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rachelunabridged's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Murder and Fire/Fire injury
rotfaced's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'll lead into this one with this: The prose is both diverse and enlightening. Each character maintains a distinctive tone and mastery of voice such that it was easy to tell them apart and entertaining to switch between perspectives. The second story is stronger than the first. Many shining moments of description and metaphor both can be found abundantly in "My Heart Struck Sorrow." Obviously the plot, premise, and prose were enough that I was able to finish the book. It's more literary and speculative than horror.
I find, however, that my praise falls short of my criticisms for these novellas.
On the first story: The main character was rather uncompelling for most of her screen time, which only exacerbates the problem of pacing, which I will get to later. Her counterpart is much more compelling, and I found myself eager to read from his perspective only to have to drag myself through Isabel's sections. However, once the action began in earnest, I began to appreciate her perspective-- even thoroughly engaging myself in her narrative-- which is frustrating because it was so damned short! Though her agency was never in question, to see our dour academic in action was enthralling-- only for it to fizzle out like a firework that's been pissed on, leaving the reader with only questions. It was extremely unfulfilling. The magic in play was both vaguely described and utterly predictable. The truth of the situation felt poorly explained, poorly resolved, and hurried along.
The pacing is atrocious, if that wasn't made evident by my myriad complaints. It felt like riding a bike-- took a while to get to a good clip, but once we were at speed, it kept the pace well enough. Well, until it hit a rock, flung the reader off the seat, and then decided they had reached their destination.
Overall-- this could have easily been another 50 pages. Maybe 100. It felt like an aborted concept, something tacked on to the second story to justify the wordcount. Read it for some interesting narrative on imperialism and colonialism, but don't expect to stay long.
On the second story: A nebulous premise that somehow managed to hook me. I have to admit, I got more and more into this story the longer I read it, so that I was finishing 50 pages at a time by the end. The prose and voice, especially of Harlan's sections, were phenomenal. I really felt like I was following along a journey to uncover some greater truth.
My biggest complaint: The primary modern-day character, Cromwell, is both annoying and a horndog. There was WAY too much gratuitous, edgy sex imagery here, from the feverish sore-covered pr*ck being emphasized for nearly no reason to the excessive commentary on a characters genitals from the perspective of a girl observing him to the repeated attempts at the main character to get off and his lamentations about his sex life or the fantasies he endures. It's gross. The ending felt a bit more earned, but came to a quick and unsatisfying halt in a similar way-- the bike might not have throw off the rider, but it put out it's kickstand early and requested you depart on your own terms.
I felt like Cromwell had more potential as a character that was squandered in making him horny, and that's really one of my biggest complaints. He just plain sucked. His whole angst felt like it boiled down to sex. It rarely feels contributory. I can really tell this was written by a man, and I say that with as much contempt as I can muster (as a man myself, albeit one that is not straight). Tangentially, I really resent the drive to justify literary fiction with sexual fixation. I wish we could move past this roadblock.
All in all, I got my $7 out of this book. (On sale, mind). I probably would have been sorely put-out if I paid over $20 for it. I don't think I will read it again, although I imagine a handful of people who might enjoy reading it even within my own circle. It's fine. I've had better, but I've had much worse, too.
I find, however, that my praise falls short of my criticisms for these novellas.
On the first story: The main character was rather uncompelling for most of her screen time, which only exacerbates the problem of pacing, which I will get to later. Her counterpart is much more compelling, and I found myself eager to read from his perspective only to have to drag myself through Isabel's sections. However, once the action began in earnest, I began to appreciate her perspective-- even thoroughly engaging myself in her narrative-- which is frustrating because it was so damned short! Though her agency was never in question, to see our dour academic in action was enthralling-- only for it to fizzle out like a firework that's been pissed on, leaving the reader with only questions. It was extremely unfulfilling. The magic in play was both vaguely described and utterly predictable. The truth of the situation felt poorly explained, poorly resolved, and hurried along.
The pacing is atrocious, if that wasn't made evident by my myriad complaints. It felt like riding a bike-- took a while to get to a good clip, but once we were at speed, it kept the pace well enough. Well, until it hit a rock, flung the reader off the seat, and then decided they had reached their destination.
Overall-- this could have easily been another 50 pages. Maybe 100. It felt like an aborted concept, something tacked on to the second story to justify the wordcount. Read it for some interesting narrative on imperialism and colonialism, but don't expect to stay long.
On the second story: A nebulous premise that somehow managed to hook me. I have to admit, I got more and more into this story the longer I read it, so that I was finishing 50 pages at a time by the end. The prose and voice, especially of Harlan's sections, were phenomenal. I really felt like I was following along a journey to uncover some greater truth.
My biggest complaint: The primary modern-day character, Cromwell, is both annoying and a horndog. There was WAY too much gratuitous, edgy sex imagery here, from the feverish sore-covered pr*ck being emphasized for nearly no reason to the excessive commentary on a characters genitals from the perspective of a girl observing him to the repeated attempts at the main character to get off and his lamentations about his sex life or the fantasies he endures. It's gross. The ending felt a bit more earned, but came to a quick and unsatisfying halt in a similar way-- the bike might not have throw off the rider, but it put out it's kickstand early and requested you depart on your own terms.
I felt like Cromwell had more potential as a character that was squandered in making him horny, and that's really one of my biggest complaints. He just plain sucked. His whole angst felt like it boiled down to sex. It rarely feels contributory. I can really tell this was written by a man, and I say that with as much contempt as I can muster (as a man myself, albeit one that is not straight). Tangentially, I really resent the drive to justify literary fiction with sexual fixation. I wish we could move past this roadblock.
All in all, I got my $7 out of this book. (On sale, mind). I probably would have been sorely put-out if I paid over $20 for it. I don't think I will read it again, although I imagine a handful of people who might enjoy reading it even within my own circle. It's fine. I've had better, but I've had much worse, too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death and Pregnancy