andalicesays's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
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? No
4.5
jiyoung's review against another edition
3.0
A mixed bag of stories: some had no discernible point, some were deeply unsettling. This collection overall made me feel like I was slowly descending into madness, where even a mundane set-up could start to feel low-key ominous. Schweblin has a knack for the slow burn, steadily crafting an atmosphere that feels sinister without always resorting to shocking imagery or violence typically found in the horror genre. Endings are not her strong suit, however. Many felt unsatisfying and sudden.
emory's review
challenging
dark
4.0
I really enjoyed this book and was a bit sad to see how many reviews were negative, and not about the writing itself, but about how they were unaware of the upsetting content! So if you by odds read reviews before deciding to read a book, know that there are, in particular, a story including the graphic death of small birds (eponymous story Mouthful of Birds), a story in which the narrator is forced to kill a dog (The Test), and a story from the point of view of a man violently racist against Korean and other Asian people (Heads Against Concrete). All are challenging reads, and I don't know if I'm particularly happy with how the final in that list was handled, but they do serve a purpose, although are easily skippable if necessary.
This is such a unique collection. I've had it on my radar since reading Fever Dream and absolutely adoring it. This is such a haunting writing style. Schweblin's characters all exist in the perfect space between realistic enough not to break the reader's suspension of disbelief yet odd enough to consistently intrigue and unsettle. The mood drives the stories, and close to all of them left me with a disquietting and moved feeling at their conclusion with only a few pages each. Some are allegorical--and I find these ones particularly strong--some are simply about the feelings they evoke, and some I haven't figured out yet. But if you are also looking for stories in which the author is setting you up with something to think about rather than giving you all the answers, I think this is an excellent short story collection. I especially loved her exploration of depression and hopelessness, parent and child relationships, and the nature of violence in art. There were a couple of stories that did not work for me, and sometimes i found the pacing challenging, but overall I found this a very good read.
This is such a unique collection. I've had it on my radar since reading Fever Dream and absolutely adoring it. This is such a haunting writing style. Schweblin's characters all exist in the perfect space between realistic enough not to break the reader's suspension of disbelief yet odd enough to consistently intrigue and unsettle. The mood drives the stories, and close to all of them left me with a disquietting and moved feeling at their conclusion with only a few pages each. Some are allegorical--and I find these ones particularly strong--some are simply about the feelings they evoke, and some I haven't figured out yet. But if you are also looking for stories in which the author is setting you up with something to think about rather than giving you all the answers, I think this is an excellent short story collection. I especially loved her exploration of depression and hopelessness, parent and child relationships, and the nature of violence in art. There were a couple of stories that did not work for me, and sometimes i found the pacing challenging, but overall I found this a very good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Racism, Animal cruelty, Violence, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Physical abuse and Child abuse
One story (Heads Against Concrete) is written from the POV of a violent racist attempting to justify himself. He is explicitly racist against specifically Korean people and others of Asian descent. Includes mention of physical assault against these groups, as well as others throughout the narrator's life including a girlfriend. Another story (The Test) is about a person who must kill a dog in order to prove themselves to a group of people. Graphic and upsetting.lady_bountiful's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
shanviolinlove's review against another edition
3.0
Strange, demented, exactly what one expects of Schweblin at this point. She's not quite horror, though elements of gore and the macabre do appear in her stories. Rather, her stories contain some unsettling element framed sometimes in the peripheral, sometimes never fully addressed, alerting the reader that something is not quite right with society (particularly when the stories feature a female lead). There are no heroes. There are no "happily ever afters."
The main issue with a collection of stories that all do the same really distinct thing, rather than one sustained novel-length narrative, is that her subject of storytelling feels like a shtick, and I was not as compelled to keep returning to this book day after day (in fact, I lost interest for days or weeks on end before coming back). It's not a cover-to-cover read as, again, each story relies on the plug of being weird or something adjacent to horror happening. I think Schweblin's short fiction would work best curated in a collection with other voices to allow the full impact of her shock factors, but as a standalone collection, you get the idea pretty quickly.
The main issue with a collection of stories that all do the same really distinct thing, rather than one sustained novel-length narrative, is that her subject of storytelling feels like a shtick, and I was not as compelled to keep returning to this book day after day (in fact, I lost interest for days or weeks on end before coming back). It's not a cover-to-cover read as, again, each story relies on the plug of being weird or something adjacent to horror happening. I think Schweblin's short fiction would work best curated in a collection with other voices to allow the full impact of her shock factors, but as a standalone collection, you get the idea pretty quickly.
heyjulianahey's review against another edition
Mouthful of Birds starts with 4 dark, nauseating, and deeply unsettling, but outstanding stories. Sadly, everything after that was just okay in comparison.
Favorites:
Headlights
Preserves
Butterflies
Mouthful of Birds
Honorable mentions:
Toward Happy Civilization
On The Steppe
Favorites:
Headlights
Preserves
Butterflies
Mouthful of Birds
Honorable mentions:
Toward Happy Civilization
On The Steppe
battlecat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.0
The stories are darker and stranger than the synopsis makes you think, with a particular focus on male violence against women. The translation felt a little off sometimes, too. Some of the choices made me question how it was written in Spanish and if it was truly accurate or made to feel more culturally relevant for the English reader. 2 stars mostly because it wasn’t my vibe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
naddie_reads's review against another edition
2.5
"Mouthful of Birds" & "The Heavy Suitcase of Benavides" were clear standouts for me but otherwise the rest of the short stories were pretty unmemorable. Surrealist fiction can be great but I just couldn't connect with this one.
usskrantz's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0