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katkinslee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
I have read from Joe Hill in the past and enjoyed him but I struggled with this one. I really got over him describing characters as "fat and disgusting" and for the most part I would finish each story feeling rather meh about it all
Definitely won't pick it up again.
Definitely won't pick it up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Fatphobia
Moderate: Kidnapping
emory's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wish so badly that all of these stories were as good as the 2 or 3 that left me amazed at the feat of writing that they were. In reality though, reading through 20th Century Ghosts is a grab bag of either wonderful, genius mood setting and contemplation, or a story that seems to serve no purpose but to jar the reader.
I understand how it works. The racist and misogynistic redneck character puts us in a somber, edgy mood, so why should it matter that there's no reason for him to be there? That's what it was like, is it not? The weird and overly sexual descriptions of the women are supposed to irritate, let you into the mind of the teenage narrator, upset you, put your hackles up. And the graphic violence children have inflicted upon them is supposed to unsettle. It's a horror anthology, duh. And I could've accepted any of those answers had they not become trends in damn near every story. Like the abrupt endings to half the stories collected, this blatant bigotry with the intent to disturb or the overtly detailed goring and injury of almost always children, or, failing that, a woman who'd spent the whole story being characterized as a stupid, frigid bitch. So I'm left with the question of why?
I'm not a connesuir of horror, and I'm sure there's plenty of arguments about shock for shock's sake, the value in being disturbed, the catharsis inherent to that. Or that it makes one question why one finds certain things scarier than others. But I do struggle to find the point in stories like You Will Hear The Locusts Sing, in which the entire narrative is a child being turned into a giant bug, but lacking all the Kafka metaphor and instead opting for grotesque imagery of the teen killing and eating his father, and then deciding to murder several classmates at his school, the story wrapping up abruptly as the army descends upon his killing spree. I don't see the merit besides a few off lines to nuclear testing to get in the Manhattan project part of the 20th century theme.
Of course it could all be taste. It's horror, I'm supposed to be upset. But what really started to bother me about it even beyond my initial feelings was that Hill has the skill not to rely on these tricks of shock and disgust. Had I read Pop Art, My Father's Mask, Better Than Home, or really any story in this anthology, save a select few that I distinctly disliked, on their own, I'd have nothing but praise. They all elicited visceral and emotions reactions, the astoundingly original narratives boosted by the carefully crafted suspense and elaborate but never unbelievable narration. It's amazing writing even when there's no point. The feeling of shock was from a great read, not from the detailed description of a child's grisly murder at the hands of his mother. Hill can unsettle and weave a narrative expertly, so the crutches that kept returning baffled me.
These are stunning vignettes of dread and despair, a skilled trip through the unnerving and disorienting. Id call quite a few, like Pop Art, Bobby Conroy..., My Father's Mask, Voluntary Committal, and Dead-Wood among some of my favorite short stories I've ever read. The boys experiences in My Father's Mask tap into a long lingering childhood confusion and fear. Pop Art was astoundingly poignant and its metaphors were never cloying or unearned. There's high highs and low lows, and as stories start to repeat ideas, you start to see behind the curtain. I guess the skill of Joe Hills writing is that I wanted to keep reading anyway.
And just for fun:
๐- You Will Hear the Locust Sing, In the Rundown, Last Breath, Scheherazade's Typewriter
๐- The Black Phone, Best New Horror, The Cape
๐- 20th Century Ghost, Better Than Home, Abraham's Boys, Voluntary Commital, The Widows Breakfast
๐ซ - Pop Art, Dead Wood, My Father's Mask, Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead
I understand how it works. The racist and misogynistic redneck character puts us in a somber, edgy mood, so why should it matter that there's no reason for him to be there? That's what it was like, is it not? The weird and overly sexual descriptions of the women are supposed to irritate, let you into the mind of the teenage narrator, upset you, put your hackles up. And the graphic violence children have inflicted upon them is supposed to unsettle. It's a horror anthology, duh. And I could've accepted any of those answers had they not become trends in damn near every story. Like the abrupt endings to half the stories collected, this blatant bigotry with the intent to disturb or the overtly detailed goring and injury of almost always children, or, failing that, a woman who'd spent the whole story being characterized as a stupid, frigid bitch. So I'm left with the question of why?
I'm not a connesuir of horror, and I'm sure there's plenty of arguments about shock for shock's sake, the value in being disturbed, the catharsis inherent to that. Or that it makes one question why one finds certain things scarier than others. But I do struggle to find the point in stories like You Will Hear The Locusts Sing, in which the entire narrative is
Of course it could all be taste. It's horror, I'm supposed to be upset. But what really started to bother me about it even beyond my initial feelings was that Hill has the skill not to rely on these tricks of shock and disgust. Had I read Pop Art, My Father's Mask, Better Than Home, or really any story in this anthology, save a select few that I distinctly disliked, on their own, I'd have nothing but praise. They all elicited visceral and emotions reactions, the astoundingly original narratives boosted by the carefully crafted suspense and elaborate but never unbelievable narration. It's amazing writing even when there's no point. The feeling of shock was from a great read, not from the detailed description of
These are stunning vignettes of dread and despair, a skilled trip through the unnerving and disorienting. Id call quite a few, like Pop Art, Bobby Conroy..., My Father's Mask, Voluntary Committal, and Dead-Wood among some of my favorite short stories I've ever read. The boys experiences in My Father's Mask tap into a long lingering childhood confusion and fear. Pop Art was astoundingly poignant and its metaphors were never cloying or unearned. There's high highs and low lows, and as stories start to repeat ideas, you start to see behind the curtain. I guess the skill of Joe Hills writing is that I wanted to keep reading anyway.
And just for fun:
๐- You Will Hear the Locust Sing, In the Rundown, Last Breath, Scheherazade's Typewriter
๐- The Black Phone, Best New Horror, The Cape
๐- 20th Century Ghost, Better Than Home, Abraham's Boys, Voluntary Commital, The Widows Breakfast
๐ซ - Pop Art, Dead Wood, My Father's Mask, Bobby Conroy Comes Back From the Dead
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt
Weird characterization of women in about 75% of stories. Racist remarks made by 'bad' characters to establish them as bad more than once. Pretty much every trigger warning one could imagine on top of that, but I'd assume you'd guess that going in.smithreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Racism, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Homophobia, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Suicide
jamonicatierra's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Has a diverse collection of short stories ranging from being creepy to boring to unexpected. For me there are some stories that are forgettable or arenโt as strong as others and were lacking. And there were some that kept my interest. The stories werenโt complete horror more of suspense, drama, and unsettling. Overall this is an interesting and weird collection of stories.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Racial slurs, and Violence
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