Scan barcode
sjmerrill's review
5.0
Love the concept and it was a quick read. Such a wide scope of humanity in so few words. To be honest, it’s probably more like a 4 or 4.5, but there were a few standout pieces that pushed it up to 5 for me.
jenniferworrell's review
3.0
Here's the thing. The concept is brilliant: it is believed that a human head stays conscious for 1.5 minutes after decapitation. When excited, a person can speak 160 words per minute. Thus each one of these stories are 240 words (160 x 1.5 = 240). The edges of the pages are ragged. And did anyone else feel like the type of the stories were designed in the shape of a butcher knife? Was that just my sick imagination? Proceeding each tale is the name of a famous decapitated person and an extremely short comment about how exactly they died (beheaded by terrorists, car accident, jealous husband, etc.).
Some of the stories are fascinating because they suggest they know what's coming or they are running from their attacker, for instance. Some others, although they may be obvious to others who know the background of the decap-ee, just seemed like random flash fiction pieces to me, with no tie-in to the theme. Though the prose was skillful and beautiful, because each story was presented with no sentence structure, every one was a 240-word run-on, with nary but a few commas and dashes, trying my patience. When the thoughts of the victims were just memories of childhood, I found my attention flagging. However, there are a few of note that are quite good, including the ones about Ta Chin, Charles H. Stuart and Nicole Brown Simpson, and the gimmick is pretty neat. Honestly, I thought it would make great beat poetry. It's worth a look, especially since you can polish this one off in about a day, and finally, with Chicken, some very weighty questions are finally put to rest.
Also, good idea for a writing exercise. 240 words: the last thoughts of a decapitated person. Go!
Some of the stories are fascinating because they suggest they know what's coming or they are running from their attacker, for instance. Some others, although they may be obvious to others who know the background of the decap-ee, just seemed like random flash fiction pieces to me, with no tie-in to the theme. Though the prose was skillful and beautiful, because each story was presented with no sentence structure, every one was a 240-word run-on, with nary but a few commas and dashes, trying my patience. When the thoughts of the victims were just memories of childhood, I found my attention flagging. However, there are a few of note that are quite good, including the ones about Ta Chin, Charles H. Stuart and Nicole Brown Simpson, and the gimmick is pretty neat. Honestly, I thought it would make great beat poetry. It's worth a look, especially since you can polish this one off in about a day, and finally, with Chicken, some very weighty questions are finally put to rest.
Also, good idea for a writing exercise. 240 words: the last thoughts of a decapitated person. Go!
williamc's review
4.0
Severance combines two theories: that consciousness is retained after decapitation for 90 seconds, and that, in heightened emotional states, people speak 160 words per minute. The book is sixty-two stories, at exactly 240 words each, from the heads of decapitated people: kings, queens, farmers, girls, businessmen, jihadists, authors, and mythological women, men and animals. It’s a fantastic book in its originality, its concept and, yeah, its execution.
I can’t remember the last book of poetry I read, and though Severance is labeled a book of stories, I have a hard time believing this is anything but the suggestive, dewy dream-state that a good set of poems can capture. What has surprised me most is how small scenes or visions from the stories float in and out of memory throughout the day, and how Butler connects history, sex and war across time in common and uncommon lives. Whether or not you enjoy poetry, this well worth reading out loud.
I can’t remember the last book of poetry I read, and though Severance is labeled a book of stories, I have a hard time believing this is anything but the suggestive, dewy dream-state that a good set of poems can capture. What has surprised me most is how small scenes or visions from the stories float in and out of memory throughout the day, and how Butler connects history, sex and war across time in common and uncommon lives. Whether or not you enjoy poetry, this well worth reading out loud.
sabernar's review
2.0
"It was ok" is the definition of 2 stars, and that's about right. This book is a bunch of short stories that represent the last thoughts of people who were decapitated. A "schtick" book. The problem is I found myself thinking numerous times "really? these are the last thoughts of this person?" Some I found good, but it was too much of a mixed bag.
weeta's review
4.0
60 fictional and actual folks (and one dragon, and one chicken) frantically document their last thoughts in the 90 seconds of consciousness following decapitation. A clever study in history, and the utter meaninglessness of it all.
More...