This was a collection of three very bizarre short stories, with a heavy dose of paranormal and horPublished in English as Record of a Night Too Brief.
This was a collection of three very bizarre short stories, with a heavy dose of paranormal and horror elements.
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Once I find a good slice of life story I have a tendency of going on this quest to gather everything its author has ever published... only to end up taking ages to read them. What if they're a one hit wonder? What if they're so good I'll be ruined for other authors? So I might as well preemptively prepare myself mentally, but also maybe stock up on a more varied "reading diet".
Although this volume has supposedly won a prestigious award, I can't help but feel as if it's a highly experimental one. And as with any experiment, some of it is great, some of it intriguing enough to let faults pass, but quite a bit is just plain bizarre and incomprehensible. Or well... so the theory goes at least.
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In practice, A Snake Stepped On brought to mind some of the more intriguing moralistic Chinese fairy tales I'd read as a child, where people would (unwittingly?) wed all manner of magical creatures without fully understanding the consequences. Missing gave off a similar vibe, but seemed to have overshot its mark. by keeping the moralistic feel, but muddling the actual moral somewhere along the line.
And finally there's Record of a Night too Brief, which is in essence a collection of 19 very short, unrelated(?) fantastical/paranormal stories, which just meandered on and on. I can't say I've liked them much, though I did enjoy the one with the guy that kept trying to revive his dead girlfriend. *insert crazed cackling*
Score: 3/5 stars
As an exercise in creative writing... it's a choice, I guess. I very much liked the writing style, not so much the content, though. I'm not avant-garde enough to see their award-worthy qualities, but then I've always been kind of a philistine when the art got too... artistic....more
The 8th volume of the Sandman series is once again just a set of disconnected creepy short stories. Think of the Canterbury Tales in a fantastical setThe 8th volume of the Sandman series is once again just a set of disconnected creepy short stories. Think of the Canterbury Tales in a fantastical setting. There's not a lot of Morpheus to be had in here, and even when he does show up, he rarely gets referred to by name. But unlike in the previous volumes, this didn't bother me so much, as I managed to get really invested in the current stories.
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While I could easily find something appealing in every account, my favorite was hands down Petrefax's: the life of an undertaker, the types of burials for the dead and of course the creepy anecdote WITHIN the story. I could definitely see myself booking a trip to Litharge and maybe even auditing a lecture or two at the university. Oh, who am I kidding: I'd chicken out halfway through. But if it were possible to view the necropolis from inside a safe personal bubble, I'd be there.
Score: 4.7/5 stars
The atmosphere had just the right amount of creepy vibes, the many different worlds made me itch for a new holiday, and I couldn't get enough of the variously shady characters. I wasn't a big fan of the intentionally vague explanations, especially when it came to the funereal procession from the end, though that's probably mainly due to frustration. It felt like I should've understood a lot more of the subtext than I did, but I also didn't really want to lose any of the mystique by having things explained.
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I have a weakness for all things mysterious, and coupled with some very pretty art, I can't honestly find a lot of fault in this. So far this feels like the year's top contender.
Celia Bowen and Marco Alistair have both been trained since childhood to compete against one another in a mysterious game: stakes are sky-high, rules Celia Bowen and Marco Alistair have both been trained since childhood to compete against one another in a mysterious game: stakes are sky-high, rules close to none. So they enter a fantastic circus, Celia as the on-site illusionist and Marco as the remote bureaucratic manager, and attempt to out-enchant each other within the bounds of said circus.
Yet as the years pass, the game's ending doesn't seem to move any closer, though the two contestants develop increasingly stronger romantic feelings for one another. Unfortunately the nature of the game is not built to allow a happy ending...
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The mysterious dream-like atmosphere of the circus is brilliantly done. It has that whole Victorian charm, the secret nooks and crannies that have curious cats like myself itching to explore, not to mention the food cravings you'd get from reading about all the sweets... Or maybe that's just me, who loves caramel in all its forms, anytime and anywhere. So if this circus ever shows itself in the real world I could definitely see myself rushing to buy a ticket.
