mjtucker's review
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
slitherhither's review
4.0
Some good, some not so good, but I could never hate on a Halloween anthology. The reminiscence of childhood Halloween was my favorite parts of the book.
leasa's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
meowmeowfood's review
1.0
Would give it half a star if I could.
This book was not worth the time, but because I am a completionist, I ended up finishing it and reading cover-to-cover. The "My Favorite Halloween Memories" stories were some of the most boring things I've ever read and all ended up following the same theme: Halloween was cooler when I was a kid, it's ruined now by PC culture or overly concerned parents or too many store bought/Pokémon costumes. One of the stories was legitimately just the author summarizing her diary entries from the 31st of each year, and yes, it would be along the lines of "Hung out with -name drop, name drop, name drop -. Ate a lot of chili." Mind-numbingly dull filled with a lot of "my Boomer generation is better than your generation" sentimentality.
The short stories themselves were typically unremarkable, boring or confusing/poorly written. None of them really held your interest or even kept me moderately spooked for more than a second or two. All of the "twists" were extremely predictable, there wasn't a single one that you couldn't see coming from a mile away. If these are the best, I can't imagine the stories that didn't make the cut.
The pinnacle of this whole shitstorm of a book was the overtly anti-choice propaganda story about a doctor who performs abortions being targeted by the "children" he "killed." It was like reading a 40 Days for Life pamphlet and just as cringeworthy/full of dogma. I honestly cannot believe it was included because of how heavy handed the whole thing was. The inclusion of this story makes me suspect of all the authors included in the anthology if they were okay having their story in a book with this one. It even ended with a reference to the debunked "documentary" Silent Scream.
Reader, beware: there is no scare, just eyerolling and tedium. Avoid this book.
This book was not worth the time, but because I am a completionist, I ended up finishing it and reading cover-to-cover. The "My Favorite Halloween Memories" stories were some of the most boring things I've ever read and all ended up following the same theme: Halloween was cooler when I was a kid, it's ruined now by PC culture or overly concerned parents or too many store bought/Pokémon costumes. One of the stories was legitimately just the author summarizing her diary entries from the 31st of each year, and yes, it would be along the lines of "Hung out with -name drop, name drop, name drop -. Ate a lot of chili." Mind-numbingly dull filled with a lot of "my Boomer generation is better than your generation" sentimentality.
The short stories themselves were typically unremarkable, boring or confusing/poorly written. None of them really held your interest or even kept me moderately spooked for more than a second or two. All of the "twists" were extremely predictable, there wasn't a single one that you couldn't see coming from a mile away. If these are the best, I can't imagine the stories that didn't make the cut.
The pinnacle of this whole shitstorm of a book was the overtly anti-choice propaganda story about a doctor who performs abortions being targeted by the "children" he "killed." It was like reading a 40 Days for Life pamphlet and just as cringeworthy/full of dogma. I honestly cannot believe it was included because of how heavy handed the whole thing was. The inclusion of this story makes me suspect of all the authors included in the anthology if they were okay having their story in a book with this one. It even ended with a reference to the debunked "documentary" Silent Scream.
Reader, beware: there is no scare, just eyerolling and tedium. Avoid this book.
crowyhead's review
3.0
This is a nicely atmospheric, if uneven, collection of Halloween-themed stories. There are some classics here, like "Heavy Set" by Ray Bradbury, and a lot of stories I hadn't read before. I think one of the reasons I ended up not being particularly thrilled with the collection is that it's HUGE and after a while the themes start to get really repetitive. I also was not a big fan of the "My Favorite Halloween Memory" sections, which were short essays from horror writers about Halloween. Some of them were really well written: funny, scary, or poignant by turns -- but I really wish the editor had given them some kind of guideline like, "Please don't mention how Halloween isn't what it used to be because of razor apple scares, etc." I swear, at least 75% of the essays mentioned this, and it started to really drive me crazy.
