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Backstories

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Can you find the famous person hidden in every story? And once found, can you understand them?

'Ingenious idea, brilliantly executed' - Daily Mirror

Backstories – ‘the stand-out most original book of the year’ - is a collection of stories each told from the point of view of one of my personal heroes, (or villains) back when they were just another Jew or black, or queer – back when they were nobody. Bullied, assaulted or psychologically abused, their road to redemption was never easy, and for some there would be no redemption, only a descent into evil.

These are the stories of people you know. The settings are mostly 60’s and 70’s UK and USA, the driving themes are inclusion and social justice - but the real key to these stories is that I withhold the protagonists’ identities. This means that your job is to find them - leading to that Eureka moment when you realise who's mind you've been inhabiting for the last twenty minutes.

I should also add that this is a book that operates on two levels. Yes, there’s the game of identifying the mystery activist or actor, singer or murderer, but there is then the more serious business of trying to understand them. This in turn leads to the challenge of overlaying what you now know about these famous people onto what you thought you knew – not to mention the inherent challenge to your moral compass.

These are people you know, but not as you know them. Peel back the mask and see.

This book is dedicated to the victims of violent crime, the struggle against discrimination in all its forms and making the world a better place for our children. That is why 30% of all profits will be shared between Stop Hate UK, The North East Autism Society and Friends of the Earth.

Simon Van der Velde January, 2021

Backstories is published by Smoke & Mirrors Press.

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2020

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About the author

Simon Van der Velde

4 books21 followers
Simon Van der Velde has worked variously as a barman, laborer, teacher, caterer and lawyer, as well as traveling throughout Europe and South America collecting characters for his award-winning stories.

Since completing a creative writing M.A. (with distinction) in 2010, Simon’s work has won and been shortlisted for numerous awards including; The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Wasafiri New Writing Prize, The Readers Favorite Gold Medal, The Luke Bitmead Bursary, The Frome Prize, and The Harry Bowling Prize – establishing him as one of the UK’s foremost short-story writers.

Simon now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with his wife, labradoodle and two tyrannical children.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
472 reviews2,574 followers
April 15, 2021
Notoriety
I have previously affirmed my love for short stories and my expanding appreciation of flash fiction. When the composition is tight and expressive, it is typically poetic with a spotlight into a moment of glorious imagination. What is even more captivating, is a book of short stories that weave a common thread and enable a fascination with the multiple perspectives of a prevailing theme.

Backstories is a collection of fourteen tales of humankind in a pivotal moment that famous and infamous people throughout history have faced, before their rise to notoriety. Simon Van der Velde illustrates tremendous ability to draw a recognisable and poignant situation that each of these characters encountered. The tantalising feature of the book is that each personality remains unnamed, and the backdrop and dialogue are our only means of deciphering their identity. Among many other things, Backstories is a collection of puzzles that excite our inquisitive minds into solving these enigmas.

The pace is sharp, which is needed to deliver the content in precise narratives bites. The dialogue is authentic and flows with an ease that is clever and instinctive, which presents us with the realisation that regardless of fame or infamy, that the characters are normal people enduring many of the societal issues and pressures as the rest of the population, but with fate having a distinct outcome. Are these flashes, the life-defining moments that certain people hold onto with a compulsive determination to deliver good or evil to the world?

There isn’t too much that can be said about any of the stories because that would jeopardise the opportunity to solve these cryptic tales. Simon van der Velde shows great skill at marshalling the multiple layers and strands of this carefully crafted collection of stories. I would suggest a moment of reflection between each story although it is difficult to put the book down. The experience of finishing this unique compilation can be felt at various levels – through an emotional impact, an appreciated recognition of human nature, enjoyment of great writing, and our analytical triumph in solving the mysteries.

I would highly recommend this book and I would like to thank the author, Simon van der Velde, for providing me with a copy of his book in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Rosh (is busy; will catch up soon!).
1,774 reviews2,630 followers
February 3, 2023
In a Nutshell: An anthology based on an interesting premise. You need a fairly high GK quotient to appreciate this better. I enjoyed taxing my brains through this short “fiction” collection, though I did need Google more than I thought I would.


The tagline of this anthology gives you a great idea of what you can expect: “Intimate stories about people you think you know.” The fourteen tales in this collection are, as the title indicates, backstories for famous (or infamous) people. We get a glimpse of their pre-fame years, which provide an insight into how/why they ended up as they did.

