Open Up

This collection of stories is quite remarkable, offering a powerful exploration of a range of important themes and experiences. The stories are a potent blend of fierceness and tenderness, delving into the worlds of young boys and lost young men, and the psychological effects of growing up in poverty and deprived childhoods.

"Just because an experience is common, it doesn't make it any less painful to go through."

A beautiful collection of five short stories that invoke an entire range of emotions in a dazzling, highly conceptual and striking way.

A young boy watches his first football match with his dad and tries to summon magic, a sentient Welsh seahorse tries to understand love and loss for the first time, a bitter, below average height office worker tries to fix his life, a conversation between lovers leads to them realising how their childhoods have shaped them, a young vampire gets their internet cut off by their mother — each of these stories paint a hauntingly evocative portrait of aspects of the human condition and the ways we uncover ourselves and learn more about who we are. Each is a snapshot of a life, a transient moment of self-exploration and discovery. Of course each story has its own merits, some longer than others and they have different styles of storytelling so you may not like every one but the themes and feelings woven through them make this an interesting, impactful read.

Thomas Morris has a distinct voice, with beautifully poetic prose that is layered with nuance and vivid imagery, with deep meaning and achingly authentic ideas that reach into the reader to create a genuine connection and recognition.

"So much of my life feels unreal tome, he told her. It's as if I'm watching it all happen to someone else."

This is an absolutely incredible collection of stories. I was so impressed by the surreal, strange twists and turns they took. It's really hard to pick a favourite story, but if I had to, I would pick the closing one, "Birthday Teeth." I love the deadpan first-person narrator and his life as a vampire - it made me laugh a lot, and also kind of want to cry (as all of the stories did). I also loved "Little Wizard" - very sad and touching story. Sad and touching is a good phrase for this collection overall, I think - beautifully melancholic yet also uplifting. I would describe to toI love the focus on class and on how difficult life could be in stories like "Wales" and "Passenger." And of course the seahorse story is just a stunner. Just a really brilliant collection overall - I can't overstate how much these stories moved me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

"I began to wonder what my own life means--and what any life is really for. There's a hole in all of us, I believe. We can try to fill the hole with explanations and distractions, and for a while our efforts might work and we might go to sleep feeling full, but in the morning we'll always wake up empty."

"He had the thought of digging up a fresh grave, drinking a bottle of drain cleaner, and just rolling himself in. He wouldn't be no harm to anyone then, and no one would have to deal with his body."

"Since I was little, I have operated under the belief that there is something wrong with me. I've pictured organs rotting, devouring me from the inside."

"My body was a landfill and it needed trash to burn."

"He actually looks a bit like me before I started secondary school, before my screws were loosened and I lost my mind."

Open Up by Thomas Morris is a brilliant collection of four short stories. The stories embrace a theme of isolation and disconnection in a very relatable and tender manner where you’re surrounded by people that feel miles away. These are stories that will continue to pop into your head long after you’ve finished reading them.

Open Up is a beautiful collection of stories, each one connecting to the title - some more overtly than others.
Aberkariad was the standout story for me amongst a very well-written collection, the vulnerability and beauty of this story has stayed with me after finishing the book, and I often think about it weeks after finishing it.
I’ve heard excellent things about Morris’s other short story collection and I will be seeking this out too - he has a wonderful way of writing and looking forward to reading more of it.