So I guess my overall take on this book is that it's a good seasonal collection, but you might want to space it out over the entire month of October, instead of reading it in a few days the way I did.
So I guess my overall take on this book is that it's a good seasonal collection, but you might want to space it out over the entire month of October, instead of reading it in a few days the way I did.
paperbackstash's review
Adding thoughts on stories and essays as I get through them.
The book opens with a fictional story from Dean Koontz focusing on getting a creepy pumpkin from a mysterious carver. Called "The Black Pumpkin", it worked well to open the anthology on a menacing note. It fit in well with the childlike wonder of the season when innocence meets sinister paranormal. Clever story rated 4/5
"In the night, your brother's jack-o'-lantern will grow into something other than what it is now. Its jaws will work. Its teeth will sharpen. When everyone is asleep, it'll creepy through your house...and give what's deserved. It'll come for you last of all. What do you think you deserve, Tommy?"
"What are you?" Tommy asked.
The carver smiled. "Dangerous."
The second story is....not sure if it's a true-life essay or actual story. A Moonlit Night with Rats by Elizabeth Engstrom is very brief, and not really related to Halloween. It was related to a girl tormented by trying to fit in with older brothers until she finds herself suddenly. 2/5
Lantern Marsh by Poppy Z. Brite does the anthology justice by focusing on mysterious lanterns lining a marsh, drawing the attention of a mournful and unique kid on Halloween nights every year. It's a blend of ghost stories, small towns, magic of memories, music and growing of age stuff, and the suitable revenge endings. 4/5
NICKNAMES by Rick Hautala is an essay subtitled "A Hallowe'en Reminiscence'. Focusing on the fun of nicknames as a kid - toward other kids and adults - it ends with a childhood prank on Halloween that almost went severely wrong.
Likewise, A Condemned Man by Steve Rasnic Tem is an essay about remembering masks on Halloween. The author tells of the last time he went trick or treating and a creepy moment that has unsettled him since.
----- stopping point
The book opens with a fictional story from Dean Koontz focusing on getting a creepy pumpkin from a mysterious carver. Called "The Black Pumpkin", it worked well to open the anthology on a menacing note. It fit in well with the childlike wonder of the season when innocence meets sinister paranormal. Clever story rated 4/5
"In the night, your brother's jack-o'-lantern will grow into something other than what it is now. Its jaws will work. Its teeth will sharpen. When everyone is asleep, it'll creepy through your house...and give what's deserved. It'll come for you last of all. What do you think you deserve, Tommy?"
"What are you?" Tommy asked.
The carver smiled. "Dangerous."
The second story is....not sure if it's a true-life essay or actual story. A Moonlit Night with Rats by Elizabeth Engstrom is very brief, and not really related to Halloween. It was related to a girl tormented by trying to fit in with older brothers until she finds herself suddenly. 2/5
Lantern Marsh by Poppy Z. Brite does the anthology justice by focusing on mysterious lanterns lining a marsh, drawing the attention of a mournful and unique kid on Halloween nights every year. It's a blend of ghost stories, small towns, magic of memories, music and growing of age stuff, and the suitable revenge endings. 4/5
NICKNAMES by Rick Hautala is an essay subtitled "A Hallowe'en Reminiscence'. Focusing on the fun of nicknames as a kid - toward other kids and adults - it ends with a childhood prank on Halloween that almost went severely wrong.
Likewise, A Condemned Man by Steve Rasnic Tem is an essay about remembering masks on Halloween. The author tells of the last time he went trick or treating and a creepy moment that has unsettled him since.