Here’s the challenging part. The author doesn’t reveal the identity of the people whose backstories he has provided. There are clues, of course. You might have a first name or nickname popping in a dialogue, or a family member referenced in a scene, but that’s all. So you know you are reading a backstory, but you don’t know whose it is until the very end, and sometimes, not even by the end. Once the bulb about the identity lights up above your head, you will realise how intricately the backstory has been linked to facts.

The writing is quite intelligent. All the stories are written in first person. Each tale narrates such a factual/semi-fictionalised event from the personality’s life as might have proven a gamechanger in their actual life. The writing style tries to match how the actual person might have spoken in real life, though this doesn’t apply to all the stories. It was fun and enlightening as well, because all of the backstories were unknown to me.

What I loved even beyond the above points is that the entire package is planned to a T. All the external elements—title, cover, tagline, and blurb—are synchronised with each other and represent the content perfectly.

Honest confession. While I did recognise many of the personalities, I hadn't even heard of the remaining few, mostly the infamous ones. Google was my valuable companion along this ride. This might not be a problem for Western readers. Most of the personality sketches are from 60s and 70s UK and USA (thus both the region and the time period were beyond me), though a couple are more historical and one is contemporary. I read a few of the stories twice, once the regular way and once after I figured out or Googled the identity.

Of course, you might be wondering if you could read this just as a regular anthology without taxing your brain so much. You can – each story is complete in itself and functions as a proper short story. However, if you don’t match the content to the person, you won’t get the point of the backstory and will miss out on the thrill of the exercise.

All in all, this is a marvellous collection that offers value on multiple levels. Definitely recommended to short fiction lovers and biography readers. Will work better if you spread out the read rather than gulp this 120-page book in one go.

The book is dedicated to the victims of violent crime, the struggle against discrimination and to giving children a better future. Hence 30% of all profits will be shared across three charities that work for each of these causes in the UK. That’s one more reason for you to purchase it. Readers in India can access the book through their KU subscription as well.

4.25 stars.

NOTE: The content isn’t child-friendly, despite what the concept suggests.

My thanks to author Simon Van der Velde for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Backstories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



———————————————
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Profile Image for Heather Adores Books.
1,092 reviews985 followers
August 17, 2023
4⭐
Genre ~ short stories
Publication date ~ March 25, 2021
Page Count ~ 120
Audio length ~ 2 hours 51 minutes
Narrators ~ Bobby Hirston, Catherine Dryden, Simon Van der Velde, Stacey Patterson
POV ~ 1st & 3rd

I am not one that reads many anthologies, but was happy to give it a go when the author asked to send me a kindle copy.

A collection of 14 short stories, and only a few pages each, that has the author asking "Can you find the famous person hidden in every story?" Some I could figure out, definitely not all of them, but I had a fun time trying.

Each story is unique and clever, and has the author's spin on these individual's lives. Some are heartbreaking and some will have you thinking, wow, they really made a name for their-self even though they grew up in trying times.

Overall, I think this would appeal to those that do enjoy biographies and solving a puzzle.

How lovely ~ This book is dedicated to the victims of violent crime, the struggle against discrimination in all its forms and making the world a better place for our children. That is why 30% of all profits will be shared between Stop Hate UK, The North East Autism Society and Friends of the Earth.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the the info above for reference.

*Thanks to the author for sending me a copy of your book. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Profile Image for Whispering Stories.
2,896 reviews2,605 followers
March 3, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Backstories is an engaging, compelling, and completely unusual book. It contains fourteen short stories about famous/infamous people. The people can be anyone from musicians to serial killers. Each story gives you a fictional insight into the life of the person based on true events before they became famous. The unusual part comes in that we are not told who the story is about, you have to work that out for yourself given the information provided.

Most of the people I had worked out by the end from the snippets of factual information, I do think my age plays a part in this, as some younger readers might need to Google some of the clues. There were a couple of stories which I had an idea who it was about but I needed to make sure I was on the right path. There was one though that has completely baffled me and I’ve been over that story numerous times, even asking my hubby to check it out but we can’t work out who it is about.

What I love about this book is that the author has clearly done a lot of digging into the famous person’s life and then created a fascinating account of how they thought a part of their life went that lead up to who they became. Not only has he imagined their life before they were famous but author Simon Van Der Velde has then teased us by not announcing who the story is about and left us to ponder and work out whose life they were writing about. The writing is excellent and as each short story came to an end I was left wanting more.

The mysteriousness of the book captivated me. It also taught me about some of the people’s lives and made me look at them in a different way, such as one famous person had a tough upbringing and was partially raised in a children’s home or by family friends after their mother had a mental breakdown. I knew this very famous person and the life they had on-screen and some of their off-screen, but it made me look more closely at their life and understand some of the choices they made in their adult life.

