Evidence by Ian Colford, was published in 2008, and I felt drawn to read it before the long-awaited sequel, Witness, hits the shelves this spring (May 15th). “Compelled” to read it is a much better word choice, as Ian Colford is an exquisite writer, which was clearly apparent in his collection, A Dark House and Other Stories.
Evidence is a unique collection of short stories, linked like puzzle pieces to the creation of the book’s main character. Colford tells the stories in a random time frame, revealing his protagonist through carefully chosen situations. Told in a first-person scenario, the narrator is exposed to us, his readers, in a careful fashion where every word, nuance, and revelation is strategically placed by this accomplished writer.
We meet this loner, this wanderer, on the book’s opening page. Immediately, Colford’s reader is set up for a feeling of isolation that is to come and remain. We learn the narrator is a teacher, from somewhere else, who becomes known to us by him being placed in the middle of situations. He relates his innermost feelings for being in exactly “this spot” at “that time”. As time is woven back and forth, like a moon’s waxing and waning, we are exposed to a written soliloquy, where we feel totally alone with this narrator. To experience a character in this fashion, from the hand of this gifted writer, is a special treat for any reader. The snippets of character formation come together to conjure a human with more clarity, as the short stories unfold. The character’s personality, temperament, and nature must be discovered by the written evidence awarded by Colford. THIS alone makes Evidence a superior collection, artfully written, expertly revealed, perfectly executed. There is much here that awaits its reader.
From the book’s back:
A single narrator – a wanderer uprooted by war – observes the societies he inhabits with an uneasy, distrustful eye. Sometimes seeking a foothold or an advantage, sometimes just passing through, he observes the ways people torment and use each other. He sees the worst impulses that humanity tolerates, not only in others but in himself. He is by turns victim and abuser.
I cannot recall reading anything like Evidence. I felt by turns sympathetic to this narrator, oddly attracted to him, and yet somewhat fearful of his next move. I knew this character by the book’s conclusion, or did I? What I did know for sure is that I wanted MORE from this author and his intriguing narrator. I am at the edge of my seat, in a pre-order lineup for WITNESS by Ian Colford. But, pick up a copy of Evidence first and get ready to be swept up into another world. I will place this book securely on my “favourites” shelf, ready for a re-read, which is certain. The overall feeling I had at the conclusion of Evidence is “how did Colford accomplish such a momentous task in only 180 pages?” The answer: Ian Colford’s superior skill at his craft.
Ian Colford’s first story was published in 1983 and he has subsequently had more than twenty pieces of fiction, reviews and essays published in a variety of periodicals. Travel to Greece, Portugal, Turkey and Italy have laid a foundation upon which much of his recent fiction is constructed. His work has won awards and has been nominated for the Journey Prize. He lives in Halifax and for the last twenty years has laboured at Dalhousie University.
- Publisher : Porcupine’s Quill; First Edition (April 1 2008)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 192 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0889843031
- ISBN-13 : 978-0889843035
TMR’s Managing Editor Carrie Stanton has a BA in Political Science from the University of Calgary. She is the author of The Jewel and Beast Bot, and picture books, Emmie and the Fierce Dragon and The Gardener. Carrie loves to write stories that grow wings and transport readers everywhere. She reads and enjoys stories from every genre.