Even the cast of secondary characters was quite intriguing: the genius clock-maker who was only meant to build a decor, yet ends up becoming the head of the circus' fan-club, the lion tamer's twin children born on the opening night with hind- and foresight, the stakeholders who find they've stopped aging despite not actually living inside the circus. It's all so exciting and makes you want to follow each and every one of them.
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Unfortunately, the story gets so busy trying to charm the reader into enjoying the circus and its dream-like atmosphere, that it neglects the rest of it. So we know there is a game happening, and occasionally we get glimpses into people's lives that throw vaguely creepy vibes around... but things feel largely disconnected. There's no time to root for any particular character, romantic pairing, or even the continued existence of the circus itself, because you're too busy trying to figure just what the eff is going on?
Score: 3.6/5 stars
It's hard to get the world-building right, and there are few novels who get mystical and intriguing atmosphere this right, but the story needed to be more fleshed out. Either that, or make it a picture book, and just focus on depicting the magical black and white circus design.
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P.S. I still see a (faceless) doll dressed in striped Victorian clothes on the paperback cover. Yes, I know that's not what it is, but my brain refuses to see it as anything else. ...more
Being alive is a glorious feeling meant to be celebrated in earnest, yet polite society has all these rules andPublished in English as Life Ceremony.
Being alive is a glorious feeling meant to be celebrated in earnest, yet polite society has all these rules and regulations that dictate the appropriate (i.e. the normal) way to go about said celebration.
Enter Sayaka Murata and her 12 short stories, that give the metaphorical finger to all things normal and acceptable, in exchange for living life to its fullest, regardless of how silly, weird, uncomfortable and even creepy it may look.
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As with any short story collection, I've liked some, adored others, and blinked incomprehensibly at a few. To be fair, I found each and every story rather intriguing, and any low rating was mostly due to lack of a sufficiently fleshed out message. As far as atmosphere went though, all of them deserve top notch accolades.
As a general rule, the more unusual and creepier the premise, the more interested it made me. And I say that while looking at my baffled reading notes for A First Rate Material, downright nauseating at times. But I cannot deny the mastery of the writing style, which compelled me to keep on reading and to question my own moral conventions.
All stories aim to challenge some aspect of normality, so it would be impossible for me to recommend a wholly "innocent" one for the more... conventional reader. Even so, I would definitely recommend this book to all proponents of the woke movement, especially those keen to point out cultural appropriation wherever they go. And to anyone who enjoys getting their world view challenged of course, even if in a rather queasy and nauseating manner.
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Some of the more conventionally umm... intriguing stories worth mentioning were: - A Magnificent Spread - for protectors of cultural appropriation - Body Magic - for every little girl who's ever been prude- or slut-shamed
My personal favourites were: - A First Rate Material - recycling as a large-scale trendy endeavour - Life Ceremony - funerals as celebrations of life and the living? - Hatchling - how to fit in anytime, anywhere and with anyone
Score: 3.8/5 stars
"Normal is a type of madness, isn’t it? I think it’s just that the only madness society allows is called normal."
====================== ARC kindly provided by Aufbau Verlag via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Book #16 of my "read at least 20 books in German" challenge....more
18 years after the end of The Storyteller, Anna is working as a librarian/youth councilor for troubled teens. She also has a 17-year-old son, who grew18 years after the end of The Storyteller, Anna is working as a librarian/youth councilor for troubled teens. She also has a 17-year-old son, who grew up more like a little sibling, rather than a son to Anna. A son, who now looks a hell-of-a-lot like his father, and is graced with a similar flair for storytelling though instead of words he resorts to videos and music.
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Antonia Michaelis' writing has this truly special quality that can transport me into a magical dimension of an otherwise mundane realm. Even though, things technically take place in a rather ordinary contemporary setting, the protagonist's (metaphorical) tinted glasses could transform even the dullest view into wonderland.