This is a book that you can read just one short story and then put the book down or do some research to see if you can work out who it is about, or you can read through them all in one sitting. You can choose to enjoy the stories but never take it any further or you can become an amateur sleuth and pick through the clues and name each person. How you read it is up to you. That is the beauty of this book.
Profile Image for PattyMacDotComma.
1,563 reviews923 followers
May 14, 2023
4.5~4★
“Kitty’s nearly fifteen with bumps in all the right places, and she makes the most of them. Leaning against the wall in her thin summer dress she shakes her dyed blonde hair and sucks on her smoke through bright red lips.”


“Like Magic” is the third of fourteen stories in this delightful collection of short, fictionalised anecdotes based on famous people. Kitty isn’t one of them, but her younger friend is, the one who idolises her.

Sometimes I was quick to know whose story it was, and sometimes I had to do what so often passes for research these days and google a name. The author does a good job of capturing the style and the vibe of his people and their times.

Many involve bullies and schoolyards and kids who were misunderstood.

‘But she can’t help it,’ Miss Lund blurts.

‘Can’t she?’ Mrs Wallin lets the words hang, but only for a moment.

‘The truth is those parents are to blame. No control. No boundaries. They give in to every whim and expect us to do the same. I mean this obsession she’s developed. Such foolishness. Mark my words, it’s always the same. Look at the parents, you see the child, and that child is in for one hell of a shock when she comes up against the real world.’


Actually, the shock is the other way around. I will say no more about her. Then there was a different girl, who grew up knowing her grandma’s history, and was warned against butting up against the real world.

‘Don’t matter why. You better understand, child. Them white boys are right, even when they’re wrong. Hell, especially when they’re wrong.’

‘But Grandma…’

‘Nuhuh. But nuthin. You wise up, girl. Better know your place or you’re gonna get what’s comin.’


Here’s a boy, a short boy, who also faced bullies, but survived to become a world favourite.

“For that hour at lunchtime they could be free of themselves, laughing fearlessly while they pushed the little guy around the yard and asked him what he was doing out of kindergarten, or where he’d left Snow White.
. . .
And Dad was just a musician. He saved what he could, called in a favour, and on the kid’s thirteenth birthday he gave him a guitar, and probably saved his life.”


Thank goodness for that guitar!

This girl is down on her luck, run away from ‘the home’, and it’s pouring rain.

“So I’m here, in this crappy cafe on Hodge Street, sipping muddy water from the bottom of a cracked Silver Jubilee mug. Tastes like muddy water anyway, and she charged me thirty-nine bloody pence. Felt like chucking it in her face, but the old cow kicks you out if you don’t buy anything. She’s looking over now. Sh*t. I haven’t got enough for another one, and my sleeping bag’s soaked. I take another sip. It’s cold, horrible, but I wish there was more.”

She’s a down-and-outer, for sure, and this guy has been warned off heading for danger, too.

“I’m wheelin my bike along the sidewalk, watchin all the white faces, watchin me. This pinched kinda woman gives me a glare and then her man bumps me onto the road. I shrug like it don’t bother me none, but I can’t help thinkin Daddy was right. Only a damn fool goes up west of Walnut Street.”

Each story has its own voice, which is why I included the excerpts, and I enjoyed them all. I believe Backstories II is coming, and I look forward to it.

These could be good choices for school discussions, too. Older kids could be encouraged to pick a story find the real person or people, and give a report. Or get a group to talk about them.

Thanks to the author for the copy for review. These are fun!
May 23, 2021
Backstories is an eclectic collection of flash fiction / short stories both intriguing and poignant. Featuring situational fragments of the lives of famous and infamous persons throughout history, Van der Velde not so much ‘tells’ but rather ‘shows’ the readers a backstory that is most evoking. Sometimes tragic, sometimes puzzling-nothing stays untouched or is taboo.

With a striking combination of elemental needs/nurture in all humankind and the clashing of societal norms, Van der Velde adjusts each story in tone and style to address the incomprehensible tragedies and struggles set into character in layers and of persons of all walks of life.

In "Guitar," a young Jewish boy is pushed around on the schoolyard for his small size and almost misses his birthday that brings unforeseen change into his life:

“Back then it was character building. That was what they called it, while he sat alone on the Brooklyn Bridge and watched the rain fall and the steam-ships churn through the dirty water. He was still there when darkness turned the water from brown through black, to silver in the moonlight, beckoning to him with promises of a better world. The kid might have jumped, that night before his thirteenth birthday.”

