I find it hard to review/rate short story collections because there will always be some I like and some I don't. Under Brambles also features poems as well as stories which was new to me. This collection is best read 1 or 2 at a time as I feel they can blend together if you don't take a break.

Margaretta James' writing is very unique and there were a few descriptive passages that really took my breath away. I personally felt like I could tell when reading which stories were in her wheelhouse and which may have been a little out of her comfort zone. It's great for there to be a mix but inevitably the quality varied widely across the collection. I probably wouldn't recommend this as a whole but there were 2 or 3 stories that really resonated with me and I would share with friends.

This is a well written collection of short stories and poems. I found this great to dip into and read one or two at a time rather than reading in one sitting, though I think the order of the stories has been well planned. These short stories are snippets of a wide variety of lives and are interesting and thought provoking.

Please note received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy. While the book was interesting, it did not quite capture my attention well enough. The writing was fair and the short stories also fair. I’m disappointed it wasn't better.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
The pages of this book hold tales and poems from around the world, between 1 and half a dozen pages long. There is enormous variety: some sadness, some magical and all are thought-provoking. I believe that there is something for everyone within the covers, my personal favourites are 'There be dragons' and 'age'. The style of writing and content reminded me of books by Laura McHale Holland: short yet full of detail, each story or poem having a beginning, middle and end or a clear message conveyed. Great to dip into, and read again.

'Under Brumbles' is a short story and poetry collection where each narrative revolves around a single moment in time. This momentary reflection or action or sometimes even just a passing thought that takes centrestage is what propels the narrative forward. Most stories contain a tragic core, a remembrance of sorts, or a tragedy in motion that you're looking at, as if, through an otherworldly lens, yet that is grounded in social fabric of reality.

The stories being neither very remarkable nor noteworthy, it's probably not a book I'd remember for a long time because isn't that the thing about moments? They pass, more often than not, into oblivion, and sometimes, randomly they flit across your mind's eye– a hazy polaroid of times gone by. Regrets, grief, sudden realizations, loves gone sour or just bland– all of it form a part of these tales.

Among the 18 stories and poems, the ones that impacted me the most are: 'There be Dragons', 'My Mother who Danced', 'Hallelujah', 'Awards Night', 'Story from a Quilt', 'Fluency', 'Looking for Spaces', 'Missing Stories', and 'The Doll'.

This collection of short stories gives me such mixed feelings , but I suppose something written like this should give me conflicting emotion. There’s definitely stories in here that I just didn’t care for , but I realize I’m probably not the target for those stories. Because there’s also stories here that I think beautifully and gave me a whole variety of emotions.