En rigtig interessant roman. Det tog mig et stykke tid rigtig at komme ind i den, men især sidste halvdel fængede og fascinerede(Review in Danish:-) )
En rigtig interessant roman. Det tog mig et stykke tid rigtig at komme ind i den, men især sidste halvdel fængede og fascinerede mig.
Bogen er meget fragmentarisk bygget op, den har sin egen særegne stream-of-consciousness stil, hvilket man lige skal vænne sig til. Den er meget bygget op på associationer, hvoraf mange intet har med selve handlingen, selve plottet, om du vil, at gøre. Men da bogen i endnu højere grad handler om, hvad der skaber en persons identitet, så passer det alligevel fint ind.
Der er dog nogle irritationsmomenter for mig. Det irriterer mig, at fortælleren/forfatteren hele tiden indskyder spørgsmålet "Hvad skaber en identitet" i en eller anden variant. Der går ikke længe førend den vigtige pointe ER forstået, så gentagelsen ødelagde til tider min glæde ved det, jeg var i gang med at læse. Og selvom jeg i øvrigt har stor sympati for tanken om mand-kvinde dynamikken og hvad den potentielt kan bidrage med af erkendelse for det enkelte menneske, så fandt jeg den jævnlige tilbagevending til hovedpersonens "magiske lingam" (penis, hvis nogen var i tvivl) lettere enerverende, til tider ligefrem unødvendig. Det fortaber sig dog heldigvis ikke i ren bøvlet "jeg-er-mand-og-alle-kvinder-dåner-fordi-jeg-har-et-lem-mellem-benene". Flere erindringer fra hans fortid indikerer, hvorfor det er tilfældet, på ganske realistisk og til tider helt smuk vis. (view spoiler)[Scenen med hans forældre står særligt stærk for mig, men der er flere andre (hide spoiler)]. Forfatteren undgår det kluntede, og det er jeg taknemmelig for.
Det er også tydeligt, at forfatteren har en mission med romanen: at udstille sine landsmænds smålighed o.lign. Det fylder efter min mening lige lovligt meget.
(view spoiler)[Når man når slutningen er det tydeligt, at der lægges op til en fortsættelse. Romanen virker ikke afsluttet i sig selv, hvilket man må gøre op med sig selv om man kan acceptere. (hide spoiler)]
A fine read but not quite as fine as the first two in the series, the superb THE SHADOW OF THE WIND and the sequel, (WARNING: SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW)
A fine read but not quite as fine as the first two in the series, the superb THE SHADOW OF THE WIND and the sequel, THE ANGEL'S GAME. One of the reasons being that this one stands less alone; in fact, when the end is reached, THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN feels more like an introduction to what is really about to unfold than a story in itself.
Also, much of what is going on appears to be centered around THE ANGEL'S GAME, so now I need to reread that one. I don't mind that, much, but it clearly isn't true when the author, in the introduction, says that these stories can be read as standalone novels. Especially this one, it seems to me, can't.
This time we're back with Daniel Sempere as the protagonist. He is now a father, married and (of course) helps his father in the bookshop. Fermín too helps out. But of course a stranger comes in and things change. This time most of the mystery and the plot revolts around Fermín's dark past, much of it from his time in prison. Here the author from THE ANGEL'S GAME, David Martín, also plays a central role.
Zafón is still a gifted writer and has a wonderful imagination, as well as an aptitude for words (thanks must also be given to the translator, Lucia Graves, for a very fine job), but the result this time didn't quite match the first two novels. I have quite high expectations for the fourth, though, since what looms ahead sounds very promising, I must say.
I won't say more about the plot etc. (that would ruin too much, after all) but say that, in the end, things have apparently only just started. A sort of a cliffhanger, if you will.
Reading some of Bradbury's short stories on this day, the day he passed away, leaving the world at the age of 91.
"A medicine for MelanchoJune 6, 2012:
Reading some of Bradbury's short stories on this day, the day he passed away, leaving the world at the age of 91.
