The Three Button Trick: And Other Stories

by Nicola Barker

Nicola Barker, Man Booker Prize–shortlisted author of Darkmans and The Yips and winner of the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and Hawthornden Prize, gathers her finest short fiction in this irresistible collection

 

Audacious, original, clever, poignant—these are just a few words that describe the writing of Nicola Barker, an award-winning author who has been compared to Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, and Margaret Atwood. Now nineteen of her finest short stories have been compiled into one startling, delightfully readable volume.

 

It takes young Carrie twenty-one years and a chance meeting with an eighty-three-year-old widow to realize she fell victim to her husband’s “three button trick.” The main character in “Wesley” must work through his troubled childhood in a series of episodes involving masses of eels, an imaginary friend named Joy, and an unmentionable incident with an emu-owl. Whether describing erotic encounters behind clothing racks or a kleptomaniac with his organs on the wrong side, these stories never fail to surprise us, entertain us, and make us think.

 

“Nicola Barker’s is a singular world, a hectic place of uncommon characters and naughty, memorable prose . . . Her style is fast, funny, profound, and sharp.” —Newsday

 

“An astounding writer.” —Seattle Weekly

 

“Barker’s subjects are often raw and irreverently sexy, while her endings are sometimes abrupt, but she never fails to surprise and delight with incisive writing and piercing wit, to say nothing of all the vivid characters inhabiting these rambunctious and witty stories.” —Publishers Weekly

 Nicola Barker’s eight previous novels include Darkmans (short-listed for the 2007 Man Booker and Ondaatje prizes, and winner of the Hawthornden Prize), Wide Open (winner of the 2000 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award), and Clear (long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2004). She has also written two prize-winning collections of short stories, and her work has been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in East London.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, British Literature

216 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Nicola Barker is an English writer.
Nicola Barker’s eight previous novels include Darkmans (short-listed for the 2007 Man Booker and Ondaatje prizes, and winner of the Hawthornden Prize), Wide Open (winner of the 2000 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award), and Clear (long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2004). She has also written two prize-winning collections of short stories, and her work has been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in East London.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The great thing about a short story collection is that there’s almost always something for everyone. Which is good because, though I don’t think highly of Nicola Barker’s much-praised writing talent, I was able to enjoy a few of the 19 stories included in this volume.

It took 93 pages for me to find a well-crafted, unique short story, but I must admit “Symbiosis: Class Cestoda” was worth the wait. What an astonishing idea! The solution to America’s growing obesity problem: Give them a tapeworm. Why didn’t I think of that? You can eat as much as you like of anything — pizza, pasta, doughnuts, peanuts, HoHos, cream puffs, cookies, ice cream, mocha lattes (a personal weakness) — and not gain a pound! And the brilliance with which Barker’s svelte, tapeworm-carrying character brushes off the man who’d driven her to eat is praiseworthy.

After wading through a few more tedious stories, I discovered “Dual Balls,” similar to “Symbiosis” in its structure and uniqueness. In it, Selina Mitchell, an elderly dumpling who dedicated her life to teaching, is dared by her best friend, Joanna, to do something completely out of character — wear a sexual device to school. If David Sedaris’ satires didn’t count, I would say this is the best short story I’ve read by a modern writer. I’d like to check out one of her novels, but I’m afraid they’d all be as dramatic a hit-or-miss reaction as it was with her short stories.

[Nate Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing is incredibly formulaic. It's the literary equivalent of counting the number of times someone says "um" while delivering a lecture, except not nearly as entertaining.

[Story · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zippy, funny and engaging stories. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories! Hilariously smart and wildly entertaining! Nicola Barker is such a great writer, witty and fresh! Will start to turn even the squeakiest of brain cogs collecting work-funk-dust in your 'ed. ;) If you are a slow reader like me, you will be annoyed that you can't finish some stories in one sitting because you will become addicted to the one you start to read, taking the book with you everywhere and wanting to sneak a peek whenever possible!

[Peter Arango · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while a collection of short stories turns out to be completely compelling and totally engrossing. I've been teaching Salinger's Nine Stories for years, and I love them, but the time had come to try something contemporary. I had read a couple of Nicola Barker's stories in a collection, and thought she mightbe exactkly the right sort of next book for my seniors. Homerun!

[Zorlon Zorlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barker's writing is highly disturbing and hilarious. "Inside Information" details the efforts of a fetus who has dirt on the Universal Soul to convince his mother to abort him since birth erases the incarnation memories. "Parker Swells" is about a philosophical fish-pond thief. "The Piazza Barbirini" is indescribable. A few misses, but mostly great.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories were incredible. I absolutely love her style! So compelling, totally drawing you in. I was never sure what to expect. She kept me on my toes the whole way through. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and want to read much more by her!