"Past Time," is the story of a young man who learns an early lesson as a child, when his day starts in the morning as a kid and ends as a grown-up by supper time:

“The boys were throwin em, laughin and foolin, but seemed like them apples was landing awful close to us. And they were big boys. Big to us anyways. And they was white.”

One of the most harrowing stories to me was "Wicked Child," as a young and highly gifted boy of twelve is seized by the sight of his mother washing her naked body and it leaves him changed and wildly alive…until he is caught:

“Yes, he is her favorite, but this is different. A flash of new and thrilling intimacy. He stares hungrily into that square of mirror desperate for her eyes to meet his, terrified that they might.”

The greatest focal point in many of the stories is the young age of the characters - an age when events are most impacting and transformative to a person and who they may become thereof. What decisions will they make? What have they gone through? How have they persevered? And who could this be? It begs to question, how will the next generation be impacted and taught?

Backstories is geared towards the older reader in my opinion, as Van der Velde has set each of the shorts up to be hinting at a well-known figure from history throughout today. Some of them I figured out, some of them I didn’t. Some of them, I was simply shocked by, not even trying to imagine who it could have been or who that someone was that this happened to. One thing is for sure, Van der Velde has the incredible gift to craft with skillful intent. His deliverance and applications are precise and sharp. They invite us to ponder and reflect on our own experiences, choices, and boundaries.

If you enjoy mysteries and venturing to the depths of human emotions while encountering a wide array of life-defining moments, then this collection might be for you!

Happy Reading!

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a voluntary review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance
Profile Image for N.N. Heaven.
Author 6 books1,975 followers
March 25, 2021
This is one of the most original and enjoyable concepts for a book. As one who loves an intellectual challenge, Backstories is brilliant. Every reader will just wrack their brain trying to figure out who the person is described in their early backstory.

The selection of such a wide variety of people was impressive. With such a worldwide number of options, the choices run the gamut. I personally enjoyed the variety of time frames and continents. There is a touch of an Anglo-centric nature to the selections but that doesn't take away from the fun this book is.

I took a pad of paper and a pen and eagerly put my guesses down to find out how well I did. There were 9 of them I 100% knew and two I have guesses on. There are several I have no clue about. Here is the rub. This book would be a 5-star review but for the caveat. There is no addendum showing the answers. There isn't even a website to go to that would show the answers. Without the answers, this book is incomplete and if it had shown the answers, it would be 5 stars. It is not.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Reviewed by: Mr. N

This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Profile Image for Jin.
722 reviews131 followers
March 10, 2021
I like the cover design, the ideas around the short stories and their premises. Especially the writing style was splendid. Even though the writing style was very good, descriptive and creative alike, I couldn't connect to several of the stories. While I do understand that I may not like all of the short stories, unfortunately, the storytelling felt a bit repetitive towards the end.
I do love the different, individual stories though where the innocence of a child collides with the brutal reality of adults. Some stories like "The Big Attraction" felt too shallow while other stories like "Voiceless Child" felt really good.
The stories are easy to read and give some food for thoughts. If you have the chance, grab this book and read these stories to make up your own opinion. In general, the stories were somewhere 3-4 stars and I'm curious to see what kind of stories the author will write in future.

**I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens for leaving an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.**
Profile Image for Zoe Radley.
1,258 reviews19 followers
February 12, 2021
I have read this wonderful, delightful packed full of brilliant stories that leave you with a feeling of do I know this person? Who is it?. Most times you can work it out before the end but some times you have to look really hard at the clues that have been strewn throughout the short story. This book is an absolute gem, and one that takes us on a journey to discover each and every hero and villain to discover what lies behind a name. If you love short stories and you love puzzles this book is one for you and I can highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Kirsty ❤️.
924 reviews51 followers
March 18, 2021
This is an interesting one because normally not a fan of short stories but the author sent me an audio file to listen to when reading and it made such a difference that maybe I'll listen to books with short stories now instead of reading them and enjoy the process as a whole more.

The book itself is very engaging. While each story is fiction it's based on a true tale of a real person and you have to guess who those people may be. There's no answers. You may always be guessing if you are right or not all of which makes the book a unique reading experience. Being short stories I was able to pick up and put down when I wanted and having an audio file I could listen when walking (at this rate I'll be talking myself into an audio book subscription!).

I really enjoyed this experience, the stories and the way it made me think.
Profile Image for Olivia Jump.
1 review
February 7, 2021
I loved that fact it was a collection of short stories - each story was gripping and interesting. I'd definitely recommend to people, no matter their preference in genre
Profile Image for Jan Rice.
547 reviews491 followers
March 13, 2023
This book intrigued my husband and me and held our attention as we listened for clues to each of the short stories. Who is the subject of this story?

