowing the further level of horror to develop off the page. Some of these stories are like splinters that give an instant prick, but then they unknowingly worm their way deeper, and by the time the infection sets in you understand how powerful they are. The collection does go to some dark places. The stories tackling abuse were particularly difficult, but written with sensitivity. There’s no dwelling on the horrific events, but Jones’ delivers the lasting horror of a survivor in a deeply affecting way. The two stories that bookend this are a perfect example. It does mean those stories with a touch of humour are all the more welcome. They raise a smile when most needed – though those smiles are often coming from some pretty dark places too!
The stories:
Waxing:
There’s this creepy mirroring between this troubled first-person narrator and this doll. We get what seems like paranoia, but as the story develops we come to understand the truly horrific suffering of the character. It’s not an easy opening story, but one that showcases Jones’ talent for exploring these dark places with sensitivity. Yes it’s horrible, but it made me feel I could trust Jones with these topics, and as such, a very good choice to start the collection.
The Deer:
Man hits deer, and the damn smell won’t go away. This one builds and builds until it unravels in a satisfying way that makes the earlier part make so much more sense.
A New Life:
Another story that unravels slowly as we come to see Sarah moving on to cope without her husband. Another story which has more than meets the eye. The pacing is very good. I felt it was all coming together (or falling apart) for the character and me at the same time
Along the Road:
Poor old Beth’s dragged along on a double date. While parts of this story go where you expect them to, there’s another layer as you come to understand the stress Beth is under with what else is going on in here life. It’s a story that demonstrates Jones’s skill for creating complex characters with great efficiency.
Slipping:
The sense of humour in this story really worked for me. I love that there is something incredibly distressing going on, but the narrator is fixated on the bloody sock. There’s so much we don’t know in this story. Soe will be frustrated. It worked for me.
The Farm:
Another story where a character is well developed so we better understand the horror that takes places. It uses flashbacks, which can be tough to do well in a short piece, but it works well here. Again, another story in which everything unfolds in a really controlled way. I don’t want to say too much, but I love the use of the farm cliché, and where Jones goes with this.
Non-Standard Construction:
And then things get weird(er). A loved the way the strangeness of this story unfolds. Jones creates characters you can’t entirely trust.
Origami:
A very short piece, but a satisfying example of flash fiction.
In and Out the Dusty Bluebells:
Sinister narrator. While I understand the situation some of the other characters were in and why they may have been led to do what they do, this one, not so much. He’s a chilling character.
Piggies:
The narrative voice in this story is great. The escalation throughout is done well. It’s one of the more humorous stories, but nevertheless, completely sick.
To See Sweet Cate Cry:
This is an interesting one. It uses a children’s nursery rhyme/game in a sinister way.
Places to Run, Places to Hide:
This place uses a first-person voice really well. I felt we got inside the character, and it’s a much more gentle piece.
The Flood:
Rising water, and rising horror. We get to know Steve well as his house floods .The elements of horror are hinted at, very subtly. Another story that leaves the worst of it off the page, but you just know. Borrowing from Lovecraft with a reference to Innsmouth is enough. The rest is teased.
Warpaint:
Again, Jones shows how to use different timelines to develop a character and show where their fear comes from. Lots of the stories tackle the lasting effects of trauma. Again, very well done.
The Final Cut:
A story that unfolds over years. The mirroring is very well done between the lives of the neighbours, so similar in so many ways. Until they’re not.
To Pray at Your Temple:
Another very short one, but again we see this idea developed very quickly. A shift from third to third person helps bring this to a satisfying conclusion.
The Lepidopterist:
Another potentially horrible concept delivered in an interesting way. Using the sequential ‘lessons’ introduces us to the concept, and with each it becomes more unsettling. From the start, it’s clear what’s going on is horrific, but by the time we get to the ‘blancmange’ it’s so much worse. The end again tells us there’s more going on, and we’ve no choice but to imagine it.
Dendrochronology:
This is a sad story. I don’t want to say too much. I think it’s really effective how the idea of trees rings which show the greatest trauma in their lives in used to tell a live of suffering here.
On the Island:
Another short, but effective tale, this one with some Halloween strangeness.
Flowers:
Another story that unravels really well, the strangeness growing from early on, coupled with isolation, until we get to realisation.
Behind A Broken Smile:
Possibly the longest story in the collection, we have a really creepy doll, and a fifteen year-old girl staying with her grandmother, whose house has some terrible memories. This is a story about trauma, and the unavoidable past. What happened in the past is not graphic, but it’s very present, and actually it’s some of the more subtle, but lingering reminders that are all the more horrific for the narrator. Horror is not always about scaring the reader. Sometimes, it’s about creating a real character, and putting them in a position where they’re living a horror. You may not be frightened yourself, but you’re going through that experience with them, seeing their pain, and feeling the demon bite you too.
A satisfying, but sometimes difficult read, Behind a Broken Smile is a success. Beyond the stories, the collection looks great. A lot of care has been taken in putting this work together.