Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Evil Eye: Four Novellas of Love Gone Wrong by Joyce Carol Oates

1 review

suneaters's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is pedantic, but I feel that the stories concern a lack of love instead of "love gone too far". Austin doesn't love Mariana, Desmond doesn't love Lizbeth, Bart doesn't love his parents, and G. didn't love Cecelia. If these character had displayed actual love, then the stories wouldn't exist.

But anyway. I enjoy all four tales. The first two were my favorite, but you know something is "off" in each one from the very beginning. They build and build until the horrifying climax begins. The falling action is weaker though. Overall, a great collection of shorts.

Evil Eye was a great, tense thriller where we follow Mariana's declining mental health amidst a tense visit with her distant and violent husband Austin's ex-wife Ines.
In the end, it's left ambiguous as to if she takes Ines's advice and poisons Austin. If she doesn't flee, it's likely Austin will end up killing her.


So Near Any Time Always was equally tense, starting off with a pleasant talk in the city as Lizbeth walked her bike home and culminating in
Desmond's deranged stalking and animal abuse. Justice for Rollo. I think this story was the strongest. The ending where we learn about young Desmond murdering sister in a fit of rage on the river is interesting and chills the reader. I wonder if that's why he was turned away at the canoe rental. Condition of release: do not get in any boats. His story is tragic, but when he dies all I could manage was a sigh of relief.


The Execution is a look into the mind of men who
kill their family members like Chandler Halderson, Joel Guy Jr., Grant Amato, and others
. Bart's spoiled, selfish mindset and complete break from reality (especially concerning his shock that his frat bros aren't ride or die) paint a picture of a disturbed young man for whom nothing was ever enough.
When his mother woke up and defended him was when the story turned from a news report into a horror movie. All the reader can ask is if she knows? If she suspects? Oh, honey, no, she had called when Bart was attacking. He's maimed her for life and killed her husband. She must not know...or is she cutting her losses? He's all that's left to her. Such a creepy story and you have to wonder if he'll end up killing her in the end anyway.
They could retry him at any time, so there is that at least.

The Flatbed is another story that's less creepy and scary and more sad.
Cecelia's resurfacing trauma about being molested by her grandfather keeps interrupting her life and relationships. The repressed memory trope is kind of trite, but the ending with the "perfect" (maybe) murder turns the story from sad to horrifying. Will they get away with it? If they break up, will N. kill her too to ensure the truth never gets out?
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