(#gifted @thebookerprizes) I have to admit, I was a little underwhelmed by the only short story collection on the International Booker longlist, but it wasn’t a bad read! Through a series of loosely interconnected stories, Faces on the Tip of My Tongue explores life in a small community in rural France, aiming to remind us that the people we think we know can always surprise us in ways we least expect.

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A few of the stories left little to no impression on me, but I did really enjoy The Lake’s Favourite, Mum at the Park and Just a Dad, while the last story, Glitter, struck a chord with me, and would with all readers likely! What you initially think is book snobbery turns into a homage on the wonderful way all types of books bring all types of readers together.

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The translation is another joint effort from two translators, Jennifer Higgins and Sophie Lewis - a common feature on this year’s longlist, one of four translator duos. It’s so interesting to read about their efforts translating together on @thebookerprize’s website, and it’s likely that the exceeding smoothness of the prose is due to having two pairs of eyes and ears checking over it.

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Interestingly, the French edition of this book is 300+ pages, but the decision was made to shorten the English version - which Pagano admits to being initially disappointed by, but she has come around to it. This was down to myriad reasons, including the fact that Pereine only publish books 200 pages or less that can be read in the same time it takes to watch a film, and also to heighten the nuances of these interconnected lives. I’m a bit put out by this decision though, as I can’t help but wondering what we’re missing by reading the abridged version. I felt somewhat disconnected from the stories - would I have developed stronger feelings towards it if it had been twice the length?

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Not a favourite, and not a contender for the shortlist in my opinion, but a sleek collection!