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username999's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I always feel that short story collections for me are always so volatile for me, and especially for weird books like this, I'm worried that it just won't work for me.
Luckily, I can say that while this wasn't perfect, it worked for me more so than it didn't.
I think my main critiques are the order chosen in how these stories where put together, although weird which is the point I'm not sure if there was a point, and that just because something is "weird" I still want the "weirdness" to make sense.
All that's to say my favorite stories in this collection were: "The Love of Beauty", "We the Enclosed", & "Between the Covers" because while still weird, felt like completed stories within their weirdness.
Luckily, I can say that while this wasn't perfect, it worked for me more so than it didn't.
I think my main critiques are the order chosen in how these stories where put together, although weird which is the point I'm not sure if there was a point, and that just because something is "weird" I still want the "weirdness" to make sense.
All that's to say my favorite stories in this collection were: "The Love of Beauty", "We the Enclosed", & "Between the Covers" because while still weird, felt like completed stories within their weirdness.
yak_attak's review
3.0
A middling grade, but still a book I'd recommend, especially for people who already read and enjoyed Bishop's The Etched City - the issue here is that the inherent variability of quality of short stories is pretty severe here, and while all engage in Bishop's particular grade of madness and surrealism, we range the gamut from 'I'd read a whole book of this', 'Masterpiece of weird short fiction,' and 'not all that particularly strange, but a compelling story' to 'this is abstract poetry', 'i'm not entirely sure this was a finished piece,' and of course the 'god these are beautiful sentences but fuck me if I know what a single thing means.'
A lot of this leans heavily on surrealist stream of consciousness, and though Bishop *always* has a brilliant way of presenting something, a turn of phrase or incredible analogy, I have to be honest, a respectable amount of this went fully over my head. Somewhat I don't know if there's something to have gotten in most cases, it's that particular level of weird that just...is weird for the sake of it. It makes you think, and that's enough.
Just be warned. But do try it. Or really, try The Etched City. And if you're in love with it as much as I am, then absolutely give this a shot.
A lot of this leans heavily on surrealist stream of consciousness, and though Bishop *always* has a brilliant way of presenting something, a turn of phrase or incredible analogy, I have to be honest, a respectable amount of this went fully over my head. Somewhat I don't know if there's something to have gotten in most cases, it's that particular level of weird that just...is weird for the sake of it. It makes you think, and that's enough.
Just be warned. But do try it. Or really, try The Etched City. And if you're in love with it as much as I am, then absolutely give this a shot.
thiefofcamorr's review
5.0
Katharine is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
To be safe, I won't be recording my review here until after the AA are over.
sophie_paterson's review
2.0
Difficult to review this one. There were some amazing stories and some I couldn't finish because I hated them so much!
jake_'s review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Quite uneven compared to other short story collections I've read. Some of the stories are brilliant, especially those set in the world of the The Etched City and those inspired by magical realism or surrealism. Others are simply dull or too experimental to be enjoyable to read.
tregina's review
4.0
Beautiful, and wonderfully strange, with incredibly deft use of language. I'd read only one of the stories before so I had no idea what a joy I was in for. I seldom choose a favourite, but "Maldoror Abroad" and "Alsiso" are the ones that have really penetrated my brain and set up for the long haul.
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