"A medicine for Melancholy": Read this one first. A very fine, downplayed story set in the 1700s -- and quite a bold story. What a cure for melancholy!
Up next now: "Fever Dream"...
"Fever Dreams": Reading this was strange, strange indeed. Because it resembled an unpublished story of mine quite some. And I know I've never read this Bradbury tale before. Of course, "Fever Dreams" is vastly better than my own wee tale ("The Hand") and with an ending that sends shivers down your back. (Mine was an attempt to couple a boy's experiences with a kind of cosmic horror... and I failed.)
"The TOwn Where No One Got Off": A nice little, creepy tale. Wonderful atmosphere and, for a long while, uncertainty. A story that really says something about the human nature when it comes to our relation with other people. Dark? You bet.
As always, more reviews coming, as I read new stories. Since there are 100 stories just in this volume that may take quite a number of years;-)...more
This is a nicely told story. As a whole, though, I wasn't impressed. That is no doubt because it's a story aimed at a (much) younger audience than me.This is a nicely told story. As a whole, though, I wasn't impressed. That is no doubt because it's a story aimed at a (much) younger audience than me. I can appreciate that and the story's value in that light.
All in all this coming-of-age story only have a few hints of the writer who later penned the brilliant THE SHADOW OF THE WIND. But that is OK. It's an OK good yarn....more
This anthology is a solid 4 stars. Highly recommended. Very varied content with great stories (only a few exceptions).
SPOILER WARNING!
AUGUST 14, 2011:This anthology is a solid 4 stars. Highly recommended. Very varied content with great stories (only a few exceptions).
SPOILER WARNING!
AUGUST 14, 2011:
"Following Double-face Woman" by Erzebet YellowBoy:
This one didn't leave any lasting impression on me. It's based on a figure of Native American myth.
OCTOBER 21, 2011:
"The Folding Man" by Joe R. Lansdale:
This story was a bit silly to me. In part because I found it difficult to take the premise serious: a van full of angry, dead nuns have a folding man chase stupid, young people.
Well in line with many a modern, "hip" horror movie style, though. So if you're in to that approach to horror you're likely to like this story.
There are some well-conceived moments of shuddering horror, though. Lansdale knows how to write such stuff, no matter what.
OCTOBER 26, 2011:
"Tin Cans" by Ekaterina Sedia:
This one blew me away. Truly gripping and horrifying.
The first couple of pages had me thinking this would be a "meh" read -- at best an average story. But suddenly I was captured and it turned out to be one of the best short stories I've read in years. And that's saying a lot!
It's not a comfortable read, though. Not even for horror afficionados. Don't say I didn't warn you. One of the reasons for this is that the tale sits close to the border of reality. The idea is culled from an urban legend, sure, but it's one of those where you're (more or less) willing to accept the reality of things. You can't easily dismiss it as fiction or superstition. And adding to this is the author's highly effective use of psychological insight in her approach to everything (is it real ghosts or is it "only" the narrator's remembrances haunting him? Either way, it's horrible; there's no way out).
The story's central evil is a shadowy creature from Stalin's regime: Beria, who was known as "Stalin's butcher". Add to that naked, young girls and an innocent (?) chauffeur, and you have the outline of what's going on here. 'Nuff said.
OCTOBER 26, 2011:
"Oak Parks" by M. K. Hobson:
A disquieting little ghost tale of, we learn, a woman who at the age of 12 turns herself into a ghost while at the same time living on to become a mother repeating the sad patterns of her mother. A very sad tale. But very good and memorable.
OCTOBER 27, 2011:
"That Girl" by Kaaron Warren:
Another story of a adult woman who experienced something terrible as a child. It was certainly above average but it didn't capture me as strongly as some of the other stories have done. One of the reasons perhaps being that the whole narrator-is-a-painter element didn't come to life for me. Still recommended, though.
