diegoup's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
beautyisterror's review
4.0
Collection of short stories, all about life and death. Mainly death. I don't know if all of these can be classified as horror, but they are definitely the perfect read for october!
They span different subgenres, you've got the psychological thriller, the classic horrory story, the magical realism, a few tales set in the jungle and many about the scary crossing of rivers, so there's a story for everyone!
The most unsettling ones were the Decapitated Chicken and Juan Duarién (the first one takes a darker tone because of its ableist portrayal of the characters).
I really enjoyed Quiroga's narrative voice, but I think I would like to try reading something longer format before I decide if I like him.
reubenlb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
nothing outstanding, nothing atrocious - some interestingly structured endings for the decapitated chicken and the boy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
bzzlarabzz's review
3.5
Quiroga's writing has a mythical or fairytale-like cadence that is sometimes soothing and sometimes somnolent. These stories are in no way calming, though. Disturbing events and occurrences pile up along with the bodies of those who suffer from the mishaps in these tales. After reading this, I would be afraid to live in Misiones or along the Paranà.
z_thatsit's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
indigo78180's review
I found the writing to be weak, for which I am inclined to fault the translator rather than the original writing.
missnicolerose's review
5.0
I loved this collection of stories. A bit dark and morbid, but that's my style.
Quiroga is able to accomplish a lot in such a limited space with each of these stories. They definitely stick with you, for better or worse.
The title story, "The Decapitated Chicken" was my favorite and not one I'll soon forget.
A+
Quiroga is able to accomplish a lot in such a limited space with each of these stories. They definitely stick with you, for better or worse.
The title story, "The Decapitated Chicken" was my favorite and not one I'll soon forget.
A+