This collection of short stories was completely amazing! Im in love! I am so glad i took a chance and picked this up. The cover was beautiful! I am glThis collection of short stories was completely amazing! Im in love! I am so glad i took a chance and picked this up. The cover was beautiful! I am glad I judged the book by its cover as the content was equally as beautiful! Some really beautiful poignant work here. I was blown away by so many of these stories. Also wanted to mention: I got many New Jersey references from this, which is AWESOME as a fellow New Jersian, I love any works that pay homage to my home state :) Standouts: The Rubberband man was very eery! I enjoyed it and visualized this craziness every step of the way. If looks could kill: this was absolutely HEARTWRENCHING! Yet ended on a beautiful optimistic note. Insomnia: this could very well be based on a true story! What a lucid trip that was Freak show of the Gods: the shining star of the novel, I sure hope Olympus exists for our misfits of the world, they are the spice of our lives. Fishboy: I sobbed at work over this beautiful story Coopermans Pond: This poignant story also made me sob at work! its been an emotional month! Chimney Sweep: Feral Man vs. Feral Dog, this story will sit in my heart forever. it is symbolic and very meaningful to me, as this is a dog eat dog world we live in today, only the strongest will survive! Shadetree - Prince of Darkness: there is always room for one more evil cat story, more please! make series of this furry ball of terror!
omg - so the "Some kind of Abigail" short story really struck home! The story reminds me of a dream I had in which i had a microwave type of apparatus machine inside my body that had somehow shut down, I then had to rush to push the button to keep myself alive as I felt myself slowly shutting down into total paralysis. The fact that this story mirrors it is entirely spooky! I relate to the idea of us becoming robots so strongly Mr. Bly! I demand you write more fictional novels, your witty clever brain is sharp as a whip, your stories are unforgettable, your character and universe building is nothing short of sheer brilliance! MORE MORE MORE- ENCORE!!!!!! I am so glad I fell upon this lesser known gem of a novel, I will be revisiting this universe again someday! And for the record- I took my sweet time savoring this clever book - it is richer then dark chocolate directly from Belgium, screw scrambling around to meet unrealistic reading goals I set upon myself. I enjoy to read, relish my escapes from reality, and so I will be taking my time to savor each novel I lay my hands upon from now on!...more
I fell in utter love with this collection of short stories. It put me headfirst into an alternate universe. Beautiful lush descriptions, most of theseI fell in utter love with this collection of short stories. It put me headfirst into an alternate universe. Beautiful lush descriptions, most of these tales were absolutely terrifying. I couldn't put this down. I sometimes have a hard time finishing a full book of short stories, but this one was easy and very enjoyable. Will be hard to top this collection in the future. If you notice I never really describe the actual story in any of my reviews as I never want to spoil/ruin the plot for anyone. Its best to go into this one blind without reading any spoily reviews! ...more
Solid 5 stars for this one. The main character, John Vincent Dolan, is the most clever character I ever had the pleasure of meeting. I relished in hisSolid 5 stars for this one. The main character, John Vincent Dolan, is the most clever character I ever had the pleasure of meeting. I relished in his journey, quickly hopping from one predicament to the next, I sat on pins and needles waiting for him to get out of the crazy situation he kept putting himself in. This is basically an intricately written version of the movie Catch Me If You Can. I enjoyed the hell out of this story and tried my best to relish it slowly, as I know it will stick out in my mind as one of my most favorite novels. It went so quick, Now I wish we had a sequel!...more
It is extremely rare I read something solid enough to terrify me. I mean TERRIFY. I looked at my hands while reading this at 2am and realized I was li It is extremely rare I read something solid enough to terrify me. I mean TERRIFY. I looked at my hands while reading this at 2am and realized I was literally shaking! HOW? Me scared? The creep master ice queen? Yes friends, TERRIFIED and in fact traumatized. I loved every second of it! This story is 100% believable, In fact I am pretty sure this is exactly what happens all the time when children go missing. Especially if you are a parent that loves your child, guaranteed this will shake you right down to your BONES, creep into your soul and become your new boogeyman that counters with some extreme paranoia. In good news, while yes, bad things happen to children in this book, there is nothing too graphic that turns your stomach and groan at the author. NO. This is extremely clever and well written. The author has sprinkled clues all over the place so its very important you pay attention. I bet you finish this book in a day or 2 because there is no way you can set it down, absolutely no way. You can feel the fear from the child's point of view when weird things start happening, but it is WAY WAY more terrifying when you read it from the adults perspective who has finally pieced it all together and the weight of this madness all comes at you full force.