Creating a continuation to a very popular book is always a challenge, especially when it's an unplanned one done a decade later. Chances are that the author would need to resort to some serious writing acrobatics, risk damage to the prequel and of course alienate existing fans. I'm the last person to claim expertise in literary analysis, but I've often felt as if this book had gone through some (melo)drama intensity treatment, which of course upped the level of teenage angst... by relying on an insane amount of teenage idiocy.
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The writing style has kept its beautifully atmospheric vibe, and the whole troubled adolescence aspect is very well described. When it comes to the introduction of a fairy-tale component however, things could have turned out better. Now, in all fairness I haven't reread the original, so I can't realistically compare the nature of the real-life clues dropped in the fairy tale. I do however remember being outright excited to read them, while in here I felt mostly confused. Possibly because a lot of the events being referenced in the story involve people who have yet to show up in real life.
Still, I might have given it all a pass if it weren't for Elias' complete freak out over every single (dubious) piece of information. Yes, we are meant to give him a whole lot of slack due to his family situation, but even so... the adults around him are surprisingly hands off. And speaking of the adults: why in the hell wouldn't they at least send him to a high school where the teachers didn't constantly judge Elias for his father's actions?!
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Score: 3.6/5 stars
I have very fond memories of the original Storyteller book, which makes it hard for me to rate this one low. Especially because the writing style and the topic of troubled teenagers are really well handled... except for the parts where Elias does a lot of stupid shit and the adults around him handle it by looking at him sadly.
A collection of three short stories of varying length and creepiness level, this was a truly perfect addition to my find-horror-stories-that-impress-mA collection of three short stories of varying length and creepiness level, this was a truly perfect addition to my find-horror-stories-that-impress-me quest.
"Summer, Fireworks, and My Corpse" is told from a dead girl's perspective, as she follow's her killers make increasingly unrealistic plans to hide her body.
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"Yuko" tells the story of a maid whose master's odd behaviour leads her down a rabbit-hole of investigations. *cue ominous sound effects*
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"Black Fairytale" is an extremely disturbing story told from multiple perspectives, about a girl who starts seeing strange things following an eye transplant.
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I may have mentioned before, that horror stories in print rarely leave a lasting impression on me, even though scary movies have me twitch and jump 10 minutes in. So I'm always on the lookout for just the right mix of horror to send shivers down my back, without leading to serious nightmares.
For reference, most of my nightmares stem from fairly mundane real life memories, while gore imagery only tends to get me mildly intrigued. So what you consider hair-raising, it might just achieve a raised eyebrow from me. *insert dubious smile*
For this reason, I really enjoyed the order in which the stories were presented, steadily upping the gore and creepiness factors. The first story is not particularly graphic, with the unsettling feelings caused by the culprits' young age. The second story reveals all its creepiness in hindsight, due to the narrator's highly unreliable (and rumor-prone) nature. And finally, in the third story, the author completely immerses the reader into all sorts of spine tingling terror and gore.
Score: 4.3/5 stars
For all that I enjoyed the heightened creepiness factor, that came with additional revelations in each story's epilogue, it also felt a bit like cheating. Some more consistent clues linking events wouldn't have gone amiss. Plus, the "loss of eye" premise from "Black Fairytale" screamed lack of credibility from all its pores.
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On a more positive (hah!) note: I suspect this is the sign I've been waiting for to finally give the original Ring a go. *cue preemptive shuddering*...more
Goth is made up of a series of short stories, wherein two antisocial classmates share a disturbing hobby of investigating creepy and downright grisly Goth is made up of a series of short stories, wherein two antisocial classmates share a disturbing hobby of investigating creepy and downright grisly crimes: a serial killer, a hand-fetishist, mysterious dog disappearances, a suicide from long ago, a grave digger, a dead sister's last message and a photographer.
