A review by maxstark
On This, the Day of the Pig by Josh Malerman
4.0
I finished reading this book for over a year now and I couldn’t seem to write a decent review for this book. I just simply couldn’t seem to get the right words to express myself. Being, to this date (June 2020) a Cemetery Dance limited hardcover edition, you probably won’t be able to get it. But it will probably be available on paperback someday. If that happens, please don’t hesitate to buy it and give it a try.
Pearl is a cute (well, not so much really) little pig. He likes to sit at the top of his pen and watch the world goes by from there. He also likes to hear what other people think. But what he likes the most is to make people SING.
Oh, and, did I forget to tell you that Pearl has psychic abilities?
Well he does and he uses those abilities to learn telepathically all that he can learn. Mostly by the owner of the farm. And when I say that he likes to make people sing, is that he can control other people into doing whatever he wants.
That’s all I’m going to say about the novel cause, as most of the good novels you will want to go in knowing nothing more.
The premise of the novel is very original and interesting but sadly it is not a perfect novel.
First I have to acknowledge that I have fun reading it, and it kept me wondering where was it leading me. And how is this story is going to end? But unfortunately this is where my main problem resides as well. I could never understood Pearl. I didn’t feel him grow as their story moved forward. And it’s never clear what does he really wants, well in fact he seems to want nothing, and that gave me a bittersweet feel by the ending of the story. What the hell does Pearl want?
But what I really didn’t like of this story is a chapter where a police officer is thinking about a young teenage girl and how he had masturbated thinking of her. I felt it wasn’t justified in the novel, therefore it was pointless and out of place. But hey! That’s probably just me.
Despite all of the things I have mentioned and other few things that may not have any kind of sense at all. (Yes I know, it’s a novel about a talking pig. What did I expected?) It has the feel of a B-type horror movie and who doesn’t enjoy those movies? I think this is a signature of Josh. He can hang a woman from a window from her umbilical cord and, at least for me, it’s OK.
This is the second novel I read of Malerman, the first one being Bird Box which I loved, comparing these two novels, he stays true to his writing style. He writes short chapters which gives the sensation of a fast pacing. I like having books like this sometimes cause they’re perfect for when you’re in a hurry or you only want to read a few pages before going to sleep. Although he is so good that he can get you hooked and wanting for “just a few more pages”.
To sum this up I think you need to give this book a chance. It can be gory, it’s definitively enterteining and if you’re a horror fan I think you will enjoy it.
I want to thank the author for sending me a copy of his book. I will be forever grateful for his kindness.
Just some fun facts:
All through the novel I couldn’t help to think about Carrie White. I amused myself thinking if Carrie reincarnated into Pearl only more bitchier than ever. I mean... Could you blame her?
In 1945 George Orwell published Animal Farm but in Mexico the title in Spanish is Rebellion At The Farm. I haven’t read Orwell’s novel but the book’s name that was given in my country resonated in my head all through the entire novel, cause it fits perfectly.
Pearl is a cute (well, not so much really) little pig. He likes to sit at the top of his pen and watch the world goes by from there. He also likes to hear what other people think. But what he likes the most is to make people SING.
Oh, and, did I forget to tell you that Pearl has psychic abilities?
Well he does and he uses those abilities to learn telepathically all that he can learn. Mostly by the owner of the farm. And when I say that he likes to make people sing, is that he can control other people into doing whatever he wants.
That’s all I’m going to say about the novel cause, as most of the good novels you will want to go in knowing nothing more.
The premise of the novel is very original and interesting but sadly it is not a perfect novel.
First I have to acknowledge that I have fun reading it, and it kept me wondering where was it leading me. And how is this story is going to end? But unfortunately this is where my main problem resides as well. I could never understood Pearl. I didn’t feel him grow as their story moved forward. And it’s never clear what does he really wants, well in fact he seems to want nothing, and that gave me a bittersweet feel by the ending of the story. What the hell does Pearl want?
But what I really didn’t like of this story is a chapter where a police officer is thinking about a young teenage girl and how he had masturbated thinking of her. I felt it wasn’t justified in the novel, therefore it was pointless and out of place. But hey! That’s probably just me.
Despite all of the things I have mentioned and other few things that may not have any kind of sense at all. (Yes I know, it’s a novel about a talking pig. What did I expected?) It has the feel of a B-type horror movie and who doesn’t enjoy those movies? I think this is a signature of Josh. He can hang a woman from a window from her umbilical cord and, at least for me, it’s OK.
This is the second novel I read of Malerman, the first one being Bird Box which I loved, comparing these two novels, he stays true to his writing style. He writes short chapters which gives the sensation of a fast pacing. I like having books like this sometimes cause they’re perfect for when you’re in a hurry or you only want to read a few pages before going to sleep. Although he is so good that he can get you hooked and wanting for “just a few more pages”.
To sum this up I think you need to give this book a chance. It can be gory, it’s definitively enterteining and if you’re a horror fan I think you will enjoy it.
I want to thank the author for sending me a copy of his book. I will be forever grateful for his kindness.
Just some fun facts:
All through the novel I couldn’t help to think about Carrie White. I amused myself thinking if Carrie reincarnated into Pearl only more bitchier than ever. I mean... Could you blame her?
In 1945 George Orwell published Animal Farm but in Mexico the title in Spanish is Rebellion At The Farm. I haven’t read Orwell’s novel but the book’s name that was given in my country resonated in my head all through the entire novel, cause it fits perfectly.