----- stopping point
the_bookubus's review
4.0
4.5 stars
The perfect anthology for reading during the run-up to Halloween! As well as the short stories by a huge variety of authors there are also 'Halloween Memories' from some of the authors sprinkled throughout which I think is a really great idea and adds to the Halloween atmosphere as you read through. There are also a couple of segments that recommend Halloween themed stories, novels and movies so it's great to refer back to for inspiration when Halloween comes round again. While there were a few stories that didn't do much for me overall this is an absolutely wonderful book. My favourite stories were:
A Redress for Andromeda by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Eyes by Charles L. Grant
The Trick by Ramsey Campbell
Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub
The perfect anthology for reading during the run-up to Halloween! As well as the short stories by a huge variety of authors there are also 'Halloween Memories' from some of the authors sprinkled throughout which I think is a really great idea and adds to the Halloween atmosphere as you read through. There are also a couple of segments that recommend Halloween themed stories, novels and movies so it's great to refer back to for inspiration when Halloween comes round again. While there were a few stories that didn't do much for me overall this is an absolutely wonderful book. My favourite stories were:
A Redress for Andromeda by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Eyes by Charles L. Grant
The Trick by Ramsey Campbell
Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub
ashortnomad's review
5.0
My favorite fall read. This collection of stories and recollections gets pulled off my shelf as soon as the weather starts to get the slightest nip in the air. While some of the entries are not memorable, there are several in the book I return to time and again. I would highly recommend.
lauriereadslohf's review
4.0
A Celebration of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar & Robert Morrish is a collection of new and previously published short stories, novellas and true-life memories taking place on Halloween. Included is a brief (and interesting) history of Halloween and guides to Halloween film and fiction all written by some of my favorite horror and dark fantasy writers.
I’ve been working at this one for over a month and not due to disinterest either. This sucker is HUGE and its anthology format makes it the perfect book to pick up and put down whenever the mood strikes. I feared I’d overdose on Halloween stories if I read a big chunk of it in one sitting so I’ve been savoring it. Fortunately the stories were, for the most part, strikingly different. Since the list of stories alone is three pages long a blow by blow synopsis of them by me simply isn’t going to happen. Instead I’ll do my best to highlight the stories that lingered in my memory for one reason or another. Most of the stories range from good to excellent but there were a small handful that bored me enough to give up halfway through. The tone of the stories runs the gamut from mournfully sad to laugh out loud funny but the thing that the majority of these stories have in common is the lack of gore and sex and the reliance on atmosphere and good old fashioned storytelling to chill the bones. Here goes:
Dean Koontz story “The Black Pumpkin” begins this tome and is a creepy little tale about a decent and good little boy and his Eeeevil big bully of a brother. The two come across a spooky old man who has a talent for carving pumpkins into malevolent creations. Big brother picks out the ugliest scariest pumpkin in the bunch and brings home much more than a spooky pumpkin. This story is a spooky-ooky but not terribly original tale about bad folks getting their comeuppance.
“Mask Game” by John Shirley is about people and their nasty little secrets and it had me reading way past the point of exhaustion the other night. Unfortunately it got a bit cluttered and more than a bit confusing towards the end and, well, I fell asleep.
“Gone” by Jack Ketchum takes a look inside the life of the weird woman who lives down the road, the lady all of the neighbors whisper about. It’s an affecting and sad tale about a woman’s attempt to celebrate Halloween after a long stint of hiding away from the world and anything involving children.
Two other standouts for me were Richard Laymon’s “Boo” and Douglas E. Winter’s “Masks”. “Boo” tells the tale of a young group of trick or treaters in the mood for a little fright. They end up getting a bit more when a stranger joins their merry little group. It’s the stuff nightmares are made of and reminded me a bit of a warped Twilight Zone episode. Delightfully dark.
“Masks” is both an emotionally gripping and terrifying glimpse into the life of a young boy struggling with personal loss and a step-mother from hell. Written with a relentless sense of impending dread this story shook me up.
