Blood and Water

Blood and Water by Patrick McGrath is a collection of short stories published by Penguin in 1989. This edition, comprising 183 pages, presents a range of narratives that explore the bizarre, the erotic, and the unexpected. The stories feature a variety of intriguing scenarios, including a failed writer’s encounter with an ageing gin-queen who claims to have been visited by an angel, and a young Victorian lady’s journey to India to confront a transformed fiancé.

Readers will find a diverse array of characters and situations throughout the collection. The stories delve into themes of transformation and the uncanny, with a little girl discovering a delirious explorer in her garden and a nightclub haunted by a strange, libidinous hand. This edition invites readers to engage with McGrath’s unique storytelling style, which blends elements of fiction with surreal and unexpected twists.