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i_escape_2other_worlds's review
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A terrific novella about grief and regret, and how to continue with life after the worst possible circumstances. All against the backdrop of a Dark Wood, and a Horned King intent on the sacrifice of little girls.
“Yet he’d never surrendered Hope. Not really. He’d only forgotten to remember it, and in remembering that he’d forgotten it, he reclaimed it for his own. You had to forgive, you had to turn your face from the past, you had to soldier on. Maybe what had been didn’t have to be. Maybe you could break the circle, renounce fate, write your own story.”
“Yet he’d never surrendered Hope. Not really. He’d only forgotten to remember it, and in remembering that he’d forgotten it, he reclaimed it for his own. You had to forgive, you had to turn your face from the past, you had to soldier on. Maybe what had been didn’t have to be. Maybe you could break the circle, renounce fate, write your own story.”
sissi's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, and Grief
kylemurphy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
paolarc's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
shona_reads_in_devon's review
1.0
Urgh this was *so* boring. Charles and Erin were utterly miserable. I mean their kid is dead, but grief can be explored more interestingly than this. I rolled my eyes a lot. It was super repetitive.
Charles was insufferable. Yeah, yeah. Fate and destiny definitely made you cheat on your wife and kill your child through negligence. You're definitely not just completely self centred and selfish. And completely incapable of not doing it again. Definitely just a piece in a bigger plan
Charles was insufferable. Yeah, yeah. Fate and destiny definitely made you cheat on your wife and kill your child through negligence. You're definitely not just completely self centred and selfish. And completely incapable of not doing it again. Definitely just a piece in a bigger plan
jonesyc's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.25
felifirefly's review
3.0
In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey was described as being a Dark Fantasy, sometimes as being Horror. For me, it isn't anything of this. There are some Fantasy aspects later on, but this isn't nearly enough to fit into this genre. But one thing is right indeed: the story is very dark.
It's more a story of a young family, of loss, death and grief. This coupled with an old Victorian house, a creepy wood nearby and some myths and legends could have been a great story.
The problem I had with this book is that it's unbelievably well written and full of literary allusions and intertextuality and I loved this (here's the reason for my rounding up to 3 stars), but on the other hand, it's outride boring. Nothing happens for a really long time and things start to progress way too late. The atmosphere is great but this can't make up for the plot which is just not there.
The few things which happen later on in the book were so obvious that you knew from the beginning what will happen, who did what and for what reasons: so no surprise there.
The characters were okay, but especially Erin, the wife, was knocked out most of the book and played here role way too late and just for a few pages.
We had some fantastic elements in it which were just unbelievable and can be described as tenuous at best.
Well, I guess if you aren't an avid reader of Fantasy, Horror or anything dark, this book can be for you. I saw a lot of good feedback from those readers. But if you happen to have read you share in those darker books, this one maybe isn't for you.
It's more a story of a young family, of loss, death and grief. This coupled with an old Victorian house, a creepy wood nearby and some myths and legends could have been a great story.
The problem I had with this book is that it's unbelievably well written and full of literary allusions and intertextuality and I loved this (here's the reason for my rounding up to 3 stars), but on the other hand, it's outride boring. Nothing happens for a really long time and things start to progress way too late. The atmosphere is great but this can't make up for the plot which is just not there.
The few things which happen later on in the book were so obvious that you knew from the beginning what will happen, who did what and for what reasons: so no surprise there.
The characters were okay, but especially Erin, the wife, was knocked out most of the book and played here role way too late and just for a few pages.
We had some fantastic elements in it which were just unbelievable and can be described as tenuous at best.
Well, I guess if you aren't an avid reader of Fantasy, Horror or anything dark, this book can be for you. I saw a lot of good feedback from those readers. But if you happen to have read you share in those darker books, this one maybe isn't for you.
karinacakes's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
belxbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Los acontecimientos están tan bien enlazados, que se nota que el autor ha estudiado muchísimo para este libro. De hecho, hace muchísimas referencias a los libros de la época victoriana y de sus escritores, inclusos de obras anteriores a esa época, pues la mente de Caedmon Hollow, parece que siempre está enlazada a la literatura.
Además, hace muchas referencias a mitos y al folclore local. Mezcla la realidad con la fantasía, de forma que no sabes si lo que los personajes viven, ven y sienten es real o forma parte todo de su imaginación. Quizás un sueño o quizás la realidad distorsionada. Lo que sí sé es que crea un mundo que te hechiza, te deja absorto en la lectura. Quizás esa sea la magia de En el bosque oscuro, lo que realmente sitió Charles cuando leyó el libro por primera vez.
Además, hace muchas referencias a mitos y al folclore local. Mezcla la realidad con la fantasía, de forma que no sabes si lo que los personajes viven, ven y sienten es real o forma parte todo de su imaginación. Quizás un sueño o quizás la realidad distorsionada. Lo que sí sé es que crea un mundo que te hechiza, te deja absorto en la lectura. Quizás esa sea la magia de En el bosque oscuro, lo que realmente sitió Charles cuando leyó el libro por primera vez.