Sandwiched between the works of fiction are true life stories of the author’s Halloween memories. Most of these I enjoyed even more than the fictional tales. Might it be because I’m nosy and enjoy indulging in a bit of literary rubbernecking? Probably. But knowing that all of this creepy, odd and sometimes very funny (or very sad) stuff really happened made these pages fly. Growing up shy and traipsing from house to house in my cheesy store bought costume with my dad and (also shy) younger sister made my Halloween outings a relatively boring affair. These true life walks back in time about tricks gone awry or funky handmade costumes fascinated me and have inspired me to be a bit more creative this year.
Also included is an informative short history of Halloween and its origins, a handy list of must see Halloween movies with interesting synopsis for each that had me rushing to Blockbuster to find the gems I’ve missed and then there’s a guide to Halloween reading for those who feel the need for more after gobbling up this book.
Overall this is one of the best collections I’ve come across and it comes highly recommended to those looking for the ultimate in Halloween reading.
I’ve been working at this one for over a month and not due to disinterest either. This sucker is HUGE and its anthology format makes it the perfect book to pick up and put down whenever the mood strikes. I feared I’d overdose on Halloween stories if I read a big chunk of it in one sitting so I’ve been savoring it. Fortunately the stories were, for the most part, strikingly different. Since the list of stories alone is three pages long a blow by blow synopsis of them by me simply isn’t going to happen. Instead I’ll do my best to highlight the stories that lingered in my memory for one reason or another. Most of the stories range from good to excellent but there were a small handful that bored me enough to give up halfway through. The tone of the stories runs the gamut from mournfully sad to laugh out loud funny but the thing that the majority of these stories have in common is the lack of gore and sex and the reliance on atmosphere and good old fashioned storytelling to chill the bones. Here goes:
Dean Koontz story “The Black Pumpkin” begins this tome and is a creepy little tale about a decent and good little boy and his Eeeevil big bully of a brother. The two come across a spooky old man who has a talent for carving pumpkins into malevolent creations. Big brother picks out the ugliest scariest pumpkin in the bunch and brings home much more than a spooky pumpkin. This story is a spooky-ooky but not terribly original tale about bad folks getting their comeuppance.
“Mask Game” by John Shirley is about people and their nasty little secrets and it had me reading way past the point of exhaustion the other night. Unfortunately it got a bit cluttered and more than a bit confusing towards the end and, well, I fell asleep.
“Gone” by Jack Ketchum takes a look inside the life of the weird woman who lives down the road, the lady all of the neighbors whisper about. It’s an affecting and sad tale about a woman’s attempt to celebrate Halloween after a long stint of hiding away from the world and anything involving children.
Two other standouts for me were Richard Laymon’s “Boo” and Douglas E. Winter’s “Masks”. “Boo” tells the tale of a young group of trick or treaters in the mood for a little fright. They end up getting a bit more when a stranger joins their merry little group. It’s the stuff nightmares are made of and reminded me a bit of a warped Twilight Zone episode. Delightfully dark.
“Masks” is both an emotionally gripping and terrifying glimpse into the life of a young boy struggling with personal loss and a step-mother from hell. Written with a relentless sense of impending dread this story shook me up.
Sandwiched between the works of fiction are true life stories of the author’s Halloween memories. Most of these I enjoyed even more than the fictional tales. Might it be because I’m nosy and enjoy indulging in a bit of literary rubbernecking? Probably. But knowing that all of this creepy, odd and sometimes very funny (or very sad) stuff really happened made these pages fly. Growing up shy and traipsing from house to house in my cheesy store bought costume with my dad and (also shy) younger sister made my Halloween outings a relatively boring affair. These true life walks back in time about tricks gone awry or funky handmade costumes fascinated me and have inspired me to be a bit more creative this year.
Also included is an informative short history of Halloween and its origins, a handy list of must see Halloween movies with interesting synopsis for each that had me rushing to Blockbuster to find the gems I’ve missed and then there’s a guide to Halloween reading for those who feel the need for more after gobbling up this book.
Overall this is one of the best collections I’ve come across and it comes highly recommended to those looking for the ultimate in Halloween reading.
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