OCTOBER 28, 2011:
"As Red as Red" by Caitlín R. Kiernan:
Another well-composed piece by one of the best weird tales writers today. It's a quiet tale, easily as odd as the "odd tale of lycanthropy and vampirism" by H. P. Lovecraft that she briefly aludes to (p. 86). A fine characterization of "As Red as Red" as well.
The tone is wry, with a poetic undercurrent, and very atmospheric, with a dream-like texture. Trademarks of Kiernan's work.
Highly recommended.
OCTOBER 28, 2011:
"The Spring Heel" by Steven Pirie:
A hooker sees a strange figure on the Victorian roofs while "serving" a man. Turns out it's The Spring Heel, a devil-like character... at least according to legend...
An OK read but it didn't really work for me.
NOVEMBER 28, 2011:
"Face Like a Monkey" by Carrie Laben:
I like the idea but not the execution. A large, strange bird is haunting Texas, and we see it through a kid's eyes, and at the same time there are family troubles.
DECEMBER 15, 2011:
"Down Atsion Road" by Jeffrey Ford:
Based on the legend of the Jersey Devil. Normally I appreciate stories with a strong "vagueness" to them, since they, in my opinion, tend to be more genuinely horrific and creepy than the in-your-face gore & horror tales so abundant in the genre nowadays. This story is perhaps, actually, a little too vague, even for my taste.
That said, it was well told and I was intrigued to the end. So it was a good read, all in all
DECEMBER 17, 2011:
"La Llorona" by Carolyn Turgeon:
A woman is on a vacation, alone and sad. Soon she sees another woman on the beach at night, who seem to be even sadder than herself. The local warn her to go to the woman on the beach at night, yet she is drawn...
Quite an effective tale of loss and sorrow.
DECEMBER 26, 2011:
"Knickerbocker Holiday" by Richard Bowes:
Old friends gathered and exchange stories after an old boss of them all has dies.
Loosely evolved around the famous "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving this story could have been interesting. Sadly, to me it wasn't. Th:e exchanged stories too fragmented and unsubstantial, in my opinion.
MARCH 4, 2012:
"The Foxes" by Lily Hoag:
I didn't really "get" this story. Too fragmented... too convoluted for me.
AUGUST 20, 2012:
"Akbar" by Kit Reed:
Good, with a weird ending. Perhaps even too weird?
"Shoebox Train Wreck" by John Mantooth:
A good read, very atmospheric, tinged with a sense of guilt and remorse. I liked it a lot.
"Fifteen Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jota" by Catherynne M. Valente:
This story was too weird for my taste. I couldn't really "get into it". But it's well written.
AUGUST 21, 2012:
"Return to Mariabronn" by Gary A. Braunbeck:
Good story. Sad.
AUGUST 22, 2012:
"For Those in Peril on the Sea" by Stephen Dedman:
A nice idea but unfortunately too unclearly executed, in my opinion. I never "got under the skin" of the main character and the underlying idea remains too muddy to bear the story.
DECEMBER 29, 2012:
"Between Heaven and Hull" by Pat Cadigan:
A surprisingly chilly spin on the good ole "hitchhiker" idea. It was strange, and open ended enough.
Recommended.
AUGUST 31, 2013:
"Chucky Comes to Liverpool" by Ramsey Campbell:
Campbell is one of the few writers who really has a knack for stories about children. This is no exception. Inspired by real-life murders by two ten-year-old kids in Liverpool, it evolves around the urban legend that the murders were inspired by Chicky horror movies. A wonderfully chilling tale, with a different twist than I expected....more
**spoiler alert** This appears to be something else than what I usually read. It is supposedly with an urban twist. I look forward to it. The cover ce**spoiler alert** This appears to be something else than what I usually read. It is supposedly with an urban twist. I look forward to it. The cover certainly is promising:-)
Early September 2011:
"Nothing To Do" by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez:
We follow the narrator in a brief period of time, when he is going to visit his aunt, who is dying of cancer. In this time we also follow his thoughts. It all has a stream-of-consciousness like texture, without exactly being such a story.
