The Late Night Caller

Linda M. Bayley is a freelance writer based in Sudbury, Ontario. She is
the author of Estrangement: Poems.

Most of the stories in this slim volume are short—and mercifully so.
Initially, one might assume that because the stories are short, they
must

also be simple. This is not the case. They have all the simplicity of a
New York Times crossword puzzle.

Hetherington writes about the most outlandish things as if they were
everyday occurrences. One man stands perfectly still in a fountain.
Another gives up his office job on a whim to become a doorman. A third
takes off his clothing unprovoked in a café, causing a line of people
to form (mostly women) all wanting to measure his penis. Their actions
are described, but their reasons for wanting to do such things are never
made clear. What are we to make of all this?

Since the stories are short and the storylines bizarre, many of the
conclusions seem to be, well, inconclusive. It’s as if the author
stopped mid-thought and decided to try something new on the next page.
Or as if he were telling a particularly intricate joke and forgot to
include the punchline. Normally, I’m not the kind of person who needs
to have fiction explained. But these stories I just don’t get.

For those who like their fiction short and cryptic, this book will be a
feast.