[Allisonm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different short stories. Each one is about 6 pages, and they all seem to have some really manipulating characters. Totally enjoyable.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I'm trying.

But I admit I'm not the biggest reader of short-stories. Some in here are dynamite, but I'm running out of steam.

[Kira Henehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like her novels way better but as far as stories go, worth reading.

[Mylinh · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good writer and some good stories, but a few of the stories are a bit too disturbing for me. Didn't finish the book.

[Yuliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun and easy reading. some stories are a little shocking. anything can happen with anyone.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

She got me again! It is IMPERATIVE that you read her novel Behindlings before reading these stories, the reveal is amazing.

[Angus McKeogh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really hit and miss. Some stories great. Some inane and pointless. Have to say I'm a bigger fan of her novels.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of stories is a mixed bag. I feel like a lot of the stories don't really go anywhere - they just sit there, looking at you. Some of them wink at you, saying "aren't we clever and a bit quirky".

In some of the stories I felt like Barker looks down on her characters, and then the stories become cruel. (That said, there's always the chance I'm just projecting.)

And then there are a couple of stories that really affected me (The Three Button Trick and Skin). They are beautifully written, and capture something about the characters that is hard to pithily summarise.

Layla’s Nose Job - 3.5 stars
Inside Information - 3 stars
The Butcher’s Apprentice - 3 stars
G-String - 3 stars
The Three Button Trick - 5 stars
Wesley: Blisters - 3 stars
Wesley: Braces - 2.5 stars
Wesley: Mr Lippy - 2.5 stars
Skin - 4 stars
Symbiosis: Class Cestoda - 3.5 stars
The Piazza Barberini - 1.5 stars
Popping Corn - 2 stars
Dual Balls - 3 stars
Water Marks - 3.5 stars
Back To Front - 3 stars
Limpets - 3 stars
Bendy-Linda - 3 stars
Gifts - 3.5 stars
Parker Swells - 2 stars

[Haydon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The power of these stories is in the way they subvert your expectations as a reader. Quirky and devious, most of these stories are ostensibly simple, with unsettling truths embedded deep within. The tales take weird turns and stop at the strangest places and it feels as though Barker is using these unique choices to shout at the reader and force you to search for the humanity in her warped, perverted worlds.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, depending on which one I read last, I may have given a rating of 4 stars. Alas, I ended with the “Wesley” stories which I wasn’t that fond of.
Here are my favorites, which I believe warrant 4 stars:

- The Butcher’s Apprentice
- G-String
- Popping Corn
- Dual Balls
- The Three Button Trick

Also, all of them were intriguing in one way or another. Most of them had me wanting more, which is why I am keen to read one of Barker’s full length novels.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book up solely based on its cover and because it was a collection of short stories (which I’ve always enjoyed and need every now and then). I could not have prepared myself for the bizarre rollercoaster ride this book took me on, but I found myself completely engrossed in Nicola Barker’s storylines. Definitely recommend this for someone in need of a change of scenery.

[Rue Baldry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mixed bag in terms of quality. I would have liked a bit more variety in terms of characters and settings. Some of the stories were really creative and unusual, others a bit more predictable. The best stories mix the surreal and the mundane or take fairly commonplace situations off in unexpected directions.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, I thought all the stories were good which is unusual for a short story collection. Barker's more abstract writing leaves me cold and I don't enjoy that side of her work but these ones epitomise the humorous character and dialogue driven stuff that I enjoy the most (Clear, The Yips, Darkmans). If you enjoy those novels I'd recommend this one.

[Bart Van Overmeire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early stories by Nicola Barker. At first sight, they seem too normal for a Barker, but in the end most of the stories do have a nice weird twist. And there are four Wesley stories, so all in all this die-hard fan is satisfied 😁.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uuuuuuhhhh ... yeah. A bit of fantastic writing, and there's certainly no attempt to hide the strangeness of some of the stories, but I also get the sense I'm supposed to find Deep Meaning in that. I don't.

[rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories and very well written, but only one of the stories was good, the titled one. All else were weird little snippets I would've guessed someone wrote for a prompt. I'm getting rid of this book asap.

[Kirsty Chatwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Buttons are a bit of a mishmash. Some are just glorious and others just aren’t. Thankfully the glorious are worth reading the bland ones.

[Ginny]

These short stories remind me of Roald Dahl’s.