andynorth's review
3.0
Classic Hamantaschen! I liked this a little bit less than his other books, and after a second reading I think it's because the stories in this collection seem to be longer than the ones in previous collections. The last story especially takes up around 20% of the total length of the book exploring a really simple premise, and I'm not sure what the impact of the story was meant to be. It's not particularly insightful, funny or horrifying, and the best Hamantaschen stories are all three. But even bad Hamantaschen is still worth a look!
jwdonley's review against another edition
3.0
If you love the pessimism and nihilism of Thomas Ligotti but want something a touch more edgy, this is the book for you.
Read my full review over at HorrorTree
https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-you-know-its-true-by-j-r-hamantaschen/
Read my full review over at HorrorTree
https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book-review-you-know-its-true-by-j-r-hamantaschen/
writersbeard's review
5.0
I have been reading J.R. Hamantaschen since his first collection "You Shall Never Know Security" was plugged by "The HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast". Over the last decade (man that makes us both sound old) I have really enjoyed watching his style evolve with each subsequent collection, of course culminating in "You Know It's True".
Each of his collections had stories I really loved and some that left me lukewarm. This collection however, is solid all the at through to its very "J.R. Hamantaschen-y" finale. This is not to say that his previous works weren't full of depressing and anxiety ridden interactions, but it feels like in this collection he has really honed it to a razors edge. Characters feel natural and reasonable, never seeming "intentionally stupid" for the sake of a scare or a plot development. Which of course makes the scares all that more impactful when they do arrive.
Which brings me to the pacing and flow. I think J.R. did a good job of choosing the order of the stories so it doesn't feel clumpy or uneven. Further down, at the story level, J.R. continues to prove that he knows how to keep you hooked and anxious while the fuse slowly burns towards the conclusion. You will never find yourself bored or wanting to skip ahead.
J.R. also did something in this collection that was unexpected. At the end of each story he included a paragraph or two about it; sometimes the inspiration for the creature or the ideas behind a relationship or the thought process of characters. I am someone who loves the process of story telling almost as much as the story itself. I know that it can be tough for writers to "show their hand" and outright say "I wrote this because I thought a monster with X would be cool", like it demystifies their work or something, but I appreciated J.R. giving us a glimpse behind the curtain.
I really loved and recommend this collection. If this is indeed J.R.'s last collection of stories then it was a great note to end on and I wish him all the best in whatever he decides to do next.
Each of his collections had stories I really loved and some that left me lukewarm. This collection however, is solid all the at through to its very "J.R. Hamantaschen-y" finale. This is not to say that his previous works weren't full of depressing and anxiety ridden interactions, but it feels like in this collection he has really honed it to a razors edge. Characters feel natural and reasonable, never seeming "intentionally stupid" for the sake of a scare or a plot development. Which of course makes the scares all that more impactful when they do arrive.
Which brings me to the pacing and flow. I think J.R. did a good job of choosing the order of the stories so it doesn't feel clumpy or uneven. Further down, at the story level, J.R. continues to prove that he knows how to keep you hooked and anxious while the fuse slowly burns towards the conclusion. You will never find yourself bored or wanting to skip ahead.
J.R. also did something in this collection that was unexpected. At the end of each story he included a paragraph or two about it; sometimes the inspiration for the creature or the ideas behind a relationship or the thought process of characters. I am someone who loves the process of story telling almost as much as the story itself. I know that it can be tough for writers to "show their hand" and outright say "I wrote this because I thought a monster with X would be cool", like it demystifies their work or something, but I appreciated J.R. giving us a glimpse behind the curtain.
I really loved and recommend this collection. If this is indeed J.R.'s last collection of stories then it was a great note to end on and I wish him all the best in whatever he decides to do next.
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