Nothing much really happens, but it was intense nonetheless, and considering it is a very short story it held up all right.
September 5, 2011:
"The Scent of Invisible Roses" by Laura Restrepo:
In the autumn of life a man gets a chance to see the love of his youth. It's not an easy decision, especially since he is still married and they are both with (adult) children of their own. There's a life time between them.
This was a story that moved me unexpectedly. The indecision of a man who is attracted to the youth that once was his but which has, he feels, escaped him in some way. I enjoyed it from the beginning, where he connects with his old love over the phone, and to the last part, where they actually meet and live together for a few days. And how very different things turn out to be... Which may not be such a bad thing.
I highly recommend this story. It already haunts me.
September 8, 2011:
"Circle" by Carlos Franz: [My review of this one edited Oct. 21]
Also a story of old age vs. youth. In this case a dying grandmother and her 6 year old granddaughter.
The tale is technically nicely framed -- beginning with the granddaughter's point of view, the middle with the grandmother's (often delirious) point of view, and ending with the granddaughter again (although in some way it can be seen as weaving the first two together in a closed unit). This approach works wonders, and I found myself captured to the bitter-sweet end. It was believable as well as fascinating. I also appreciate that the author does not shy away from describing more disgusting things in a real manner. (I won't say what but if you read the story you'll know what I am talking about.) That was a very nice touch.
Highly recommended. Definitely.
Mid-September, 2011:
"The Documentary Artist" by Jaime Manrique:
Quite a cool story. A professor is looking for a student who was a talented horror movie maker (and the professor is attracted to him), for the student early on mysteriously disappears.
Needless to say he encounters the student again, but every time things are a little weirder, and the student -- now living on the streets as a bum -- is not one you really "get to know," much to the professor's frustration.
I loved the ending... One I will not tell you;-)
September 20, 2011:
"People Like Us" by Javier Valdés:
A man and a woman spend their winter in the mountains, in a strange house. Strange things happen -- and as their casual sex gets wilder they grow strangers. With fatal results.
That's of course a superficial characterization of the story, but it does give you a rough idea of the framework. In many ways a classic and often overused setting, but except for perhaps being a little too long this story works well. The growing madness, the paranoia, the mistrust and slow unveiling of what's going on...
Ooooh, I like!
So far I am very impressed by this collection. It bodes well for the rest of the anthology:-) I hope it manages to keep the top rating I've rated it so far (mid-October 2011).
As always, more reviews coming as I get around to reading more tales....more
Like the two-star rating indicates: It was an OK read. No more, no less.
In short, I was fascinated enough to want to read the story from cover to coveLike the two-star rating indicates: It was an OK read. No more, no less.
In short, I was fascinated enough to want to read the story from cover to cover -- but too often the style and, well, "loose" storytelling annoyed me. I don't have a problem with stream-of-consciousness-like elements in a story, but they have to work seamlessly in a story; and that demand failed in this story. Now, don't get the wrong idea here -- I am not saying we have a stream-of-consciousness style á la Proust or Joyce, no, what is used here is a more low-key version of that style. Often the protagonist (the diviner in question) remembers things from the past and we then share this in the moment she has this remembrance. Regardless of when it happens. On the one hand it adds to the realism of the tale, on the other hand it subtracts to the flow of what I consider the main story, chopping everything to odd pieces, and doing nothing (for me, at least) but adding to the growing annoyance. Too often I found these side-stories, although important in some respects, to drag on and on... And that's not good.
A shame, though. I like the idea well enough. Not too keen on the execution, though....more
**spoiler alert** Earlier February 2011 I started reading this collection: "The Lost District" and "Mine". I liked both, they are unsettling in a nice**spoiler alert** Earlier February 2011 I started reading this collection: "The Lost District" and "Mine". I liked both, they are unsettling in a nice quiet, weird way, with a delicate touch of eroticism that doesn't get in the way of the actual story. A kind of male version of Caitlín R. Kiernan, one might be tempted to say.
