search for something...

search for something you might like...

Neva Neva Land Revisiting CD Rose's The Neva Star has Meave Haughey shedding tears over jaunty European scarves and cheeses

Neva Neva Land

Revisiting CD Rose's The Neva Star has Meave Haughey shedding tears over jaunty European scarves and cheeses

by Meave Haughey, Contributing Editor
first published: August, 2019

approximate reading time: minutes

what does it mean to lose love, to lose faith, or even to lose the self?

The Neva Star
CD Rose
Daunt Books

You know, these days, in the near apocalypse that is Brexit Britain, it's hard to find many things that can snap one out of the national malaise. However, one such moment of delight was visited upon me in the midst of the darkness by the arrival of Daunt Book's lovely edition of The Neva Star by outsideleft favourite, CD Rose.

The story follows three protagonists, all named Sergei, who are stranded on a ship which has been moored in the port of Naples for three years. The last of a large crew which has vanished who knows where, the men are destined to stay on board until their fate is somehow resolved, or the food runs out. The three men exist in a world that rests on the border between selves, countries, realities. '

The Neva StarSometimes they are incessantly together, eating, sleeping, breathing and shitting in rhythm, all but holding hands for weeks at a time in a near hysterical attempt to ward off the vacuum of being alone. They have played more games of chess with each other than they can remember. Sergei always wins.'  

Despite the constraints of the clever conceit, Rose writes with a playful lightness of touch which hacks like me can only envy. Classic myths and local legends sit alongside the more quotidienne observations of daily life for the men. It's The Odyssey meets Waiting for Godot as, rather quickly, in the midst of the slowness, it becomes strangely unimportant which Sergei is which. After all, where does one draw the line between being and becoming? And what does it mean to lose love, to lose faith, or even to lose the self? Find out soon when we too are stranded on our island far from the loving arms of Europe with its jaunty scarves and cheeses so delicious just thinking of them makes me want to cry.


CD Rose Neva Star at Daunt Books
It's CD Rose Week in Outsideleft

Meave Haughey
Contributing Editor

Meave Haughey is a short story writer based in Birmingham. Recent stories have been published in Comma Press’s The New Abject, and Forecast: New Writing from Birmingham, Doestoevsky Wannabe’s Love Bites: Fiction Inspired by Pete Shelley and Buzzcocks and in Birmingham, from the Doestoevsky Wannabe Cities series. Meave's story The Reservoir featured in The Best of British Short Stories 2021 compiled by Salt Press.


about Meave Haughey »»

Pete Williams web banner

RECENT STORIES

RANDOM READS

All About and Contributors

HELP OUTSIDELEFT

Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]

WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT

If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]

WRITERS thru' the Years

Agata Makiela, Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Becca Kelly, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Cassie Thomas, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, Danny Rose, David Hackney, David O'Byrne, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Rich, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, J.Lee, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Jonathan Thornton, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Kiah Cranston, Kleo Kay, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Martin Devenney, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, Mike Fox, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Burns, Paul Hawkins, Paul Mortimer, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Richard John Walker, Rick Casson, Rikki Stein, Ronan Crinion, Rowena Murphy, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Tony Fletcher, Toon Traveller, Trevi, Urs Lerch, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & Lamontpaul

OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE

Last NIght of the LTB Showrooms
OUTSIDELEFT Night Out
weekend

outsideleft content is not for everyone