The Terrible Event

April 25, 2023
The Terrible Event comprises eight accessible, absurdist stories by David Cohen, past winner of the Russell Prize for Humour Writing. Each instalment is a tightly crafted pocket of madness, driven, in most cases, by each protagonist’s peculiar attitude towards the world, or the bizarre set of circumstances the character finds themselves in. There is some variety in tone: some of the stories in the collection lean more heavily on their comedic premises; others seem to be slightly more serious and melancholic. Of the eight stories in the collection, my favourites were ‘Bugs’ and ‘The Holes’. ‘Bugs’ is an affecting portrait of a man’s seemingly prolonged mental breakdown, as represented by the dynamic relationship between himself and his recently recovered childhood Bugs Bunny doll. In ‘The Holes’, the protagonist is driven to distraction wondering about an employee who works from home at his increasingly surreal employer. Both stand out for their sensitive inquiries into the fragile states of characters trying to cope with the world. Other highlights include ‘Mattress’ and ‘Andrew’, both short, punchy exercises in comedic style and premise. Even with all the absurdity present in the worlds of The Terrible Event, there is a bit of a sameness to the stories, particularly the characters, which could also be a result of the short length of the collection: if it was a bit longer, there may have been an opportunity to add more variety. The Terrible Event is recommended for fans of Cohen’s previous work and other writers of slightly absurd contemporary fiction.