Solid. Five. Stars. In fact I need an extra star! This landed as an immediate favorite, and I must revisit it soon! Yes you read that right, Victoria actually wants to reread a book, despite being buried in 1,000 of waiting novels! I want to re-read to catch every last clue I might have glazed over!...more
Yay! This book was really a pure delight to indulge in! I purchased this on a whim from a 2nd hand store, as the cover was just GORGEOUS, and it reminYay! This book was really a pure delight to indulge in! I purchased this on a whim from a 2nd hand store, as the cover was just GORGEOUS, and it reminded me of the 90s The Crow Comics that I collect. Now I want to read and own the entire series! Our main character Sonja is an amazing force to be reckoned with, I completely idolize her! Sonja is the female version of Blade, and she is SO beautifully wicked! She isn't standing around waiting for some man to help save her, nope, she is kicking ass, taking notes all on her own! Which is exactly the type of female lead character I LOVE to read about! <3 This is heavy on the evil Vamp culture from the 90s, and it was written before our beloved fanged creatures turned all pretty, sparkly and popular. I sure missed these evil Vamps! There is gore, and violence to the max, so this is not for the faint of heart. No sparkly pretty fanged teenagers here, these are ancient cruel evil gods. So move along Twilighters. haha. This was such a delicious treat, I can't wait to pick up the others. A true hidden gem, I recommend to all fans of the original Vampires! ...more
Wow! I ripped through this morbid dark collection of short stories. The dry wit scattered through out this was DELICIOUS. It had a stream of consciousWow! I ripped through this morbid dark collection of short stories. The dry wit scattered through out this was DELICIOUS. It had a stream of conscious style of writing which I have grown to love, a dab of magic surrealism and abstract images combined to bring forth elements of Literature I rather enjoy! Each story is going to draw you into an alternate universe where you can't trust the narrator so you just stumble along enjoying the dialog between familiar characters. The author must have snooped around in my mind because some of this dialogue rings very true to life. This could read as a memoir or biography of a troubled woman I would call this literature that every feminist should read. ...more
WHHHHOOOOOOAAAAA!!!!!!!! No one warned me at all! I was definitely not prepared for this level of intensity!
I’m going to do the next reader a solid, anWHHHHOOOOOOAAAAA!!!!!!!! No one warned me at all! I was definitely not prepared for this level of intensity!
I’m going to do the next reader a solid, and give them a heads up. ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠ WARNING ☣ ☠
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☣ ☠ !!!! THIS SHIT WILL FUCK YOU UP !!!! ☣ ☠
[image] ( gif credits: my fave amazing band Combichrist, who would produce the absolute perfect soundtrack- if this book ever becomes a movie)
I am just going to go ahead and be bold and state a fact: This novel has SOARED way over and beyond Neil Gaiman’s level of magic surrealism. The characters are better fleshed out and, OMG!!! This world Hawkins created was JUST absolutely incredible.
The words I am using to describe how much I loved this book are so lame and I am going to continue to fail miserably during this review.
One of the vilest villains I have ever read about is introduced in this unsuspecting novel, his name is David. I can literally smell the rotting flesh and gore the moment he enters the scene. I feel that every time someone utters his name, David, somewhere a million man eating roaches spill out of a sewer and take over a whole town. His girlfriend is even more terrifying and disgusting, and you can literally smell her rotting flesh too.