While the crimes themselves are scary enough, the whole story gets an even creepier edge, when recounted from the two teenagers' dispassionate point of view. You see, their goal is merely that of getting a closer look at things, not that of reporting any of the crimes. Taking care not to interfere, even in cases where someone with more empathy definitely would have...
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You may have heard me mention my inability to properly enjoy horror stories in written format, despite getting easily scared by horror movies. So this was yet another attempt to get me into the mood. And it succeeded... to a certain degree.
As a whole, I liked the premise of every single story, but some of them fell a bit flat in their execution: - starting a complex thread that ends much too simplistically (Goth) - playing around with narrative perspectives to the point of utter confusion (Voice) - getting into a weird pissing contest (Morino's Souvenir Photo)
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That being said, I'm a big fan of the unexpected perspective shift from Dog, where the final reveal ended up completely blindsiding me. And of course Memory/Twins totally nailed the mix of haunted and peaceful atmosphere in the country-side.
Score: 3.5/5 stars
I ended up liking most of the stories in the book, and would have probably found them right at home in one of those ghost story anime episodes.
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As for my initial expectations, I didn't exactly jump out of my seat at any point, but I did get disgusted at some of the more graphic depictions of violence. Especially when animals were involved. So at least the book has fully earned its place on my horror shelf....more
After a particularly unpleasant family reunion, Morpheus finds himself planning yet another journey to Hell. Considering the resounding defeat of the After a particularly unpleasant family reunion, Morpheus finds himself planning yet another journey to Hell. Considering the resounding defeat of the demon Choronzon back in Preludes & Nocturnes, Dream is understandably preparing for the worst. Such as moving a meet-up 99 years ahead, should he fail to make the next rendezvous.
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With volume 3 leaving me closer to unimpressed than actual enjoyment, I had almost resigned myself to forgetting about the series, but then I remembered that I still have eight volumes to go through. And since one of them is in hard-cover, that seemed like way too much money to just throw out give away.
To its credit, the volume came with a lot of amazing scenery from Destiny's domain, Hell and Asgard. Some intriguing (even if mainly confusing) back story from other religions, plus some hilarious political negotiations. The character design on the other hand, is still baffling me. I can accept that Elizabethan Dream and 80's-punk Dream only have hair color and skin tone in common, at least the style difference is specifically addressed. But Eve's drastic weight loss between two consecutive frames doesn't seem to serve any purpose...
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My favorite part of this volume was by far Lucifer's explanation for Hell's raison d'être. I liked how it made things appear largely fair, yet with the occasional heart-breaking exception... which totally made me want to flip out. I wonder just how many curses I'd get if I tried to shove those sequences in some devout Christian's face? That being said, I think I've been binging The Big Bang Theory for way too long (11 seasons in a month is definitely too much)...
On a somewhat unrelated note: Death showing up for duty rocking 80's aerobic gear makes for a hilarious mix of offensive and awesome.
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Score : 3.7/5 stars
Not quite up to the excitement from the 1st volume, but I enjoyed the story, and some of the strange mix of horrific/sensual imagery. I feel like I should be more disturbed by that last bit. Ah well, should anyone ask: all those creepy hentai doujinshi have desensitized me. *cue shifty eyes*
Two scientists want to experiment with artificially increasing a horse's intelligence. Enter Buttercup (the horse), who suddenly finds itself (himselfTwo scientists want to experiment with artificially increasing a horse's intelligence. Enter Buttercup (the horse), who suddenly finds itself (himself?) with a box attached to its head, and a lot more awareness about his surroundings.
Predictably, the scientists are not prepared for their experiment getting much smarter than anticipated, so they continue adding more and more computing power to Buttercup's external brain, all while the horse barely just passes their IQ tests... allegedly. Until the scientists suddenly realize that it has, in fact, been eating the Internet, bit by bit...
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If I were to put this story in the most simplistic terms: think of it as a hero's quest to rid the world of evil monsters. Only most of the cool battle scenes are taken out, keeping just a few ones, where the hero and the chief monster are throwing veiled threats at each other. The remainder of the plot is taken up by the hero perfecting his increasingly sophisticated weaponry, in order to erm... conquer the monsters' world? Because by this time, he realizes that taking over the monster world is a much more efficient way to subjugate his foes.