FEB. 26, 2011: "Against My Ruins" and "The Only Game": Marvelous, subdued tales. The latter about seeing death all the time.
APRIL 17, 2011: "The Country of Glass": A story about an alcholic man trying to get sober. That's how I read it, anyway. Truth be told, it didn't do much for me. Well written, though.
MAY 16, 2011: "The Night That Wins":
The most powerful story so far. Wow. And very quotable: "it had the cold strength of a buried memory." Lovely, poetic.
The rest read Summer 2012 + October 2013. Because of other things in my life requiring my attention, no individual review for each story this time.
Just to be clear, though, this is a marvelous, dark collection by a unique writer. Highly recommended....more
It's well written, no doubt about it, and there is a strange fascination -- that kept me there for almo250 pages in and I give up. Throw in the towel.
It's well written, no doubt about it, and there is a strange fascination -- that kept me there for almost 250 pages -- but at the end of the day I just don't find the story interesting.
**spoiler alert** I have read some reviewers say they find this story "rambling." I do not agree at all. There is a clear plot and it is executed all **spoiler alert** I have read some reviewers say they find this story "rambling." I do not agree at all. There is a clear plot and it is executed all the way through by the author. The characters too are clearly outlined. Of course--given that the story evolves around, among other things, that some persons in the story turn out to be another person altogether, and that for a long while the protagonist himself doesn't really know what's going on, then I suppose some people may find the story not to their liking. But it's all part of the plot. And on the whole it works, in my opinion.
The main issue with this book is that it is markedly less poetic than Zafón's brilliant The Shadow of the Wind. That is the main reason I cannot give this book more than a 4 stars rating. Like many other readers, I was expecting more of that beautiful prose-poetry language... And it took me some pages to accept that that was not what I was getting here. Don't get me wrong--it is there; just not as much as I was anticipating. And for a while I was disappointed.
The formula is much the same as in Shadow: Pulp, mystery & crime, Barcelona in the first half of the 20th Century, a passionate love of books, a dark character looming behind everything, and a main character who in his trials of life try to find himself and his place in everything. And there is the poetic language as well, it cannot be denied. But in this story it is downplayed to give the other elements more attention; for better or worse, depending on personal preferences.
Interestingly enough, early in the book an editor tells the protagonist that florid language is to be scorned... Perhaps a clue to what we as readers should expect in this story? (To a certain degree, of course; I am only measuring this compared to Zafón's earlier novel--not to, say, Hemmingway;-).)
The protagonist this time is David Martín, who we follow as his career as a pulp writer in Barcelona takes off; we follow his ups and downs as a writer, and his ups and downs interacting with the people surrounding him--with, I'd say, an emphasis on his relations with the other sex.
Martín is not a very likeable character. A change from Shadow's protagonist. He is sarcastic, occasionally mean-spirited and it is not particularly fun to follow him. Yet I found it very interesting to follow his trials; he was fascinating, and it also seemed very proper in context of this novel's underlying tone, which is decidedly more dark and twisted than Shadow. I am sure this is also something that is a turn-off to a number of readers. Oh well, I salute Zafón for his decision, since this is actually what makes this story stand out as a story in itself--and not a tale that merely stands in the shadow of his earlier novel. (Yes, pun intended.) Madness plays a prominent role in this story. In the beginning only insofar as we suspect the narrator (the protagonist) for perhaps bordering on madness at times (and the "cancer removal scene" is a marvel), but later on it seeps out to other characters--and the scenes at the madhouse and David's experiences there with Christina are especially poignant, I think. It was from then on the story managed to solidly grip me. Also because by then I had accepted that I would not get a clear-cut second Shadow. So from then on I truly read the tale on its own merits.
