Extremely enlightening glimpses into the lives of some very different people, and the things which happen to them

4.5 stars!

I think I enjoyed every story in this collection which doesn't happen often. Arditti really covers every mood and emotion with these and I think all types of readers will find something to enjoy. the characters in the stories were diverse and though you don't get to spend long with them, you felt like you'd gotten exactly the right amount. I think this would work really well as an audiobook.

I read this over a couple of weeks and it was really easy to keep slipping back into. I think it worked better as a casual read to be picked up from time to time rather than read quickly. I did feel a little lost in some of the stories as there were a lot of characters mentioned.

There are two reasons why I was drawn to this book. The first being Salt Publishing - I’ve loved every single one of their titles, so I’d always try and pick up their books.
Secondly, the cover art really appealed to me.
But what I wasn’t expecting is just how much I’d love these stories. Short story collections are generally a bit hit or miss. But every story in this book was a solid 5 star read. I’d not heard of Michael Arditti before, but I shall definitely be seeking out more of his work. What a fantastic writer - the stories were a mix of clever humour, crisp writing, fantastically rich characters, unease and even gut-wrenching sadness. I think I must have experienced every emotion of the spectrum of feels reading these stories - which is a rare feat indeed in the duration of just one book!
Considering all the stories are written from the viewpoint of females, I was actually surprised at how well Arditti managed to express these feminine voices.
* Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publishers for the chance to read this ARC

Excellent collection of varied women’s voices and intentions
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I’m about to admit something that I haven’t done before: I’m not a fan of short stories. I often find them too short to engage me and the single turn at the end (and it’s usually at the end) is often poorly designed or unearned. Thankfully, none of that applies here. Arditti is a very, very good short story writer and the majority of these longer short stories — none are micro length, all have plenty of characters and character development — satisfy in their development of each story and in the resolution for the main character.

The book is made up of women’s stories, from eight to seventy-eight, and all feature a family; but beyond that they’re as varied as can be. Without going into any one in detail and without giving away anything, these show a distinct style, of dense world building and strong characters, and then a concatenation of circumstances and choices that bring the main character to her moment of crisis. There are no simple solutions to the problems posed — a wayward husband, a long lost love, an unknown yet ghostly sister — but the stand out is of course the titular story, which beggars belief but is based on real world examples. Of course, Arditti makes it much more entertaining and gives the Mellow Madam, and the other girls and women of this excellent collection, their own voices and their own intentions. One to savour and re-read.

This collection of short stories is phenomenal, each one is as powerful and as well written as the rest. A truly fantastic breath of subjects and genres I raced through this collection greedily and was sad when i had finished it. Beautiful vignettes of diverse lives.

10 different women with different walks of life, different backgrounds, a wide age range and lives of the past and present.

This is truly a book filled with all kinds of emotion but boredom. Each story needs its own time to be digested and properly analysed. So much so that it's very difficult to write a review without spoiling anything as all I want to do is talk about how each story is extraordinary in its own way and each character is complex and full of depth. Not every character is likeable of course but none has no substance.

The time travel in this book is wonderful. It goes from talks of the 1920's (Sands of the Sahara) to a story centred around a trip during the covid-19 time (Cabin Fever).

The opening story (As Seen On TV) is a fantastic entrée of what to expect from this book. Our main character in this story, a lady I heavily sympathised with at first and who takes a huge turn towards the end of the story. I could not believe what was unfurling with each word I read.

The Mellow Madam, the title story comes in the middle of the book. Not only is it the main attraction but it keeps your interest in the rest of book. If you were intrigued by the book for the cover and title, by this point, you realise that even with it being the highlight, it didn't lack competition.

These stories brought me back to reality, even though they are fiction. That is how good it is written. This is the first book of his I have read. I look forward to reading more.

An inspired collection with a superb cover! Each story is distinct in subject and tone. I thought ‘The Mellow Madam and Other Stories’ was truly wonderful. Each new story became my favourite as I read, but I would especially like to see the last story, ‘In The Event of’ expanded. I think it would transfer well to screen too.
There are some tricky topics in the book, all handled beautifully. This is my first time reading Michael Arditti’s work and I really do look forward to discovering more. Short stories are notoriously difficult to write. Us mere mortals must simply sit quietly, awestruck by the very obvious talent of this writer. More please, Michael!

With most short story books there are always 2 or 3 that you either don’t enjoy or skip past as it doesn’t hold you attention. I can honestly say that in this collection, I didn’t skip a single story. I felt drawn into every story from the first story of Jean and her all consuming world of a soap opera to Jackie’s secret life as a Madam to the tragic story of Bella and Max. The stories may be short but they engrossed the reader from the beginning.

I was not familiar with Michael Arditti before reading this but I’ll definitely be seeking out his previous works and anything he writes in the future. I read a preview from Netgalley and Salt Publishing but will be buying a copy on release date.

An enjoyable collection of novella style short stories, with a good mix of subjects. From a mature prostitute, to a mother’s loss of her teenage son (get the tissues ready!) each story worked well, and was a satisfying length. Recommended if you’re looking for a break from a full length novel.