I started out extremely enthusiastic, very much excited for a whimsical comedy, wherein a horse ends up mistakenly(?) kicking the end-of-the-universe button. And what an amusing tale the button creation was! Predictable? Maybe, but at least it's funny...
Instead, the novel took me on a crazy ride, involving the ethical aspects of animal experimentation, extraordinary technical advances, and some sort of twisted idea about what should make a story interesting. Or so I think. I wasn't 100% certain of... ugh... anything, by the end of it.
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Following Betty's dogged attempts in trying to mold Buttercup's IQ into a specific type of intelligence, certainly horrified me. And I definitely welcomed the horse's eventual rebellion. But when it came to the atrocities that followed the (first?) epic show down... I just didn't get it.
Am I one of those people, whose pitiful attention span can only process a single epic showdown? Entirely possible. Am I ashamed of it? Kiiiiiinda.... ? Do I want to know how it all ends? HELL NO! GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!
Score: 1/5 stars
My constant whining about the book's increasing weirdness not only put me off it, but my friends too. They went so far as to threaten to lynch me, should I continue with my self-imposed reading flagellation sessions.
So, you know, it was a matter of life and death, by this time.
Natsuki's been leading a double life: regular middle-schooler by day, extraordinary magical (alien) girl by night. Published in English as Earthlings.
Natsuki's been leading a double life: regular middle-schooler by day, extraordinary magical (alien) girl by night. Not an easy balance to keep, but our heroine handles it like a champ. It helps to keep in mind that the mother ship would be picking her up any time now...
The one bright spot amid these trials are the family's yearly get-togethers. Set in the grandparents' house in the countryside, Natsuki looks forward to the company of her secret boyfriend, taking refuge in the mysterious silkworm room, and leaving behind all worries of evil masterminds.
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I was so excited at the prospect of exploring the magical countryside in rural Japan. As a long-time anime and magical girl fan, this story had the hallmarks of a perfect trip down memory lane. Sure the fantastical aspects seemed rather questionable, but so what? Unraveling the reality behind Natsuki's imaginary life didn't sound like a bad prospect, either.
And the book didn't disappoint. If going down the rabbit-hole is the equivalent of a drug-induced hallucination, the heroine's actual issues just about had my world tilt on its axis. On the one hand, her tragic circumstances broke my heart, yet her awesome payback left me rather conflicted. I wanted to cheer her on, but at some point things got way out of hand. And I was only halfway through...
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I greatly enjoyed the way the plot moved from peaceful family get-together, to creepy sexual exploits, only to culminate with a dramatic revolt against society as a whole. That being said, once you strip down all the (metaphorical) glitter, this is still the tale of a misfit looking for a place of her own, only to realize that she might as well give society the finger. The same concept from Convenience Store Woman, albeit painted in much harsher tones.
Score: 4/5 very weird stars
There is no question of how addicted I got to every creepy little detail, plus the childhood nostalgia of magical girls fighting evil didn't hurt, either. I just wish that its main topic hadn't been so similar to the one from Convenience Store Woman. ...and that epilogue feels tacked on solely for the shock value.
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If I were to choose a soundtrack for this book, I'd have to go with Lindsey Stirling's Phantom of The Opera with a twist: a bonus minute of some hardcore, heavy-metal grunting at the end.
Back in in full power, Morpheus is ready to take inventory of the Dreamworld, and work on rebuilding it. A good thing he does too, as it turns out thaBack in in full power, Morpheus is ready to take inventory of the Dreamworld, and work on rebuilding it. A good thing he does too, as it turns out that the palace staff, a most terrible nightmare, and the mysterious Fiddler's Green are nowhere to be found. The foursome obviously can't be allowed to roam freely in the human world, so the Dream Lord makes plans to recover them ASAP.