While the Sempere & Sons shop (and the family) isn't at the centre of the actual storyline, it still holds a prominent place both for the protagonist and, it turns out, the heart of the plot. And in the last pages we get a very nice tie-in from this book to Shadow, which I for one found rather touching. My favourite place of all places, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, also turns up in this story. No longer described as amazing (but still as amazing!), but I think this is because the author decided we, the readers, already know this place. You cannot repeat the awe and wonder, only try to stir what's already inside the reader. Zafón does so quite well, I think, but since we are following the "meeting" of the Cemetery through the eyes, the experience, of the protagonist I would have prefered a second try at awe & wonder--after all, that is what he would have experienced.
In Angel the shadowy character behind everything is more in the fore than the shadowy character in Shadow. An active participant. This time it is a mysterious person going by the name Andreas Corelli, and he approaches Martin with a once-in-a-lifetime deal, with a huge pay of money: Write a religion, using the talent and skills you have at writing (effective pulp). Not surprisingly Martin accepts--and not surprisingly making deals with A.C. (soon called "the boss") are not without a price.
Early on I suspected that "the boss" was in fact Satan/Lucifer. But Zafón is a smart writer, he keeps hinting at this or that, but without revealing it--just like everything else in the story. Just about all other story threads are revealed neatly in the end (for a long time the Inspector's fondness and tolerance of Martin--despite all the evidence piling up against him--seemed out of character and totally unbelievable to me; this too has a reason, it turns out--very nice), but we never really learn who "the boss" is. The end scene where he turns up elsewhere in the world, where our protagonist now lives, was very well done and the almost downplayed tone of it all captured me in a way that tempted me to give the novel 5 stars instead of the 4 I ended up with. But even here--where the curse, if you will, on Martin is clearly outlined--we do not learn who "the boss" is. I still think he is Satan/Lucifer, but I cannot say for sure. I like that:-)
June 2009 Note: I have a limited Waterstone edition, cased. Can't find the version here on GoodReads. My copy is signed (a pleasant surprise; I didn't know they would be when I ordered this edition on Waterstone): #330 out of 1000 copies....more
**spoiler alert** Nice little "children" story from the ever-imaginative Neil Gaiman, one of the best weird tales writers today, in my opinion.
If it w**spoiler alert** Nice little "children" story from the ever-imaginative Neil Gaiman, one of the best weird tales writers today, in my opinion.
If it wasn't for the ending "battle", which I found a little forced (the various fights before the "original Jack" was sort of over & done too easily and fast to my taste), I'd rate this 5 stars; instead it now gets 4. That's not bad, obviously;-)
I really liked the kid Nobody ("Bod" among his friends--alive as well as dead), and the whole idea of him growing up in a graveyard among ghosts and other oddities was executed in the most charming manner imaginable. Likewise the rest of the cast was wonderful, my favourites being Silas the guardian (I'd love to read more about him in another book!) and Liza the young witch (and about her too!).
A minor annoyance was that in some of the scenes when he is very young (5-6 years, if I remember correctly) Bod behaved and was thinking as if he was older, I think, and... Was those long s'es deliberately "f"es instead, Mr. Gaiman, or is that an editorial slip? And, yeah--I can't decided if I think the whole "Jack of All Trades evil guys" element really made enough sense for them to be the ones after Bod since babyhood.
A marvelously odd tale of growing up. Highly recommended.
(My copy is purchased in Bangkok, Thailand, October 2008. And, btw, the "magic-realism" tag is perhaps not justly added, but nonetheless there's something resembling magic realism in this story, I think; but don't ask me to justify it:-P)...more
Now finished reading it. Would give it 4½ stars, except GoodReads doesn't allow ½ star ratings.
This is one of the best m**spoiler alert** NOVEMBER 17:
Now finished reading it. Would give it 4½ stars, except GoodReads doesn't allow ½ star ratings.
This is one of the best modern horror books ever with kids as main characters; and Pennywise the Clown is one of the most scary characters ever.
