zeddee's review against another edition
4.0
I had a cockroach infestation in my home a few years back. Apparently, there were a hundred or so of the little buggers running around my house. Now, I am working in an office that also has a cockroach infestation. Every morning I see a few dead ones and sometimes I even see some live ones scurrying about.
So, reading this book about a man dealing with his own cockroach infestation, I can certainly understand what he is going through. But cockroaches by themselves are already bad enough! Why, oh why, did Danger Slater have to make them malevolent as well?
So, thank you very much, Danger Slater, for turning my fear of cockroaches into a full-blown phobia.
So, reading this book about a man dealing with his own cockroach infestation, I can certainly understand what he is going through. But cockroaches by themselves are already bad enough! Why, oh why, did Danger Slater have to make them malevolent as well?
So, thank you very much, Danger Slater, for turning my fear of cockroaches into a full-blown phobia.
phronk's review against another edition
5.0
Danger Slater has managed to pull off three seemingly impossible tasks:
One: It is a bizarro novel through and through, but avoids the lack of coherence that the genre can devolve into. While there are plenty of left turns into increasingly odd territory, the whole journey is held together by an emotional core that is grounded in reality. I found it supremely relatable, as will the many people who have spent time in a fungusy apartment with a broken heart.
Two: Most of it takes place in said apartment, yet the scope is far-reaching, and the pace rapid. How can so much ground be covered in one location? I dunno, but Slater does it.
Three: The content is disgusting on the surface, but under the rot, vermin, fungus, and blood, there is a sweet chewy center. The beautiful writing style makes even the most vile passages palatable, and gives the book a unique aesthetic. For whatever reason, I was reminded of 80s claymation effects--gross, but removed enough from reality that it's more "aww" than "eww." It's like Sam Raimi getting his hands on a Peter Gabriel video. Except, you know, with words.
Anyway, I Will Rot Without You is an accomplishment. It's also extremely entertaining to read. So do it.
One: It is a bizarro novel through and through, but avoids the lack of coherence that the genre can devolve into. While there are plenty of left turns into increasingly odd territory, the whole journey is held together by an emotional core that is grounded in reality. I found it supremely relatable, as will the many people who have spent time in a fungusy apartment with a broken heart.
Two: Most of it takes place in said apartment, yet the scope is far-reaching, and the pace rapid. How can so much ground be covered in one location? I dunno, but Slater does it.
Three: The content is disgusting on the surface, but under the rot, vermin, fungus, and blood, there is a sweet chewy center. The beautiful writing style makes even the most vile passages palatable, and gives the book a unique aesthetic. For whatever reason, I was reminded of 80s claymation effects--gross, but removed enough from reality that it's more "aww" than "eww." It's like Sam Raimi getting his hands on a Peter Gabriel video. Except, you know, with words.
Anyway, I Will Rot Without You is an accomplishment. It's also extremely entertaining to read. So do it.
mountainwhoflys's review against another edition
3.0
I want to give this 2.5 stars. I like how bizarre the whole story is and that the entire thing seems to be a metaphor for the main character's inability to move forward with his life. However the sorting is pretty disjointed and just doesn't flow well. I've got one more of his books and a few more bizarro horror stories to try so well see
novelinsights's review against another edition
2.0
This was a grotesque bizarro novel about a man whose apartment building (and body) is being overtaken by roaches and fungus following his big break-up. It was a strange and entertaining ride, the overall effect of the novel being somewhere in the comedy/horror camp. I did walk away from it a little disappointed, but I haven't read a lot of bizarro writing at this point, so I didn't really know what to expect going in, and after some research, I do think that some of my complaints are normal features of the genre and that bizarro might be less up my alley than, say, new weird.
Anyway, this book was incredibly over the top with body horror and gross-out horror, to the point where there was just so much of it that I was too desensitized to have much of a reaction. I didn't really mind this because that was obviously just the world that the writer was trying to portray, but I think cutting back a little may have made what was there more effective. As it was, certain images, such as a woman whose overprotective boyfriend sews pieces of himself to her body, were still very evocative (especially in our current political climate). The humor and writing style were also a little inconsistent; sometimes I found myself appreciating an eloquent turn of phrase or cackling at an out-of-left-field remark, and other times it felt like the author was trying too hard and I was pulled out.
Overall, this book took the internal state of someone going through a large break-up and transitioning to new beginnings with someone else and manifested that onto their physical being and the surrounding building. One could say that the whole book is a metaphor in this way. However, in order to tackle a topic like this, I wanted the book to have more heart. There was no substance to either of the relationships in question. We never really got to see what made the protagonist's old, dead relationship with Gretchen fail or why it was ever good in the first place, so all the dialogue, interactions, and thoughts between them felt generic and empty. The new relationship was slightly easier to follow, but I think it could have been deepened, as well, rather than just feeling like a minor flirtation between people who happen to interact frequently due to proximity.
While I enjoyed the novel in general, I did find myself zoning out and having to reread chunks of text fairly frequently. One would think that something this "shocking" and out there would be better at keeping my attention, but I just didn't have a strong through-line of emotion or character or even solid plot to cling to and to keep me invested. Even so, it was an interesting ride.