But these aren’t zombies, let me make that crystal clear, these are merely humans, but in my eyes they are GODS. The imagery this ARTIST (above an author in my mind ) created, is completely mind blowing. I want to live here, even if I am terrified and lost in it. I would love to live in a Library that exceeds dimensions and has a limitless knowledge. There were such heart felt moments that choked me up: scenes with the Steve and the Lions, Michael communicating with the animals. There were such emotionally vivid scenes that had my heart twisted up in so much exploding feelings. <3
I want to gush on and on about this, but I am afraid to reveal too much, I am afraid I already said too much! If you even somewhat liked American Gods, you will absolutely LOVE this. Stop what you are doing, and go read this NOW NOW NOW ! 5 SOLID STARS - IMMEDIATE FAVORITE !...more
This was so extremely painful. It is going to stick to my guts for the rest of my life. I feel this novel is completely necessary for anyone that lackThis was so extremely painful. It is going to stick to my guts for the rest of my life. I feel this novel is completely necessary for anyone that lacks empathy for the forgotten children of backwoods USA. Deep in the heart of our country, there are methlabs, and there within we can find many Wavy's. I must say, that this is a story of genuine love, a sort of love that normal folk try to sweep under the rug. Because although it is pure, it is also disgusting, morally wrong, inappropriate yet very nurturing love that most of us will never feel in our entire lifetime. I can not even begin to imagine living in the shoes of any of these characters, but the author did a great job of placing us there in the story, and routing for a happy ending. I picked this up and could not stop until it was done, no matter that the sun began peeking thru my window. A real gem of a story that makes me feel grateful for my own life. Any hardships I went thru have been proven to be trivial compared to this tale- and for that I am quite grateful!...more
OMG!!! Are you serious? What an adorable quirky horrific story this was. Such impeccable thrilling writing. I couldn't put this down at all, I tore rigOMG!!! Are you serious? What an adorable quirky horrific story this was. Such impeccable thrilling writing. I couldn't put this down at all, I tore right through it. I also caught the scent of almonds dripping from the pages. Unreliable adolescent narrator, but I promise, you are going to adore her! She is 13 years of age, English and lives in a big beautiful sparkling clean house, with a mysterious famous poet as a father. Somehow this charming teen has formed enemies although she has always kept to herself. And let me tell you, this child is a FORCE to be reckoned with. This story isn't catered to young adults, it has very dark squeamish undertones, and will be darkly pleasing for all ages above 18 due to mature adult content.
Pardon me, while I prepare morning tea and browse through every last thing this author has ever published.
*Trigger warning, there is an adult male attempting sexual advances towards adolescent female**...more
I hope I don't offend anyone with this review, but here it goes. Let me start by saying, I loved this book, and I am going to read the sequel for sureI hope I don't offend anyone with this review, but here it goes. Let me start by saying, I loved this book, and I am going to read the sequel for sure. Now to get down to the nitty gritty: This is my version of a trashy sleazy beachy speed read book. I could have read this in one gulp while laying out in the sun, or perhaps on an airplane. Instead I powered through it in 2 nights, last night being wide awake at 2am blatantly refusing to put it down. Its a story! Plain and simple and down to the guts, it is an easy breezy BAD romance novel with GORE instead of glitter. There is no stylistic writing that hurts your brain to decipher, no metaphors or anything to hurt your brain meats. So, when I say trashy and sleazy, I mean there are some raunchy porn scenes that are pretty intense and bound to make you uncomfortable in public. I sometimes need a reprieve from the heavy stuff I normally need. And this was pure unalderated Fun, with a capital F. I enjoyed it, and that being said: it is not for everyone. I am basically a reformed sewer rat. I do have supreme taste in literature, BUT I still can't help running straight back down to the sewer sometimes. I need my fix. This is identical to those 2-3am Taco Bell trips after a long night of drinking and dancing. Disgusting, but at the time: it is pure EXTACY. ...more
Steve Erickson, I am so angry with you. This novel has completely turned my views around on what good writing is supposed to be. I want to go back andSteve Erickson, I am so angry with you. This novel has completely turned my views around on what good writing is supposed to be. I want to go back and remove stars from some other titles just to show how strong this 5 star title is. How inconsiderate! How dare you drench this novel in such rich language, coupled with magical imagery, unforgettable characters, and a tale of heart wrenching unrequited love. I will be recommending this to all my friends with a WARNING: Nothing you read will ever amount to this tale ever again. You will yearn for more, you will want to write nasty letters to the author advising him that he has raised the bar far too high. Don't come into this expecting not to work... there is a beautiful story here underneath vivid magical imagery. All the feels.... overwhelmed. ...more
UGH!!! I tore thru this so quickly in 48 hours and then ran into the shower after finishing this book. I had to cleanse myself of all sins, to rejoiceUGH!!! I tore thru this so quickly in 48 hours and then ran into the shower after finishing this book. I had to cleanse myself of all sins, to rejoice in my somewhat calm, loving, successful and steady normalcy of present life. That being said, I have known, loved and LOST quite a few Narcisa's in my life. You never forget them. You never stop caring. They are an ever present pain you feel in your heart. I worked along side them for years in the ever pleasant "meat factory", forced to watch them down spiral while keeping my nose (and body) clean. I offered hugs, tidbits of sound advice and love.... only to be a witness to their constant climb and plummet down- and I mean down - deep into the depths of hell. Most never returned, and some are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. If only they treated their body like a temple, if only they discovered their worth, if only they knew that people loved them, if only they could see their beauty, if only if only if only. It doesn't end. If you ever worked in a "meat factory" (first off: you will know slang) , you already have a few images of the girls you have known, loved, lost to bad monkeys. My images of Narcisa's are a kaleidoscope of memories I try to forget. Some memories of my Narcisa's: Pretty blonde girl falling asleep with her forehead pressed against the mirror while applying blush. RIP Destiny Gorgeous brunette falling asleep with a cigarette in her hand - some of her acrylic tips were missing. Man she looked like Natalie Portman in Black Swan when she danced. Lit up the room. RIP Onyx Pretty girl falling straight to the ground smashing her head open, blood everywhere, she was still laughing, high as a KITE. Me, drunk - peering into face of a pretty young blonde who probably had no idea where she was "You know you are loved by so many people right?"
