2004-10-13 An excellent collection, with only one dudd!

I often find collections of short stories quite hard work, as they are never long enough for me to feel I've gained much of an understanding about the central characters or they are so focused on coming to a purposeful or witty end that they can seem slightly snipped. This collection was quite different though and I found it a treat to be privy to the poigniant, deeply personal and sometimes absolutely hilarious memories of each author. The collection held together extremely well, and although the subject matter of each story varied widely, it still felt like a cohesive group of stories where each author had given much credence to the book's title of Truth or Dare and had laid their memories on the line with breathtaking honesty.

I particularly enjoyed Esther Freud's, Zoe Heller's, Andrea Ashworth's and Sabine Durrant's contributions. Both Freud's and Heller's memories had me laughing close to the point of tears, although for all their comedy they were just as personal as the others.

I finished the book in a day (no small feat for a full-time mother of two) and have immediately come on Amazon to buy the novels by some of the writers I discovered here and particularly enjoyed. I have also bought Justine Picardie's most recent novel on the basis of her introduction which left me wanting to read more by her. Definitely worth the hardback price.