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books_and_keys's review against another edition
dark
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
4.0
Exquisitely written, delightfully uncomfortable. Each story left me salivating for more.
alexiacambaling's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
oxnard_montalvo's review against another edition
4.0
Only three short stories, or novellas in this collection but each are controlled with enough similarities to make them work well together but also varied enough to make each one a very distinctive tale. With the weakest, I thought, story in the middle, and the two strongest efforts opening and closing the book. Ogawa is an assured voice and these are hard little gems, summertime horror is perhaps the best way of describing the atmosphere. Something slowly creeping closer, and you're not quite sure if it's coming from within or not.
trin's review against another edition
3.0
A trio of eerie and unnerving novellas. The first two involve women inflicting needless cruelties on people helpless and dependent on them, but Ogawa strays away from creating caricatures or relying on obvious psychology. The third story, possibly the most complex and strange, involves a lonely woman befriending the triple-amputee landlord of a maybe-cursed dormitory complex. The ambiguous ending is frustrating, but nevertheless compelling. Ogawa’s use of language is both seductive and severely disquieting; I will definitely be seeking out more of her work.
willow_thewisp's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lgriffin44's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5