Anyway, this book was incredibly over the top with body horror and gross-out horror, to the point where there was just so much of it that I was too desensitized to have much of a reaction. I didn't really mind this because that was obviously just the world that the writer was trying to portray, but I think cutting back a little may have made what was there more effective. As it was, certain images, such as a woman whose overprotective boyfriend sews pieces of himself to her body, were still very evocative (especially in our current political climate). The humor and writing style were also a little inconsistent; sometimes I found myself appreciating an eloquent turn of phrase or cackling at an out-of-left-field remark, and other times it felt like the author was trying too hard and I was pulled out.
Overall, this book took the internal state of someone going through a large break-up and transitioning to new beginnings with someone else and manifested that onto their physical being and the surrounding building. One could say that the whole book is a metaphor in this way. However, in order to tackle a topic like this, I wanted the book to have more heart. There was no substance to either of the relationships in question. We never really got to see what made the protagonist's old, dead relationship with Gretchen fail or why it was ever good in the first place, so all the dialogue, interactions, and thoughts between them felt generic and empty. The new relationship was slightly easier to follow, but I think it could have been deepened, as well, rather than just feeling like a minor flirtation between people who happen to interact frequently due to proximity.
While I enjoyed the novel in general, I did find myself zoning out and having to reread chunks of text fairly frequently. One would think that something this "shocking" and out there would be better at keeping my attention, but I just didn't have a strong through-line of emotion or character or even solid plot to cling to and to keep me invested. Even so, it was an interesting ride.
booksasmeals's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, this one does get pretty disgusting and I had to take a break for awhile to get my bearings. But it was still a wild, bizarre ride that I'm happy to have taken. Puppet Skin is still my favorite Slater, but we will see if it stays at the top of my list as I continue through his oeuvre. READ THIS AND PREPARE TO LAUGH OUT LOUD, THROW UP & MORE!
tbutton's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
the_bookubus's review
4.0
A very unique look at relationships combining bizarro, splatter and emotion. One minute there’s some crazy thing happening involving mould or cockroaches or the magazine Slutty Couches and the next there’s a very real and heartfelt exploration of love and the various forms relationships can take. A strange combination but one that absolutely worked for me and I look forward to reading more by Danger Slater.
gren's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book at the Chicago Lit Fest a few years ago and had it signed with a lovely message from the author (If you're reading this: Thanks!), but for some reason hadn't read it until this year.
About four years ago I had a break up. A bad one. One that left me feeling like an actual monster, unlovable, and hideous. Even to this day the other person still pops up in my head from time to time and I'm positive this doesn't go both ways. It's a weird feeling and I'm sure it's common, but it definitely doesn't feel like it. Reading this book I was happy to find some comfort and solace in the surreal images that capture such complicated feelings. There is beauty in the macabre sure, but there's also a revulsion that confronts you and maybe helps you realize that rotting is a part of the process. Even growth gets disgusting, but it's all to get to new life.
About four years ago I had a break up. A bad one. One that left me feeling like an actual monster, unlovable, and hideous. Even to this day the other person still pops up in my head from time to time and I'm positive this doesn't go both ways. It's a weird feeling and I'm sure it's common, but it definitely doesn't feel like it. Reading this book I was happy to find some comfort and solace in the surreal images that capture such complicated feelings. There is beauty in the macabre sure, but there's also a revulsion that confronts you and maybe helps you realize that rotting is a part of the process. Even growth gets disgusting, but it's all to get to new life.
mrfrank's review against another edition
5.0
You would think reading the best book of the year would be a jubilant experience. Ive just finished reading Danger Slater's I WILL ROT WITHOUT YOU, the best book of 2016 and Im crestfallen. It's January 4th. Think about it; no book I will read the remainder of this year will hold a candle to it.
I can take solace in the fact that I've just read the Wonderland Book of the Year for 2016. That's good news. For me. Bad news for every other bizarro novel that hasn't even been published yet. Your book will not win. Not in 2016. It's like being the AAA shortstop for The Yankees at the peak of Derek Jeter's career. You don't have a prayer in hell.
So what everyone needs to do is read I WILL ROT WITHOUT YOU. Highlight all the great lines. Buy more highlighters because you WILL run out of eye searing yellow ink several times over. Then we're all going to study the book, line for line and write thesis papers on the greatest literary work yet known to man and change the world. Together. And Danger Slater will be our president.
I can take solace in the fact that I've just read the Wonderland Book of the Year for 2016. That's good news. For me. Bad news for every other bizarro novel that hasn't even been published yet. Your book will not win. Not in 2016. It's like being the AAA shortstop for The Yankees at the peak of Derek Jeter's career. You don't have a prayer in hell.
So what everyone needs to do is read I WILL ROT WITHOUT YOU. Highlight all the great lines. Buy more highlighters because you WILL run out of eye searing yellow ink several times over. Then we're all going to study the book, line for line and write thesis papers on the greatest literary work yet known to man and change the world. Together. And Danger Slater will be our president.