Scan barcode
xolotlll's review
4.0
An excellent short story collection. The title story is fantastic, with an eerie mystery about a room that may or may not have ever existed. Thematically, it reminds me a bit of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, although it's not quite as accomplished.
I feel that on a couple of occasions, Wynne shows her hand a bit too clearly. The mystery in the title story is powerful on its own, but the sequel extends it unnecessarily and makes it feel more mundane by revealing it to be something closer to a traditional ghost story. Similarly, The Voice begins with an eerie little mystery, but Wynne fumbles the ending in my view by revealing it to be a heavy-handed Romantic allegory - lop off the final paragraph or two and it's a far better story!
My Ghost of a Chance is a fun little allegorical tale, but it doesn't pretend to be anything else - it's a quirky little thing about the creative process, and it can be read in a few minutes.
The final tale, The Scarf, is probably the strongest next to the title story. Like most of the other pieces, it has a curious and potentially supernatural mystery at its core. It builds to a satisfying conclusion without revealing its hand too overtly.
I would strongly recommend this collection to those interested in fin de siecle supernatural literature, and fans of the short story in general. Even if it's not your cup of tea, it can easily be read in a few hours.
I feel that on a couple of occasions, Wynne shows her hand a bit too clearly. The mystery in the title story is powerful on its own, but the sequel extends it unnecessarily and makes it feel more mundane by revealing it to be something closer to a traditional ghost story. Similarly, The Voice begins with an eerie little mystery, but Wynne fumbles the ending in my view by revealing it to be a heavy-handed Romantic allegory - lop off the final paragraph or two and it's a far better story!
My Ghost of a Chance is a fun little allegorical tale, but it doesn't pretend to be anything else - it's a quirky little thing about the creative process, and it can be read in a few minutes.
The final tale, The Scarf, is probably the strongest next to the title story. Like most of the other pieces, it has a curious and potentially supernatural mystery at its core. It builds to a satisfying conclusion without revealing its hand too overtly.
I would strongly recommend this collection to those interested in fin de siecle supernatural literature, and fans of the short story in general. Even if it's not your cup of tea, it can easily be read in a few hours.
More...