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stewie's review
3.0
While the plot itself is nothing new, Norman Prentiss is really able to capture the feelings of guilt and depression when a loved one is passing. You can read my full review here at HorrorTalk.com.
verkisto's review
3.0
Thanks to Invisible Fences, I added Norman Prentiss to my list of authors to read, no matter what. It was a quiet, deliberate story of disquiet and uncertainty, told in a straightforward, engrossing style. It impressed the hell out of me, and I knew this was a writer to whom I should pay attention.
Had I started with The Fleshless Man, that might not have happened.
The story isn't bad, nor is it not creepy. Like Invisible Fences, it looks at family dynamics and uses that as a starting point for a horror story, but where Fences lulled us with its soft style and compelling characters, Fleshless lulls us to sleep.
The story is about two brothers and how they cope with their mother's impending death. One brother left home long ago, to escape the suffocating home and town, while the other stayed behind and ultimately had to take care of their mother. With her death only days away, the other brother returns home, and the problems of their home life returns to him, only this time he's also haunted by the fleshless man, who his mother says is trying to kill her.
The fleshless man invades the one brother's dreams, and since this is all happening while he is dealing with feelings of guilt over his mother and brother, it's hard to say if the fleshless man is a real entity, or just something he's created to help him with his feelings. Maybe it's up to the reader to decide. I don't mind ambiguous endings, but I prefer there to be a bit more closure with a story than The Fleshless Man provides.
I'm willing to admit that the story may have gone over my head, but after the quiet brilliance of Invisible Fences, I was expecting something different from The Fleshless Man. I'd recommend it to other readers of horror, namely because maybe they'll get the point better than I did, and can explain it to me. While the story is one that will stay with me for its imagery, it's not one that will stay with me for making a strong connection with me.
Had I started with The Fleshless Man, that might not have happened.
The story isn't bad, nor is it not creepy. Like Invisible Fences, it looks at family dynamics and uses that as a starting point for a horror story, but where Fences lulled us with its soft style and compelling characters, Fleshless lulls us to sleep.
The story is about two brothers and how they cope with their mother's impending death. One brother left home long ago, to escape the suffocating home and town, while the other stayed behind and ultimately had to take care of their mother. With her death only days away, the other brother returns home, and the problems of their home life returns to him, only this time he's also haunted by the fleshless man, who his mother says is trying to kill her.
The fleshless man invades the one brother's dreams, and since this is all happening while he is dealing with feelings of guilt over his mother and brother, it's hard to say if the fleshless man is a real entity, or just something he's created to help him with his feelings. Maybe it's up to the reader to decide. I don't mind ambiguous endings, but I prefer there to be a bit more closure with a story than The Fleshless Man provides.
I'm willing to admit that the story may have gone over my head, but after the quiet brilliance of Invisible Fences, I was expecting something different from The Fleshless Man. I'd recommend it to other readers of horror, namely because maybe they'll get the point better than I did, and can explain it to me. While the story is one that will stay with me for its imagery, it's not one that will stay with me for making a strong connection with me.
inkyinsanity's review
3.0
This was an interesting book. I liked the writing and the story kept me interested, but I’m not sure about the ending yet. It kind of makes me think of a frustrating jigsaw puzzle—all the pieces are here, but only half of it’s been put together. I did enjoy it, though.
charshorrorcorner's review
3.0
I won this novella from Darkfuse.
Beware, this review has slight spoilers.
To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of this story.
A young man, Curtis, returns home because his mother is dying. He goes back to a house where, when he was growing up, he felt suffocated. This is the house where his brother still lives.
While there, Curtis begins having some dark thoughts and dreams. Thoughts involving his mother's death, his brother, and his partner Lauren. He dreams that his mother's nurse tells his mom a story at her bedside. The story of the fleshless man. But was the story actually real? Did he dream this dream as a result of his guilt about leaving his brother with his dying mom?
I liked the descriptions of the fleshless man-they were extremely vivid and creepy. I also enjoyed how the author explored the feelings of guilt and resentment between mother and son. Who hasn't felt those feelings about their parents at some point or another? I just don't know if the fleshless man was something that Curtis dreamed up or was he/it real? Did he create the fleshless man in his head as a way to deal with the death of his mother? Perhaps it is supposed to be left up to the reader to decide? I usually enjoy stories of an ambiguous nature, but this one left me a bit confused. I did enjoy it, though and I feel that the fleshless man will be staying in my head, at least for a little while.
Beware, this review has slight spoilers.
To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of this story.
A young man, Curtis, returns home because his mother is dying. He goes back to a house where, when he was growing up, he felt suffocated. This is the house where his brother still lives.
While there, Curtis begins having some dark thoughts and dreams. Thoughts involving his mother's death, his brother, and his partner Lauren. He dreams that his mother's nurse tells his mom a story at her bedside. The story of the fleshless man. But was the story actually real? Did he dream this dream as a result of his guilt about leaving his brother with his dying mom?
I liked the descriptions of the fleshless man-they were extremely vivid and creepy. I also enjoyed how the author explored the feelings of guilt and resentment between mother and son. Who hasn't felt those feelings about their parents at some point or another? I just don't know if the fleshless man was something that Curtis dreamed up or was he/it real? Did he create the fleshless man in his head as a way to deal with the death of his mother? Perhaps it is supposed to be left up to the reader to decide? I usually enjoy stories of an ambiguous nature, but this one left me a bit confused. I did enjoy it, though and I feel that the fleshless man will be staying in my head, at least for a little while.
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