A review by melted_books
Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories by Agustina Bazterrica
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a highly anticipated read for me, having devoured the author's previous work, Tender Is the Flesh (yes, pun intended), and I was not disappointed! Bazterrica delivers impressive variety in this collection - you'll read about a girl who grows a bunny between her legs, the disorienting power of a religious cult, a woman intent on making her body into a circle, and many more bizarre tales.
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What strikes me most about Bazterrica's writing (and, accordingly, Sarah Moses' translation of it) is the mastery over leaving vivid impressions upon the reader through the use of stark, even tantalizingly simple, language. This is not a consistent style across all stories (there are notable exceptions, such as the sensory descriptions of food in Perfect Symmetry), but I noticed I was especially drawn to the more simply written stories. This style amplifies the desolate, grim tone, which is the primary reason why I think Bazterrica's writing works so well to horrify the reader; there are shockingly gruesome things unfolding on the page, but due to the confines of the short story structure, there is little space to be flowery. This may be why my favorite of the collection was the shortest of the bunch, The Wolf's Breath, which explores the wolf-life predatory nature of a lurking man, all in just over four short paragraphs. My second favorite was the very last, The Solitary Ones, which is an all-too-believable tale about a lone woman traveling at night when the electricity on her train goes out; the last line gave me shivers.
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This collection is a winner. Tense, grotesque, and starkly written, yet persistently provocative, the stories of this collection will vividly remain in my mind for a long time.
.
.
.
.
Special thanks to Scribner for sending me an early review copy! This comes out June 20, 2023.
.
What strikes me most about Bazterrica's writing (and, accordingly, Sarah Moses' translation of it) is the mastery over leaving vivid impressions upon the reader through the use of stark, even tantalizingly simple, language. This is not a consistent style across all stories (there are notable exceptions, such as the sensory descriptions of food in Perfect Symmetry), but I noticed I was especially drawn to the more simply written stories. This style amplifies the desolate, grim tone, which is the primary reason why I think Bazterrica's writing works so well to horrify the reader; there are shockingly gruesome things unfolding on the page, but due to the confines of the short story structure, there is little space to be flowery. This may be why my favorite of the collection was the shortest of the bunch, The Wolf's Breath, which explores the wolf-life predatory nature of a lurking man, all in just over four short paragraphs. My second favorite was the very last, The Solitary Ones, which is an all-too-believable tale about a lone woman traveling at night when the electricity on her train goes out; the last line gave me shivers.
.
This collection is a winner. Tense, grotesque, and starkly written, yet persistently provocative, the stories of this collection will vividly remain in my mind for a long time.
.
.
.
.
Special thanks to Scribner for sending me an early review copy! This comes out June 20, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Murder, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Self harm