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prehistories's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
ridgewaygirl's review
5.0
The Dark Dark is a collection of short stories by Samantha Hunt that were often weird and always a little off-kilter, some stories veering directly into George Saunders/Karen Russell territory, and other stories remaining superficially more ordinary, but with an undercurrent that hints of something else.
This was an excellent collection of stories, where each story felt completely different than the one before. The book begins and ends with two variations on the same story and were the strongest of the stories, although there wasn't a dud to be found. And while the stories stand out for how imaginative they are, Hunt never fails to make her characters fully realized individuals or to give the stories a beating heart.
This was an excellent collection of stories, where each story felt completely different than the one before. The book begins and ends with two variations on the same story and were the strongest of the stories, although there wasn't a dud to be found. And while the stories stand out for how imaginative they are, Hunt never fails to make her characters fully realized individuals or to give the stories a beating heart.
caitpoytress's review
3.0
3.5 really. The Story Of and The Story of Of were pretty awesome bookends to this collection.
objectlesson's review
5.0
I loved this collection and found it really inspiring to see just how far Hunt pushed the surreal and supernatural aspects of these stories, while still managing to make the characters all seem very real and achingly relatable. These stories hurt. They’re barbed and weird and yet every woman narrator depicted in therein? I saw myself in her.
Also thank you Samantha Hunt for the line “you’re just jealous of whay I do with my queer pussy.” Perfect encapsulation of a modern epidemic. I don’t know if I’ve seen such a hilariously concise zinger about that type. Tragic. Cutting. Real.
Also thank you Samantha Hunt for the line “you’re just jealous of whay I do with my queer pussy.” Perfect encapsulation of a modern epidemic. I don’t know if I’ve seen such a hilariously concise zinger about that type. Tragic. Cutting. Real.
shiloniz's review
3.0
I love Samantha Hunt's novels but, as I so often unfortunately find, not a big fan of the short stories. I will recommend her novel The Seas to every person I come on contact with for the rest of my life but these just weren't for me.
radbear76's review
3.0
The stories in this collection are very well written. However, many of them stop abuptly or lack a discernible point/plot so they seem more like writing exercises than stories.
kathleenww's review
4.0
4/5 stars. I definitely enjoyed some stories more than others in this one. These are stories about women in often strange, surreal situations. But sometimes, she'll hit on something that totally speaks to my own life. She's not trying to give answers; she acknowledges the difficulties of being a woman in this life.