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hippokly's review
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
its dark, incredibly informative, and put evidences from multiple sources (literary, philosophically, etc...) on why humans have no reason to exist in nature. there is no reason for humans to continue the human race other than for themselves. and nobody should be afraid of death because we all are going to die anyways.
saintakim's review
5.0
Ligotti's best novella. Full of his usual motifs of puppets, uncanny and, weirdly, car accidents.
Good piece of horror writing, deliciously metatextual and playful.
Unserious work of philosophy, in ways I think are meant to be comedic.
Serious manual for horror writers and an interesting manifesto for Ligotti's approach to writing.
Good piece of horror writing, deliciously metatextual and playful.
Unserious work of philosophy, in ways I think are meant to be comedic.
Serious manual for horror writers and an interesting manifesto for Ligotti's approach to writing.
corpseparty's review against another edition
The audiobook sounds like a male Siri, PLS add in some fluctuation to ur tone or smth
jeff_finley's review
3.0
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I appreciate some pessimist philosophy and it brought up a lot of great questions to ponder about the nature of existence. The writing style was just not for me.
my_check's review
dark
slow-paced
3.5
The anatomy of a puppet bit was kind of unnecessary but the rest was a welcome reminder that we all have these thoughts sometimes.
I definitely felt unpersuaded by the conclusion we were reminded of over and over again. But then again I am a heroic pessimist according to Ligotti and my silly human brain just can’t understand that it would be better to have never been born.
I definitely felt unpersuaded by the conclusion we were reminded of over and over again. But then again I am a heroic pessimist according to Ligotti and my silly human brain just can’t understand that it would be better to have never been born.
w1ndupbird's review against another edition
4.0
Felt compelled to write a review on this cause slapping a rating on it and calling it a day felt odd considering the subject matter. Ligotti essentially devotes himself to convincing you that your life is not worth living through all manners of philosophy, media and literature. While some have said this book could be dangerous to those vulnerable to darker thoughts, I never felt like I had been radicalised into a nihilist cult by Ligotti. Rather, it was more akin to having those morbid thoughts that occasionally pop into your head being reassured as not abnormal. It felt strangely comforting— "a rubble of words in a book where someone whispers in a dry voice, “I, too, am here.”"
I don't subscribe to the idea that life is all pain and suffering but I don't think life is all meadows and roses for everyone in the world. Ligotti's mind is cemented on one side of the spectrum and he cannot for the life of him, come across to (or see why anyone would exist on) the other side. Do we have a choice in our mindset towards life? I'm not sure. Ligotti's views are ultimately sad but sincere.
I don't subscribe to the idea that life is all pain and suffering but I don't think life is all meadows and roses for everyone in the world. Ligotti's mind is cemented on one side of the spectrum and he cannot for the life of him, come across to (or see why anyone would exist on) the other side. Do we have a choice in our mindset towards life? I'm not sure. Ligotti's views are ultimately sad but sincere.