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ska1224's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Dementia
0live_tr33's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Child death and Dementia
Moderate: Mental illness and Pedophilia
savvylit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Schweblin has written yet another book that expertly navigates the terror of the deepest and most unknowable parts of the human psyche. She imagines scenarios that are horrible due to their close proximity to reality. What if your parents lost their minds and you had to stand by and wonder if you ever really knew them? What if you thought that you'd met a kind stranger but then your encounter suddenly took on a sinister air?
Every story in this collection is unsettling and well-crafted. However, there is one that stands out above the rest and that is the longest story, "Breath from the Depths." In that story, the protagonist is a bitter, enfeebled old woman with a memory problem. Her forgetfulness makes her both obsessed with structure and totally paranoid. She no longer trusts her husband in any way, constantly implying his stupidity. In addition to her mind, her body doesn't function the way that she wants it to either. She frequently laments the fact that she can't even die despite feeling ready to go. In Breath from the Depths, Schweblin has so brilliantly hit on all of the very specific frustrations of memory loss and aging. As someone who has closely witnessed multiple elderly family members experience varying forms of dementia, I was blown away (and a bit terrified) by Schweblin's vivid and believable portrayal of memory loss in this story.
Overall, Seven Empty Houses as a collection is an excellent glimpse into Schweblin's skill at capturing dread and psychological horror. She remains one of my favorite contemporary authors and I cannot wait to see what she publishes next.
Every story in this collection is unsettling and well-crafted. However, there is one that stands out above the rest and that is the longest story, "Breath from the Depths." In that story, the protagonist is a bitter, enfeebled old woman with a memory problem. Her forgetfulness makes her both obsessed with structure and totally paranoid. She no longer trusts her husband in any way, constantly implying his stupidity. In addition to her mind, her body doesn't function the way that she wants it to either. She frequently laments the fact that she can't even die despite feeling ready to go. In Breath from the Depths, Schweblin has so brilliantly hit on all of the very specific frustrations of memory loss and aging. As someone who has closely witnessed multiple elderly family members experience varying forms of dementia, I was blown away (and a bit terrified) by Schweblin's vivid and believable portrayal of memory loss in this story.
Overall, Seven Empty Houses as a collection is an excellent glimpse into Schweblin's skill at capturing dread and psychological horror. She remains one of my favorite contemporary authors and I cannot wait to see what she publishes next.
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
mlewis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, and Dementia
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Grief
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