I could write a lot about why I think this lengthy novel is so extremely good, but let me instead mention why I don't go all the way and give it 5 stars:
There is an underlying--the reader slowly learns--Lovecraftian theme hiding somewhere in the background of the story. This is cool enough, and for the most time is done well and in tune with the characters (which we follow 50% of the time when they are children), but there is a jarring moment where Stephen King tries to go into a "Lovecraftian writing mode" in describing the whole "Horrible Cosmos" element--and it fails badly! Okay, I suppose it is written the way it is written because King tries to tell it the way a child would tell it... And I can follow the idea and reason for it--after all it is the strongly rational kid who has this "revelation" (hence we have a kind of kid parallel to a Lovecraftian type of protagonist, hehe). But it just doesn't ring true! There's been no events up till then that, IMO, should give Stan the kid a reason to begin thinking those extreme, metaphysical thoughts, and since it is done in a manner that doesn't even really hit the mark (sounds more like another misunderstanding of Lovecraft's ideas, and another of the poor Mythos pastiche), that part was an annoying read. (See p. 411 for this scene; you may disagree.)
I greatly enjoy the whole "turtle, Chüd, Other" scenes where we get amazing, fantastic across-the-universe-nearing-damning-Other-Universe/World" scenes. But why, o why does the Turtle has to sound like some laid-back, cool rockish person--with "son" thrown in for good measures, when talking to Bill? And, later, the "good Power (God?)" uses the same phrase. Breaks the magic, in my opinion, that such a creature should talk like that.
The other frustrating element is that too much of what the kids do (also as grownups) sounds too much like "chess pieces put into play". As if they don't ever really have a choice in the matter. A critique e.g. John Irving has often had thrown his way. Now, I could live with that--if it wasn't for King's jarring, too freqent mentioning of it. Argh. Quite frequently he has one of the characters get the feeling that there really wasn't a choice, and that someone/-thing higher was making it all happen. Irving at least doesn't spell it out to the reader.
Since this, crucial, element isn't really explained in the end--in any way--it ended up being a kind of "easy way out" in terms of having this-and-this happen at that-and-that precise moment, for everything to fall (more or less) neatly into place. Frustrating.
Even so, as you can imagine from the 4½ stars, this is a great, great novel; and most of the time it works wonders. If you like detailed, believable stories evolving around childhood, kids & unnamable horrors set in a (initially, at least) realistic, day-to-day environment--this is the book! This is how kids are at that age....more
**spoiler alert** I am in two minds here. Reading this story again, so many years after its original publication in 1982, was rewarding enough. It was**spoiler alert** I am in two minds here. Reading this story again, so many years after its original publication in 1982, was rewarding enough. It was nice being back in this story, which back then had a special impact in my young mind. (I was introduced to this story by my late paternal grandmother.)
For that, I'd like to give the story 4 stars.
On the other hand, I am older now, and a more critical reader than I was in my youth. And there's just too many clichés, cringling sentences (downright bad writing--and not all of them caused by mediocre translation from Norweigan to Danish) and other frustrating annoyances.
For that, I ought to give 2 stars only.
I don't mind clichés as a rule. In fact, many of the genres I enjoy reading thrive on clichés. But an author must be able to use them properly. This is not one of those stories. I don't know if perhaps Sandemo improves later on (this is the first in a Series of, believe it or not, 47 books), but in this one the clichés are nothing but overt, in-your-face clichés. Young, innocent, but strong-willed girl with the heart in the right place--on the brink of becoming an adult--doses of light sexuality--two myserious men, one lighthaired & charming, the other darkhaired & very mysterious (take a wild guess who's the one she eventually falls in love with & is wildly attracted to:-P)--a light dose of superstition & dark magic--add the Plague & good ole fashioned ideas of "man, woman & family"... And you have... Well, another clicheed romance story, right?
