A review by vondav
Behold! Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders by Doug Murano
5.0
One thing that Crystal Lake Publishing can do well is put together some amazing anthologies and this is another example of their work. This anthology has a mixture of stories and poems that will play with your imagination. Old photos, ash monsters, gnomes and even the Holy Grail all play their part in the stories. For this review; I will pick a few that I enjoyed.
The Baker of Millepoix by Hal Bodner: To get over the death of his husband, Henri decides to move to Millepoix. To help occupy his mind Henri became the local baker, but after a freak accident, his pastries did more than stop the hunger. At the start, you could sense Henri’s grief and even with his new venture you knew that he still had not moved on. Whilst he tried to fit in, it was not until the freak accident that he felt wanted and this story showed just how compassionate he was. Whilst there is a supernatural feel to this story, this was a story about grief and acceptance.
Madame Painte: For Sale by John Langan: A gnome is for sale and with it comes a warning Must keep outside. The story told by the shopkeeper was very similar to the instructions given to keep a gremlin, although the consequences were deadlier. A creepy story that ended all too soon.
Chivalry by Neil Gaiman: When Mrs Whitaker finds the Holy Grail in a charity shop, she does expect the visitor that arrives soon afterwards. If you like rummaging in junk shops this is everyone’s dream and to have the mysterious visitor is most women’s dream. Mrs Whitaker was a lovely OAP who was happy with what she got. I loved the way she looked forward to the visitor and even the simple things like making him a sandwich gave her pleasure, although I did laugh when she used him to move all the heavy furniture on one of his visits and the ending how could she be so lucky.
The Wakeful by Kristi DeMeester: The story is about the relationship between Charlotte and her pupil Edith. This story had an eerie feel to it mainly due to the descriptive way author described what was happening to Charlotte. Whilst you do not know what Edith is or the power she has over Charlotte, you can let your imagination run loose.
This anthology is a good example of the weird and the wonderful. This will also suit readers that are not horror lovers as there is such a mixture. It’s a book that you can curl up with and forget the world. Whilst I am not a poetry lover the 2 poems in this book fitted in perfectly. Thank you Crystal Lake you have not let me down.
The Baker of Millepoix by Hal Bodner: To get over the death of his husband, Henri decides to move to Millepoix. To help occupy his mind Henri became the local baker, but after a freak accident, his pastries did more than stop the hunger. At the start, you could sense Henri’s grief and even with his new venture you knew that he still had not moved on. Whilst he tried to fit in, it was not until the freak accident that he felt wanted and this story showed just how compassionate he was. Whilst there is a supernatural feel to this story, this was a story about grief and acceptance.
Madame Painte: For Sale by John Langan: A gnome is for sale and with it comes a warning Must keep outside. The story told by the shopkeeper was very similar to the instructions given to keep a gremlin, although the consequences were deadlier. A creepy story that ended all too soon.
Chivalry by Neil Gaiman: When Mrs Whitaker finds the Holy Grail in a charity shop, she does expect the visitor that arrives soon afterwards. If you like rummaging in junk shops this is everyone’s dream and to have the mysterious visitor is most women’s dream. Mrs Whitaker was a lovely OAP who was happy with what she got. I loved the way she looked forward to the visitor and even the simple things like making him a sandwich gave her pleasure, although I did laugh when she used him to move all the heavy furniture on one of his visits and the ending how could she be so lucky.
The Wakeful by Kristi DeMeester: The story is about the relationship between Charlotte and her pupil Edith. This story had an eerie feel to it mainly due to the descriptive way author described what was happening to Charlotte. Whilst you do not know what Edith is or the power she has over Charlotte, you can let your imagination run loose.
This anthology is a good example of the weird and the wonderful. This will also suit readers that are not horror lovers as there is such a mixture. It’s a book that you can curl up with and forget the world. Whilst I am not a poetry lover the 2 poems in this book fitted in perfectly. Thank you Crystal Lake you have not let me down.