foxmoon's review
5.0
Listen. I am telling you to read this. You need to read this. Buy it. Savor it. Read and reread it.
mt_everett's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ruthie_the_librarian's review against another edition
1.0
I found this very hard to read - the style was difficult to get into, and had it not been short stories I might not have made my way through the whole book. There were occasional moments that were good, but mostly I didn't enjoy this at all!
frankie_s's review against another edition
3.0
I love Fleur Jaeggy and I loved this too but it was definitely uneven. Love the atmospheres she creates.
wrystake's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
jrl6809's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I'm not sure if I necessarily "got" every story in this collection, or even how much the audience is SUPPOSED to get. It seems to me that these stories are much more about conveying a feeling than anything else. These kind of super-short form, surreal pieces of fiction that are all about vibes tend to not be my thing, perhaps because I have a hard time investing in the atmosphere of a story that has no real meat behind it. This collection, however, was different. There was something here that was almost hypnotic. Much has been written about Fluer Jaeggy's unique writing style, but I will just echo the sentiment that she is able to use nothing but language to dredge up some very authentic feelings of dread from her reader. These stories got under my skin in a way I haven't experienced since I first read "The Lottery". I will definitely check out more by her as I feel her longer form novels likely have the potential to be phenomenal.