Although the narrators, or, more accurately, actors in the audio version for each of these stories did an excellent job, I found myself wondering if they somehow conflicted with my imagination. I say that since it was the clues, and not really the narratives, that solved the riddle of who was the subject of each story. In other words, were the audio renditions a distracting factor?

To find out, I followed up on the audiobook by reading the Kindle version. While I did think reading the words themselves worked best for this collection, I still thought the narratives were not exactly as I might have imagined these characters, had I set myself the challenge of doing so.

I wondered if the author's desire to complete each riddle might have taken him away from his plunge into each character. Now, as I am not an author, this may be some chutzpah on my part. But in other areas I have dealt with the distractions of needing to complete a task and how that can take away from full fidelity to the task.

Also, I could be struggling with the short-story form, as I have tended to do. Or I could have been impacted by the author's being from another culture (Britain).

Still, I'd enjoy seeing the outcome if this author plunged more fully into a character, without the pressure of needing to bring a riddle to fruition.

I enjoyed this book and, at the same time, was greedy for more.
3 1/2 stars
Profile Image for Bronte Roberts.
52 reviews5 followers
February 15, 2021
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I don't know if this format has ever been used before but it's definitely new to me. So original and such a clever idea. The stories are short and precise and get their point across without any unnecessary "filler." Some of the subjects were very obvious to me, some I had to think about and a couple I couldn't get at all. I don't follow current affairs or "celebrity" news so that could be the reason, or just gaps in my knowledge. I think it may be the case for every reader that the identities of some of the protagonists [of these stories] will come easier than others and believe that adds to the interest. I also feel that, although there is a certain amount of "romanticism" in the telling, the basic facts are historically accurate which would make them a good teaching tool. They make you want to go and check out more about the people and situations depicted and any book that engages beyond its actual reading is a very good book in my opinion (yes, I was going to say "in my book!")

I initially gave this 4 stars as I thought the writing style a little simplistic, but then reading over my review I realised I was being a fool and that the simplicity is part of what makes them so accessible and as a result more powerful. These stories work on a lot of levels.

On the surface it's fun figuring out the subjects identities, it's possible to learn more about those people from the stories themselves then maybe, as I was, be prompted to find out more about their history and their circumstances. Finally, they can each teach us something about the world and ourselves. That certainly deserves 5 stars.
Profile Image for Nicola Wood.
5 reviews
February 8, 2021
Just finished reading a review copy of this wonderful book of short stories.

In my opinion short stories are unappreciated generally which is a huge shame (after all Brokeback Mountain and Benjamin Button are both famous short stories).

This particular collection is inspired. The central character in each of the stories is a famous person. Some are heroes, some are victims and there are even some universally accepted villains thrown in there . What the author does is use his imagination and his obvious ability to understand the human psyche to give us a possible (or maybe even probable) insight into the early lives and defining moments that lead each of the characters to become renowned.

None of the depictions are predictable and the clues to the identity of the central characters are so subtle that you find yourself fervently reading every line. The ah-ha moment when you figure the 'who is it?' out is just sensational and keeps you wanting more (hence I read the whole book in one sitting - even my cup of tea went cold!).

Each story makes you really think. The author avoids the dichotomous view of famous or notorious people as either good or bad. The actions of the villains are not condoned (of course) but their behaviours are seen within the context of their own narcissistic injuries.

Backstories is a triumphant and eclectic collection of stories about human vulnerability, frailty and resilience.

I loved it!!!
Profile Image for Gordon Long.
Author 28 books38 followers
February 14, 2021
This book is a collection of short stories with a twist. As the title indicates, they are stories about famous people before they became famous. So, even when you’re enjoying the characters portrayed, you’re also playing the game of “Who is it?” The ending is often a final clue that makes it all fall into place with a satisfying click.

These stories are a wonderful demonstration of how “the child maketh the man.” Each protagonist is displayed against a finely detailed background of conspiring setting and characters that wear away at the soul, and each shows how deeply these elements are affecting him or her. Or them, in one or two cases.

The first five or six are quite similar: stories of abused and disadvantaged children who turned out exactly as we expect them to, once we figure out who they are. Some of them turned into such wonderful people we can hardly believe the backstory, but Mr. Van der Velde’s writing has such veracity that we feel has done his homework. Others turn out to be such horrible people that we wonder why we felt so sorry for them when they were young.

