Book review: Legoland

GERARD WOODWARD is probably best known for his trilogy of stories about the Jones family — August, I’ll Go To Bed At Noon and A Curious Earth.

Gerard Woodward

Picador, €19.40;

ebook €13.50)

However, his latest offering, Legoland, sees him once again return to writing short stories, a format to which Woodward, who is also a poet, is well suited.

The stories range from the mundane to the surreal. There’s the beautifully observed story of Williamina who leaves her husband only to find herself receiving regular visits from persistent suitors.

Then there’s the man who creates an exact replica of his sitting room in his basement — but everything is upside down, and the writer who ends up on the run after he finds himself caught up in a bloody revolution. A strong sense of black humour runs throughout these 15 stories.

They will leave you amused, sometimes confused and often unnerved — there are some you might want to avoid reading before bed.

However, these beautifully written stories will captivate you.