Title: Corfu
Author: Isobelle Carmody
In: Green Monkey Dreams (Isobelle Carmody)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Year: 1996

This story made me really sad – it was a soulless town filled with soulless people. And, even though there was no hopeful notes to this story, I was still hoping for a more positive and promising ending than I got. It was a bit disheartening and sad to read – and honestly, I like stories that have at least a glimmer of hope in them. I didn’t find that in this story.

The decision made at the end of this wasn’t all that surprising – there’s a reason that it’s the decision many make in reality. But it was still really sad. I mean, the boy has so much hope at the beginning of this story, and potential. But then, he decides to join his brother in a gang and say goodbye to all of the potential doors that were in front of him. Sometimes I wonder if that’s a metaphor for life – saying goodbye to dreams because sometimes they are just unattainable.

I think that saddest part of all of this for me was that at the very end, Sophie recognises the path chosen. And recognised the betrayal that that decision denotes. Absolutely heart breaking and hard to read about. Love doesn’t necessarily conquer all, and this is kind of a reminder of that fact.

Image source: Allen & Unwin