But then Van der Velde throws a curve and makes the story about a supporting character – parent, perhaps, or victim – and the book takes on new interest and a new challenge.

A beautifully drawn set of accurate character sketches of real people, with a puzzle thrown in for icing on the cake.
Profile Image for Annie Richardson.
1 review1 follower
February 7, 2021
I really enjoyed this book of short stories, I found it easy and quick to read. I ordered a copy for my mum for her birthday as I thought she’d really enjoy the stories too, she did and had now recommended to her book club!
Profile Image for SA Krishnan.
Author 20 books189 followers
June 13, 2021
Delightful read

The concept of the short stories was amazing. It gave a short, creative and fictional accounts of real life people and the way it was told was beautiful and enjoyable. Loved it
Profile Image for Jae.
381 reviews37 followers
August 26, 2021
Audio book narrated by Bobby Hirston

A collection of short fiction-based stories based around real-life characters who are well-known but who's identity is not disclosed; it's up to the reader to guess who the story is about. An interesting idea and maybe a new genre?
January 20, 2021
What’s special about Backstories is that shocking, spine-tingling moment when you realize who’s head you’ve been living in for the past 15 minutes.

They say there’s a famous person hidden in every story, but that doesn’t quite capture it. More like after each fraught journey, there’s that magical moment when you realize whose eyes you’ve been seeing the world through.

The stories are so varied, from the greatest heroes to the nastiest villains. They left me excited and scared to turn the page. It’s pretty unsettling to be really rooting for someone, only to find out they’re a monster –makes you think, too.

I read most of them twice, because once I knew who the characters were then the second read was like a whole new story. Those subtle clues I missed the first time around came jumping out at me, echoing that first shiver of realization.

Gave me a whole new insight into these famous people. The perfect book for fans of music, nostalgia, and anyone who cares about what makes us human.
Profile Image for Sam.
1 review2 followers
January 20, 2021
A surprisingly varied, expertly-told series of vignettes giving us unexpected glimpses into the lives of seemlingly-familiar figures.

Simon Van De Velde presents each story as a puzzle-box; introducing a famous figure from history anonymously while dropping subtle clues as to their identity. The stories all focus on under-explored or little-known moments in their subjects' lives, providing us with new perspectives, more rounded views or even moments of unexpected pathos.

A thought-provoking read.
Profile Image for Bookworm Blogger.
765 reviews23 followers
February 25, 2021
I’d like to thank Simon Van Der Velde for sending me the audio files of Backstories. I wasn’t sure what to expect from reading the synopsis but wow did this book blow me away!

Like most fans of crime/mystery reads I’m always happy to play detective to try and solve the whodunnit as quickly as possible so this book was definitely for me! The audio was fantastic and all the narrators did a great job of portraying the characters. The accents really helped with identifying where the story was taking place. The only downside to the audio was knowing how certain words and names were spelt when I was trying to discover who the story was about, if I’d read the book I probably would of got some of my guesses quicker. Nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed listening and went back for seconds to check some of my answers.

Solving the mysteries for some of the stories was quite easy, others I had to really think about. Being 30years old some of the people were a little bit before my time however I had heard of all of them, some just needed a bit of research on my part. What I loved were the moments that Simon had chosen to highlight and how the clues were placed. Instead of going for the obvious ‘stand out’ moments he had chosen personal and pivotal moments of their lives. I very often had the ‘lightbulb’ moment on several of the tracks and was super chuffed when I’d figured them out. Some of my favourite tracks were Blank Face, All Over Now, Voiceless Child, Banjo Boy and Jive Talkin’. The entire concept was wonderfully original and beautifully executed!

I was thrilled to hear the Simon will be producing a second book, in the same style, so I have already requested to read it when it is ready. I’m also buying my dad a copy as this is definitely his type of book. I’m also going to enjoy teasing him if there are some he gets stuck on! If you love books with a twist, a puzzle to solve then this is definitely for you!

P.S. Simon is sharing 30% of all profits from Backstories with Friends of the Earth, Stop Hate UK and The North-East Autism Society. See http://www.simonvandervelde.com for further details.

Profile Image for WS_BOOKCLUB.
368 reviews9 followers
March 29, 2021
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Backstories will be available on March 25th.

Backstories is smart and enigmatic, encouraging the reader to be involved. Author Simon Van der Velde combines history and fiction to create something entirely different- the surprising stories behind famous figures. Instead of the public persona we all know, the veneer is stripped away to show the utter humanness underneath.