Yet, despite all that, I did get to relive the images I enjoyed when much younger. And that was quite nice:-) Also, almost in spite of the heavy clichés, the story does have occasional, strong images & descriptions of persons & emotions. The latter, especially, isn't too far off in capturing how a person in the late teen feels, if memory serves me right (even if I am of the opposite sex of the female protagonist; it's fairly universal, I think). This I commend the author for relaying fairly fine. Just a shame too much is burdened by either obvious authorial presence or forced, bombastic "points"--be that on morality, gender or whatnot.
**spoiler alert** As always with these short story collections, I'll simply write a few words to every story--as I get around to them...
AUGUST 13:
"Dow**spoiler alert** As always with these short story collections, I'll simply write a few words to every story--as I get around to them...
AUGUST 13:
"Down to the Silver Spirits" by Kaaron Warren: An enjoyable read that reveals some rather nasty horrors from below the (unnamed) city of modern life. It strung a particular chord in me since my wife is pregnant these days. And this story is about, well, what people--both men & women--will do to get a child, if for some reason they cannot have children the "natural way." The ending has just the right dose of horrific, future implications for my taste!:-)
This story is about two-third into the book, but I am glad I picked that one for starters. I certainly look forward to the next, random story...
AUGUST 16 (corrected):
"Promises; A Tale of the City Imperishable" by Jay Lake: This is an oddball... To me, at least. In Jess Nevins' fine Foreword it is mentioned that Lake has written several stories set in this city, so perhaps it's because I lack important knowledge beforehand. But I must confess that I found it difficult to get into the tale, and when finally I was getting the hang on it--the story ended.
The story has a fine-tuned sense of atmosphere, if perhaps a little too depending on beforehand-knowledge, and the dark Sister Order that the tale uses as background was fascinating enough. The whole "what do you want to give up?" theme & bitterness blend was well done, with a spicy, sad tang in the climax.
AUGUST 17:
"Ghost Market" by Greg van Eekhout: A very short tale. Too short, in my opinion, to really unfold the theme and plot. I still found this whole "buying ghosts/souls on the black market" story charming, though.
AUGUST 21:
"Godivy" by Vylar Kaftan:" Nope. Doesn't work for me at all. Alive photocopy machines, reproduction and a bizarre "back to nature" moral of sorts... Doesn't work for me. Perhaps if it had been longer, but as it is it left me cold, on the reading level. But kudos to Kaftan's imagination!:-)
Between AUGUST 17 & 22:
"The Funeral, Ruined" by Ben Peek: A particularly depressive cityscape is the background of this dark tale where tattoos are quite special. I liked it.
AUGUST 24:
"Painting Haiti" by Michael Jasper: A truly fascinating story about a young woman who has a very special gift when it comes to painting. Reality is certainly not bended in the normal way of things. This is a clever story with a clever twist on something being magical. I highly recommend it.
AUGUST 25:
"Taser" by Jenn Reese: A human gang that somehow is under the command of hellhounds, and what happens when one of the humans (up till then being one of the ardest followers of the hellhounds) suddenly reacts against the wish of the hellhound pack leader, Taser.
A different story than what I am used to, and one with a lot of potential beyond the natural limitations of a short story--but it worked within the confinements of such a tale. Kudos to the author:-)
AUGUST 29:
"The One That Got Away" by Mark Teppo: So far definitely one of the best stories in the anthology. And it's truly good I hasten to say to anyone still having doubt about the contents of this book.
Switches between two very different scenes, one in a night club of sorts; the other with the same people, chasing--a unicorn! Splendidly woven by Teppo, and meeting in a climax of rare, raw power. Fine character descriptions, emotional vibrancy (with existentiality hanging on the edge of the pages), and thoughtful considerations to the meaning of the unicorn. Raised the hairs on my arms, I tell you.
It's hard to find a better way to recommend a story:-)
SEPTEMBER 5:
"The Title of This Story" by Stephanie Campisi: I like the idea as well as the quirky characters in this story. But the general execution I find a little more so-and-so. Not among the best in this collection.
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