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A review by rorikae
Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In 'Comfort Me With Apples,' Catherynne M. Valente creates a horror story that retells a classic tale in a way that speaks to the horrors of suburban life, masculinity, and gender roles.
Sophia lives a perfect life in her suburban neighborhood. She's a perfect match for her husband and she's very happy in the life she leads. But then she finds a drawer that she's never seen before, a locked drawer in a neighborhood where no one locks their front doors. What she finds inside the drawer will start her on the path to asking questions about the world she lives in and her place in it.
Catherynne M Valente is my favorite author and this novella is just another indication of why I return again and again to her work. I understand that she isn't for everyone but she routinely ticks the boxes for some of my favorite things in stories: lush prose, retellings of classic stories, and commentary on the wider world, particularly with a look at being a woman in a society still steeped in patriarchy. She does all of this and more in Comfort Me With Apples.
Valente sets the world that Sophia lives in, one that we can tell is slightly off even if she is unable to see it that way. She then begins to unpeel the strangeness of the world through stark details that clash with the idyllic neighborhood where the characters live. I knew that Bluebeard was an influence in this story and it definitely plays a part but there is much more to this story and piecing together what is truly going on is a real pleasure. This is a book that begs to be discussed. I look forward to returning to it in the future to see what new things I discover about it on each read. If you like retellings, evocative prose, and social commentary, then I would highly recommend Comfort Me With Apples.
Sophia lives a perfect life in her suburban neighborhood. She's a perfect match for her husband and she's very happy in the life she leads. But then she finds a drawer that she's never seen before, a locked drawer in a neighborhood where no one locks their front doors. What she finds inside the drawer will start her on the path to asking questions about the world she lives in and her place in it.
Catherynne M Valente is my favorite author and this novella is just another indication of why I return again and again to her work. I understand that she isn't for everyone but she routinely ticks the boxes for some of my favorite things in stories: lush prose, retellings of classic stories, and commentary on the wider world, particularly with a look at being a woman in a society still steeped in patriarchy. She does all of this and more in Comfort Me With Apples.
Valente sets the world that Sophia lives in, one that we can tell is slightly off even if she is unable to see it that way. She then begins to unpeel the strangeness of the world through stark details that clash with the idyllic neighborhood where the characters live. I knew that Bluebeard was an influence in this story and it definitely plays a part but there is much more to this story and piecing together what is truly going on is a real pleasure. This is a book that begs to be discussed. I look forward to returning to it in the future to see what new things I discover about it on each read. If you like retellings, evocative prose, and social commentary, then I would highly recommend Comfort Me With Apples.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting