Kirsty Gunn’s Pretty Ugly is an audacious and provocative collection of short stories that confronts readers with the duality of beauty and ugliness, often found intertwined within human experiences. As the inaugural title in Otago University Press's Landfall Tauraka series, the collection not only sets a high bar for future publications but also expands the boundaries of contemporary New Zealand literature. Gunn, an award-winning author with a reputation for technical innovation, delivers thirteen stories that are as unsettling as they are profoundly resonant.
The collection explores themes of place, identity, and moral complexity, delving into uncomfortable truths that challenge both societal norms and personal ethics. Gunn’s background—rooted in New Zealand yet shaped by her life in Scotland and London—imbues the stories with a strong sense of geographical and emotional displacement. Settings, from Te Urewera in King Country to Scotland’s Sutherland County in Poor Beasts, become characters in their own right, shaping destinies and harbouring secrets. This interplay between environment and narrative is central to Gunn’s storytelling, as illustrated in The Round Pool, where nature mirrors the protagonist’s internal struggle for identity and redemption.
A hallmark of Gunn’s writing is its metafictional self-awareness. In Praxis, Or Why Joan Collins is Important, the narrative playfully critiques its own conventions, blending humour with philosophical musings. Similarly, the opening story, Blood Knowledge, uses sharp, precise language to weave a tale of domestic unease. Venetia, a novelist whose husband admires her for the “beautiful predictability” of her work, longs to create something raw and untamed—a reflection of the collection’s broader ethos. The stories in Pretty Ugly revel in their unpredictability, inviting readers to confront their assumptions and biases.
Perhaps most striking are the collection’s darker narratives, which delve into human cruelty and societal failings. All Gone, a particularly controversial story, exemplifies Gunn’s willingness to confront readers with moral ambiguity and visceral discomfort. Reminiscent of Eudora Welty’s Where Is the Voice Coming From?, the story employs a chilling narrative voice to explore themes of racism and hatred, forcing readers to grapple with the unsettling realities it portrays.
Yet, Pretty Ugly is not devoid of levity or tenderness. The stories balance their darker elements with moments of humour, introspection, and even love. The “Afterword”, Night-Scented Stock, provides a reflective meta-commentary, as a protagonist contemplates a bouquet that mirrors the collection’s thematic complexity—“a posy with no theme or unity,” both beautiful and grotesque.
Gunn’s collection is an invitation to sit with discomfort, to resist easy answers, and to engage deeply with the complexities of the human condition. Pretty Ugly is not merely a collection of stories; it is a profound exploration of what it means to live authentically in a world fraught with contradictions. For those willing to embrace its challenges, the reward is an unforgettable literary experience that lingers long after the final page.
Reviewer: Chris Reed
Otago University Press