Interestingly, Backstories isn’t set up in any way that is run-of-the-mill. This collection of short stories isn’t a simple “this is their past” sort of book. Instead, it’s a mystery. The reader has to solve the puzzle: who is each story about? I have to be honest and say that a couple stories completely stumped me. It was fascinating to try and match up new details with what is already known about a person. It added a level of realism to what have always been almost unreachable, exaggerated famous (or infamous) people.

The writing is engaging and easy to connect with. It’s quite obvious that author Simon Van Der Velde put a lot of time and research into his book, but he left just enough to the imagination to encourage me to do my own digging. The little Easter eggs that were left throughout were clever and added so much to the story.

I went into Backstories expecting to be entertained. Instead, I was sucked in and ended up being incredibly invested in the “who was” aspect. Expect an engrossing book, one that will keep you guessing.
https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.hom...
Profile Image for TimInColorado.
236 reviews27 followers
February 4, 2021
I received a free digital version of this book from BookSirens in exchange for a review.

In this collection of pugilistic shorts, Van der Velde crafts stories of a specific incident in the life of a famous or infamous person. The incident or life circumstances is derived from available biographical information of the person’s childhood or “pre-fame” life. The person of fame is never explicitly identified and the reader must infer who it is from clues in the text.

The experience of reading these was like being in a writing workshop where the prompt was to write a short story where a violent incident helped shape someone’s destiny for good or ill. All the stories have the same elements: a detailed description of a beating or other form/threat of violence, a bit of dialogue and a bit of internal thought of the victim, a smattering of clues for the reader as to the person’s identity.

Written in third person limited point of view from the victim’s perspective, the reader gets what purports to be the thoughts and feelings of the victim/person of fame. I found this uncomfortably intrusive and questioned whether Van der Velde’s ascribing specific opinions the person of fame may have held about circumstances of their childhood and pre-fame life wasn’t yet another violation of their liberty, their rights to have at least their personal thoughts be their own.

Then again, I am not big on those “unauthorized biographies” either.

These weren’t poorly written but they do follow a certain formula in their construction that can become repetitive. 3/5 stars.
Profile Image for S. Bavey.
Author 7 books52 followers
April 4, 2021
Backstories is the intriguing debut from author Simon van der Velde. It is a collection of fourteen short stories which have one thing in common. The main character of each story is a well-known figure from history or popular culture, including serial killers, movie stars and rockstars among others, and the reader is given clues along the way to enable them to guess who each of the main characters is. Being a fan of mysteries and guessing games, I really enjoyed this original concept. I found that I was able to guess the majority of them correctly, but a couple left me without a clue.

Each story was a well-written combination of history and fiction, with many layers and intricate details included, which helped to flesh out each of the characters and make them feel very real. The stories kept me engaged as I tried to figure out the clues along the way. In most cases there is a final clue which helpfully more or less gives away the identity of the main character in case you hadn’t figured it out along the way.

Many of the characters in these stories are victims of bullying, racial or sexual abuse, but these contentious subjects are handled respectfully and delicately by the author.

I heartily recommend Backstories. It is easy to pick up and quickly read one of the entertaining stories if you do not have a lot of time - each story takes around twenty minutes to read - and I could even see this concept being developed into a card or board game. I understand that Volume Two is coming soon and will be on the lookout for it.
Profile Image for Susan Hampson.
1,522 reviews63 followers
March 25, 2021
Each new chapter is like a clean canvas that builds a picture of the famous and infamous for you to guess. It is a stroke of genius!

It isn’t a book that I could chill out with, as it seemed to light up my brain and make it work to recognise the people described in the fourteen chapters. The chapters are laced with clues, such as a couple of words from a song, that the artist has written or sung, an incident or in a couple of scenarios playing out the scenes. It makes for full concentration. I loved guessing the right people, as it gave me quite a buzz.

It brought back my memories of these people while I was growing up. Some made me smile, while others gave me goosebumps. One story was a heart-stopper for me when I worked out who the people were just before the reveal. It would have been too late for me.

I really have to mention that I am a sucker for book covers and what a stunning book cover this is, it is like nothing else I have seen. A perfect match for what is inside.

I hope that this author has a second book like this in the pipeline as there is nothing else like it. Brilliant research, choice of characters and dramatisation of the stories to capture who these people were. The era and tone of each story were unique. It is a top-class idea, executed perfectly!

I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
Profile Image for Fictionophile .
1,124 reviews352 followers
May 21, 2022
This clever, original, little book presents clues to the reader so that they can try to identify the famous person in each story. To make it challenging, the author writes of them before they were famous. He has respectfully woven biographical facts and with a little artistic license, presented them in short story form.

