Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares by Joyce Carol Oates

1 review

thecirclek's review

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dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I'll echo other reviewers in saying that this is a mixed bag. The title story (which at 130 pages is really like its own short novel) is probably the strongest. I enjoyed the visceral horror of "A Hole in the Head" and the warped child perspective of "Nobody Knows My Name".  I thought that "Beersheba" was underdeveloped. "Fossil Figures" and "Death Cup" (two stories back-to-back about adult brothers with a complicated relationship?!) both underwhelmed me and didn't seem to ever click. "Helping Hands" starts off promising, but then gets lost.

I will give the collection credit that it doesn't just aim for shock value. There is an attempt to link the characters' inner lives to the horror/thriller elements.
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