When reading fiction, you’ll find that a lot of the time you are quite moved by the story.
However, over time, it loses it power when you remember it is fictional. The intimate
connections with the characters you develop, and the tense following of the plot that plays
on your emotions begins to fade as the novelty wears off, and the story just becomes
another book you read on holiday one summer. This is not the case for The Moth.
The Moth is a collection of short stories told by storytellers worldwide, where every dragging heartbeat, every breath of fear, every bubbling emotion you feel as the reader, is real. It is no longer a story conjured from the talented imagination of the writer, it is a story spoken aloud or written from memory by a real character in the story. You can cling to every word, message, and story and feel moved for many books to come: new stories won’t blend into any of these, because unlike other stories, these ones have greater meaning, for they are truly real. The Moth also has a radio station, and a number of worldwide events with a number even in London, including short story readings and performances, bringing gripping stories into reality right before your eyes.
While The Moth is also an organisation, it has published a number of different books that
encapsulate up to 50 of its short stories, from hilarious anecdotes, like Joshua Blau’s ‘The
Wallet’ – an entertaining experience where he left his wallet on the top of his car and drove
off, while preoccupied listening to his squabbling triplets – to touching tales, like Auburn
Sandstrom’s ‘A Phone Call’ – where despite the dark mental place she is suffering in, she is
shown the beauty of mankind’s compassion through a single phone call. Some stories will
leave you quite speechless, like Ishmael Beah’s ‘Unusual Normality’ – where he recounts how
growing up in conflict has changed his outlook on humanity, even as young child playing in a playground.
Whether you read this book for the soul-moving experience, or to relate to people across
the globe, or to regain some lost appreciation for humanity and its breath-taking moments
of courage, strength and kindness, you’ll be truly moved. As it is a collection of short-stories,
a busier reader, with families, careers, or many other commitments, will still be able to
enjoy this book dipping in and out of its awe-inspiring pages – a short story a day keeps the
sanity at bay. While, some of the stories may not be suitable to a much younger audience,
the stories can be shared through friends or a family: re-telling the more light-hearted
narratives, or discussing the more thought-provoking tales.
These stories bring people together across the globe. Surely you’d want to join this, and be
a part of this mesmerising community? Surely now you can see that The Moth is the next book that you should read.
Words by Jasmine Laws
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