The first story is an easy one, a teaser to make you think you might guess them all. Then as the stories progress the puzzles become a little more difficult. I solved them all except two. "The Big Attraction" and "Tonight's the Night". I had to do a little online sleuthing to solve those. To be fair, if I lived in the UK I probably would have solved those too.

Each story serves to remind us that the 'famous' weren't always so. They too have less than perfect lives, they are indeed human. The stories also make clear how one pivotal event can change the trajectory of a person's life.

Fourteen short stories that explore human nature, diverse characters, and each with a puzzle to solve. Fun!
Profile Image for Chantelle Hazelden.
1,466 reviews66 followers
February 27, 2021
Short, smart stimulus for the mind.

Backstories is a unique set of short stories that will have you really thinking. As the reader you become the detective, working out who is actually the protagonists for these tales.

I found myself whole heartedly engaged and I will admit to hitting Google to try and help me come up with the answers.

This is a book, that although short you can read multiple times and gain more answers with each read.
1,635 reviews26 followers
March 25, 2021
This book consists of several short stories that I found really enjoyable, they are thought provoking but at the same time I was trying to guess who they were. The theme to this book is unique but works incredibly well, it is different but in a good way. It made me want to go back for more. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. A truly unique book of short stories that is good for the mind.
Profile Image for Martine.
199 reviews69 followers
March 15, 2022
Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.
DNF @ 39%
Profile Image for Olga Miret.
Author 42 books244 followers
September 2, 2021
I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team and thank her and the author for this opportunity.
I enjoy short stories, but recently I have not read as many as I used to, preferring to read novels that build up more slowly and give you the opportunity to get to know the characters and see how they evolve over time. So this was a bit of an unusual choice for me, but I kept reading intriguing reviews of this book, and after checking it out, I had to read the whole thing. And it was worth it.
I had never read anything by the author, although he has been writing for a while and his short-stories have earned him a variety of awards and accolades, but I suspect this won’t be the last of his books I read, and he is already preparing a second volume of Backstories for publication.
It is a bit difficult to talk about this book in any detail without giving too much away. The author explains his goals and what the book is about quite clearly in his description, so I won’t go over it again. I am not sure that I would describe it as a collection of short-stories. Some are biographical vignettes, moments in somebody’s life (or their backstories, if we like), where something momentous happened, or is about to happen (in some cases), while others fit in more easily with the standard understanding of a short story containing a full narrative. In some ways, I guess it is the reader’s job to complete the story, by guessing who the protagonist is and understanding how that snippet fits in with the rest of the person’s life, how significant or important it might be, and how much it reveals of what we know happened next to the person.
In some cases, we see a famous person (some are musicians, some important historical figures, some sports personalities, some less-than-savoury characters...) as children or very young adults, and the author cleverly creates a picture of who they were and how that relates to who they will become. Sometimes, we see somebody on the verge of doing something that would change things forever, and at others, we get an inkling of what things might have been like if something hadn’t happened or circumstances had been different. One of the stories illustrated perfectly a quandary I’ve had for years about a historical figure, as if the author had read my mind, but I’ll keep my peace about it as well.
There are 14 stories, tightly written, some in the first and some in the third person, and they move quickly, the style of writing easy but at the same time adapted to the personality, the era, and the location of the individual portrayed by each. Most of them are told from the point of view of the famous person, although there are some where we see them reflected through somebody else’s eyes. It is very difficult to stop reading the stories, especially if you enjoy guessing games or quizzes, as one gets gripped by what is happening at the time and also hooked on trying to find who the person is. If you want to know how well I got on, yes, I guessed all of them (although in one of the cases I had only a passing acquaintance with the character, and I ended up checking to make sure), and some had me scratching my head until the very end or changing my mind several times as I read, while others I suspected from early on.
I enjoyed them all, in different ways (some because I felt the build up of the situation, others because the story itself was moving and/or inspiring, some because I loved the protagonists, and some because they chilled me to the bone), and I think most readers will find some that work better for them than others, particularly if they admire some of the protagonists, but there isn’t a bad one in the lot. These are not sanitized and clean stories, and readers must be warned that they will find all kinds of violence, abuse, prejudice... depicted in its pages. The author has explained his reasoning behind his choices, and a percentage of the book’s earnings will go to good causes, so this is more than justified, in my opinion.
I recommend this highly enjoyable collection to anybody who loves quizzes, who has ever wondered what happened before historical figures or famous people became who they are, and particularly to those who prefer their reading short, crisp, and based on facts rather than fancy. And, if you like the formula, don’t forget that there is a second book coming your way soon.
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