This is the love story of dysfunctional addicts. This is the gritty reality of what is happening behind the scenes of the pretty girl with the bad monkey on her back, and the unhealthy asshole boyfriend who does whatever he can to keep her satiated while satisfying his own addiction. This was exhausting, and I mean, mentally I am spent. This book helped me get inside my narcisa's mind, I was also able to get inside their asshole boyfriends enabler mind, and all of it opened my eyes to just how DEEP their torment went. It is desolate, hilarious, relentless, bat shit crazy, harrowing. Don't walk into this book with a pretentious holier then thou pre-judgment. Really, save it for something that covers another topic. This is NOT the time to be snooty. After this novel you will feel exhausted, battered, unclean, disgusting... and if you are able to write a book that provokes my raw honesty and vulnerability, which in turn forced me to write this testament of truth- you deserve 5 solid stars. Thank you for sharing your story with us Mr. Shaw! Look forward to your next one!
(now accepting reccs for lighter pleasant reads LOL)...more
I can feel the despair and hunger seeping out through the pages and crawling into my skin. This is what the end of the world looks like. This is trulyI can feel the despair and hunger seeping out through the pages and crawling into my skin. This is what the end of the world looks like. This is truly the best description of the dystopian world that I imagine would be the most true to life. All the obstacles that occurred are very much what I imagine happening! I found all of this extremely interesting and also terrifying! ...more
I seriously haven't read an Italo Calvino story that I haven't loved! I mean LOVED, with my entirety. I am not sure if it is because we share an italiI seriously haven't read an Italo Calvino story that I haven't loved! I mean LOVED, with my entirety. I am not sure if it is because we share an italian culture and it brings me nostalgia, or the fact that he reminds me of a italian version of Salvador Dali but instead of a paintbrush painting surreal eccentric paintings he has a pencil as a weapon to paint surreal eccentric universes? I hated to finish this. It took me a month to read but I could have blown past it in a week. This is not the sort of author that you just devour all their readings all at once. You must take a tiny piece at a time, savour it and drown in the moments as they come. Each story transported me, I find humor and warmth and familiarity in every single one. I have a whole collection of his books but I will take a break to read a different author then come back to my old familiar friend for that comfort I desperately seek! BRAVO ITALO!...more
Ohhhh Italo, I adore you so much. <3 I am slow to read your novels because I would like to savor your work for the rest of my life. It is impossible foOhhhh Italo, I adore you so much. <3 I am slow to read your novels because I would like to savor your work for the rest of my life. It is impossible for me to describe his work, other then vaguely describing it as liquid poetry. This book heightened all my senses, made me hyper-aware of scent and sound. How I wish he could have finished all the senses before passing. “The Name, the Nose” reminded me so so much of "Perfume" by Patrick Süskind, so if you love that novel as much as I do, trust me and pick up this book, you will love it as well. Every time I come across an Italo book- I am quick to snatch it up. I have it displayed next to my bed. I read each book as if it was a delicate flower, afraid my grubby little hands will dirty it up. I do not feel worthy of reviewing his work, I barely feel my intelligence is vast enough to comprehend all of his metaphors and wordplay. I want to call Italo my favorite author, but Bradbury and him are tied for first place, for the way they are able to pull at my heartstrings and turn words into artistic masterpieces....more
SO MUCH Is packed into this tiny novel. This is not really a novel. This was a masterpiece. Italo managed to make very complex scientific theories VERSO MUCH Is packed into this tiny novel. This is not really a novel. This was a masterpiece. Italo managed to make very complex scientific theories VERY SIMPLE and INTRIGUING. He made the world so much easier to understand for idiots like me. He validated many question I have had about evolution, Universe, dinosaurs, etc. My brain simply shuts down when it comes to scientific theories like of course, The Big Bang theory... etc If Italo were here right now I would buy him a really fancy bottle of wine and cook him a feast to thank him for this beautiful piece of Literature. Why isn't this required reading in school? also: I want all of his work, right now!...more
