As West Sussex libraries celebrate their centenary, we have been asking our librarians to tell us about their favourite book. Zoe Gaunt, Library Manager (Storrington, Billingshurst, Henfield, Pulborough and Steyning) has chosen Dogs and Monsters.

I had been forewarned by my colleagues that identifying ‘my favourite book’ may prove something of a challenge, an accurate prophecy as it turned out. After dithering between various titles I concluded that it was an impossible task, and I would focus on a favourite author and genre instead: short stories. I feel short stories do get rather lost on the shelves, but they can be richly rewarding to readers and offer huge benefits in terms of wellbeing.

‘Dogs and Monsters’, is a collection by Mark Haddon published in August 2024. Haddon rose to prominence following the publication of the unique ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ and since then has written a number of novels and short story collections that blend sardonic and sometimes devastating observations on modern life with evocative renditions of classical myths.

In my opinion, the best single author collections have common themes running like a thread through the stories, linking up ideas, characters and place but equally, can be read as standalone tales in single sittings.

Fittingly, the first story in this collection, ‘The Mother’s Story’, tells the myth of the Minotaur, reimagining through a lens of maternal devotion a terrifying monster into ‘Paul’, a frightened little boy. Over the course of Paul’s childhood, we see his mother’s endeavours to advocate for her son and try to limit the implications of the horrifying circumstances in which he finds himself. Monsters do abound but not where you think they should be, and mother and son ultimately attempt a daring escape as the myth disintegrates around the royal household.

Animals, and their relationship with humans is a common theme throughout the collection. In ‘D.O.G.Z.’ we see Actaeon vividly devoured by his hounds after being turned into a stag as punishment for witnessing the bathing Diana. However, the tale doesn’t end there and expands into a historical montage of dogs touched by the divine encounter, shining an uncomfortable spotlight on mankind’s subversion of this relationship over the intervening years.

Haddon also plays with narrative perspective to portray a different take on tragic events and make us query who the monster really is. In ‘My Old School’ we are told the story of Meyer, a pupil at a brutal boys’ boarding school who is relentlessly bullied. However, as the story progresses, we are forced to re-consider the reliability of the narrator and the identity of the villains of the piece.

These stories are vivid, engaging and at times funny (yes, really!), offering fresh glimpses into modern and mythical worlds that are always surprising in some way. For readers who may struggle with focus, due to memory problems, mental health or life pressures, short stories can offer an invaluable opportunity to engage with narrative microcosms without the demands of embarking on a novel.

We have an extensive collection of short stories on our catalogue at West Sussex Library Service by single authors, as well as collections by multiple authors. For the latter, I highly recommend ‘Love, Loss and the Lives of Women’ chosen by Victoria Hislop; some of the lives and characters visited in this collection will stay with me for a long time.

Search for ‘short stories’ on our catalogue or if you’re browsing in a West Sussex library, keep an eye out for a ‘SHO’ sticker on the spines of books shelved in adult fiction.