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The Sandman doesn't actually get too much "screen time" this time around, but the intriguing events of the main story, along with the thrilling insights into Morpheus' past have managed to hold my attention for the most part.
In this 2nd volume, we follow Rose Walker in her quest to reunite with her estranged little brother, after a surprise family member reveal. Remember Felicity Kinkaid, the girl who got pregnant and gave birth all while being deep asleep during Morpheus' 70-year-old captivity? Turns out the kid was Rose's mother! And that's not all, because... actually, that'd be a huge spoiler, so just read the story youself.
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Given all the foreshadowing from the first volume that seemed to hint at some rather dire consequences, we finally get to see them in here. Now that was one satisfyingly tied off story thread. Add to that, Rose's nerve-wracking search and the tonnes of interesting people she gets to meet along the way. The story of the second volume was such a treat!
I have only two complaints worth mentioning, with the second one of a truly nitpicky nature. The other one however, just drove me up the wall.
So first: the extremely inconsistent drawing style for Rose. She's supposed be somewhere between 21 and 22 (maybe 23?) years old throughout story, yet the illustrations make her look anywhere between 15 and 55. Bad enough to get annoyed? You decide...
Second, the random short story of the man who refused to die, placed right in the middle of some of the more exciting turn of events. Had it been put at the end of Rose's story, I wouldn't have spent the entire reading time wondering what it had to do with the main story.
Score: 4.3/5 stars
A very exciting volume, this time without other D.C. character cameos. Or if there were, they were done much more inconspicuously. I was delighted to see the Sandman's impassive way of saving/refusing to save humans again, that made him such an interesting character in the first volume.
Now if I could just get used to the inconsistent illustration style...
Niels has just about had enough. Everything from his students, to their irate parents, a meticulously planned out daily life, a wife who would much raNiels has just about had enough. Everything from his students, to their irate parents, a meticulously planned out daily life, a wife who would much rather curl up with a romance novel, and a teenage son who only needs him as a personal chauffeur, annoys him. His daughter would also contribute her fair share, had she not moved out. Luckily her wimpy tattooed boyfriend makes up for that.
A coincidental glimpse of his old buddy's war-zone photos awakens all sorts of nostalgia within our protagonist. It doesn't take the two men much to rekindle their old friendship, and they're off on all new adrenaline-pumping trips to refugee camps and war zones. Who knew how exhilarating a little bit of danger would prove to be? And by little, I mean several near-death experiences, of course.
[image] Shatilla refugee camp, near Beirut
I wasn't expecting a novel about war to be so readable, let alone addictive. Even though the subject matter made me all sorts of reluctant to continue, once I did pick the book up, it was very hard to put it down again. About the only time I had any doubts about the story, was during its boring introductory sequence. 50 pages skillfully describing a mind-numbingly dull upper middle class existence is still dead boring. Yes, I realize that this was the entire point of the exposition.
The best and worst part of it all, was the utterly relatable aspect of Niels' life. I am not a high school teacher, nor do I despise my job, but I definitely look forward to my holidays abroad, where sunburns tend to be the most dangerous things I experience. Not to say that I'll be hopping on the first flight to the nearest war zone. The occasional alcohol drinking, refusal to have unprotected sex, or leave a spouse with whom I no longer have anything in common, however... that I can get behind.
[image] War in Benghazi
I don't know if war zone tourism is a thing or not, but author Jesper Bugge Kold definitely presents it as a believable alternative to the more traditional drugs, sex and rock'n roll.
Score: 4.8/5 stars
Politics is so far from being my cup of tea... that I've been watching/reading about it as possessed, during the last few years. It's a medical mystery, I tell ya! You should have me studied at MIT.
My heart says 5 stars, while my mind is insisting that this train-wreck of a story cannot possibly deserve more than 4. But when you have a book so completely out of your comfort zone still drag you along for the ride, even if kicking and screaming, you have no choice but to listen to your heart.
Ms. Smartarse
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