I can not even begin to describe how much I LOVED this book. First things first, YOU MUST OBTAIN THE HARDCOVER. Its required, do NOT cheapen your readI can not even begin to describe how much I LOVED this book. First things first, YOU MUST OBTAIN THE HARDCOVER. Its required, do NOT cheapen your reading experience with a paperback! From start to finish I was completely enthralled and in love with all the characters! So many name dropping painters I am fond of already, and this inspired me to peruse the nearest art gallery/museum. I am completely inspired by this GIFT of a story this author bestowed upon us. I promise that I do not always gloat over books like I am doing now! I am quite picky, and yet this book seemed to meet every single mark of what my refined taste requires. Beautiful yet trashy language, vivid imagery, GORGEOUS Artwork thru-out the book, the characters, GOD, the characters are ALL lovable and unforgettable, the plot was unique and suspenseful, horrific and HUMOROUS. I caught myself many times laughing out loud and gasping out of awe gushing to read a passage to my boyfriend. Recommended to anyone to loves art, metaphors, late 1800 early 1900s French art, ...more
Omg! That was soooo amazing man. This made me feel as though I was born in the wrong decade, of this I am certain! I was meant to be apart of this hipOmg! That was soooo amazing man. This made me feel as though I was born in the wrong decade, of this I am certain! I was meant to be apart of this hippy commune. I am sure I would have contributed more then my fair share and added a different perspective of knowledge that could have helped them battle their cruel Alaskan winter. This author captured the heart, mind and soul of the Hippy so perfectly! This was my FAVORITE read of the year by far. But of course all good things had to come to an end, and man, did this really came to a horribly bitter end. I am sad and hoped there would have turned out to be a better outcome, but the odds were against those carefree flower children! ...more
Must have more. Need more now. Send help soon. I am not sure I will survive without more from this author immediately. I need it and I cannot go on wiMust have more. Need more now. Send help soon. I am not sure I will survive without more from this author immediately. I need it and I cannot go on without...more!!. Please, tell me that her other works are congruent with this one. Because this is BRILLIANCE! Pure sheer Brilliance. I laughed hysterically, but it was more like scream laughing, it was seriously that funny. And it felt good to laugh that deep into my soul. I suggest you go purchase the movie as well, they are both amazing, and different yet similar. I relate to Eleanor so hard, we share the same awkward clumsy eccentric social anxiety ridden traits. Please tell me there is more, you can not just simply take this away from me, I want to read it for the rest of my life. Eleanor is my spirit animal. I savored the last 40 pages as long as I could, begrudgingly seeing the end approaching, NO! I forced myself to set the book down every chapter. Can't I still carry it around with me, pretending I am still reading it? *wails* This moved swiftly upward my list into my top 5 favorites of all times. I hate to compare, absolutely LOATH to compare, especially when I am doing a female vs. male author, BUUUUUUUUUUT If you love Brett Easton Ellis as much as I do, you will love her. I am not quite sure what makes them so strikingly similar, their knack for hilarious story telling when it is only a "day in the life of" type of book that focuses on location and character studies. Or, their HILARIOUS dry wit, filled to the brim with delicious sarcasm and satire. Maybe it is their ability to dive straight into the trash and nitty gritty without appearing to lose their prestige. They both need to produce more novels, similar to these fanatical stories. I mean otherwise I will wither up and die... we don't want that right!?...more
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