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erikbergstrom's review against another edition
4.0
A great anthology for contemporary horror fiction. The "Beautiful" aspect is interpreted many ways, but all stories are written in a similar careful & considerate vein.
Faves:
Brian Kirk
Mercedes M. Yardley
Paul Tremblay
Amanda Gowin
Josh Malerman
Faves:
Brian Kirk
Mercedes M. Yardley
Paul Tremblay
Amanda Gowin
Josh Malerman
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
Already recognized as a successful indie publisher, with a Bram Stoker Award nomination and a slew of well-reviewed titles over the past few years, Crystal Lake has really stepped up their game with Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories. While there were a few entries I didn't care for, it was more a matter of personal taste/triggers than literary quality.
Doug Murano & D. Alexander Ward have pulled together an impressive mix of authors here, and that diversity is big part of what makes it such an interesting read. I won't dwell on those that didn't work for me - instead, I'll just share a few words on what I felt to be the standout pieces.
“Picking Splinters from a Sex Slave” by Brian Kirk really sets the tone for this collection. It's one of the darkest, saddest stories I have ever read, with the father's inappropriate humor putting a perfect edge on the drama.
“Arbeit Macht Frei” was another dark tale, this time rooted in the real life horrors of a Nazi concentration camp, with Lisa Mannetti sharing a story of teenage selfishness and absolutely rotten timing.
“Water Thy Bones” by Mercedes M. Yardley was one of the high points of the collection, an odd sort of tale that explores the beautiful side of horror - which, as it turns out, is bone deep (not skin deep). It wasn't only an interesting story, but and interestingly told story.
“A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some Are Broken” initially seemed misplaced in the collection, being a dark sort of choose your own adventure tale, but as each choice exposes a different room and a different history, Paul Tremblay proves himself a clever addition.
“Coming to Grief” was a difficult story to gauge. As a story on its own, I appreciated it's take on childhood fears and the adult grieving process it, but knowing that it was written by Clive Barker created expectations to which it could not live up.
“Cards for His Spokes, Coins for His Fare” felt very much like a Stephen King or John Saul tale, with John F.D. Taff really distinguishing himself. It's a subtle story that takes a while to develop, but I really liked where it ended up.
“The Place of Revelation” by Ramsey Campbell closes the collection on a high note, with the story of a young boy and his ability to see things that feels like a vintage Campbell tale. It has plot, character, atmosphere, and more.
As the title says, Gutted really is a collection of Beautiful Horror Stories that isn't afraid to look for light in the strangest of places, even as it embraces the appeal of the darkness.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Doug Murano & D. Alexander Ward have pulled together an impressive mix of authors here, and that diversity is big part of what makes it such an interesting read. I won't dwell on those that didn't work for me - instead, I'll just share a few words on what I felt to be the standout pieces.
“Picking Splinters from a Sex Slave” by Brian Kirk really sets the tone for this collection. It's one of the darkest, saddest stories I have ever read, with the father's inappropriate humor putting a perfect edge on the drama.
“Arbeit Macht Frei” was another dark tale, this time rooted in the real life horrors of a Nazi concentration camp, with Lisa Mannetti sharing a story of teenage selfishness and absolutely rotten timing.
“Water Thy Bones” by Mercedes M. Yardley was one of the high points of the collection, an odd sort of tale that explores the beautiful side of horror - which, as it turns out, is bone deep (not skin deep). It wasn't only an interesting story, but and interestingly told story.
“A Haunted House is a Wheel Upon Which Some Are Broken” initially seemed misplaced in the collection, being a dark sort of choose your own adventure tale, but as each choice exposes a different room and a different history, Paul Tremblay proves himself a clever addition.
“Coming to Grief” was a difficult story to gauge. As a story on its own, I appreciated it's take on childhood fears and the adult grieving process it, but knowing that it was written by Clive Barker created expectations to which it could not live up.
“Cards for His Spokes, Coins for His Fare” felt very much like a Stephen King or John Saul tale, with John F.D. Taff really distinguishing himself. It's a subtle story that takes a while to develop, but I really liked where it ended up.
“The Place of Revelation” by Ramsey Campbell closes the collection on a high note, with the story of a young boy and his ability to see things that feels like a vintage Campbell tale. It has plot, character, atmosphere, and more.
As the title says, Gutted really is a collection of Beautiful Horror Stories that isn't afraid to look for light in the strangest of places, even as it embraces the appeal of the darkness.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
sucredidymus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.0
The stories are definitely a mixed bag.
I didn't prefer the writing styles of many of the stories in the beginning and end of the collection - they seemed to try too hard to be beautiful and smart, which pulled focus from the actual story. I also am not a fan of run-on sentences that are hard to ingest, and many of the stories had that style. It took a while to mentally rearrange long, comma-filled sentences into shorter ones that made more sense.
On the other end of the spectrum, the were plenty of stories in the middle of the collection that were written in a more straightforward style, and it made them easy to enjoy and imagine as I read.
Overall there were great ideas but the execution and pace didn't always hit the mark for me.
I didn't prefer the writing styles of many of the stories in the beginning and end of the collection - they seemed to try too hard to be beautiful and smart, which pulled focus from the actual story. I also am not a fan of run-on sentences that are hard to ingest, and many of the stories had that style. It took a while to mentally rearrange long, comma-filled sentences into shorter ones that made more sense.
On the other end of the spectrum, the were plenty of stories in the middle of the collection that were written in a more straightforward style, and it made them easy to enjoy and imagine as I read.
Overall there were great ideas but the execution and pace didn't always hit the mark for me.
_b_a_l_'s review against another edition
5.0
I think that this is the best multi-contributor horror anthology I have ever read (although yes, possibly the stories aren't all strictly speaking horror).
Generally I find anthologies have a couple of amazing stories, a bunch of good stories and a sprinkling of blah stories. This book is about 80% amazing and 20% really good.
The Problem with Susan, a dark reimagining of what happens to Susan after Narnia, is particularly both beautiful and horrifying.
Generally I find anthologies have a couple of amazing stories, a bunch of good stories and a sprinkling of blah stories. This book is about 80% amazing and 20% really good.
The Problem with Susan, a dark reimagining of what happens to Susan after Narnia, is particularly both beautiful and horrifying.
maxoliveira's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
harleyqueen's review against another edition
I did not enjoy ANY of the stories made me not want to read
marplatense's review against another edition
4.0
Una serie de historias muy diferentes a lo que yo esperaba (digamos que basandome solo en el título y la tapa). Me imaginé mucho splatter y sentimientos de soledad (a la Self-made man) pero resultó distinto a eso.
Con bajos niveles de gore y no mucho creepiness (honrosas excepciones en el cuento de Paul Tremblay -que, como bonus point, aprovecha las posibilidades de modernizar el Elige tu propia aventura en el soporte de un Kindle y la historia de Ramsey Campbell, la cual incluye bosques y dioses antiguos, o sea que no puedo pedir más), hay varias historias que pega duro a nivel de sentimientos (Picking splinters from a sex slave, On the other side of the door everything changes y Cards for his spokes coins for his fare), lo que me imagino era el objetivo del libro. Con respecto al resto de las historias, no pude relacionarme mucho con la historia de Gaiman porque mis niveles de C. S. Lewis son bajos y una agradable sorpresa en la historia de Kevin Lucia: en la mayor parte de la misma no me pareció interesante, incluso pensé en abandonarla, pero mi paciencia fue recompensada en los últimos parrafos con un esplendoroso final.
Con bajos niveles de gore y no mucho creepiness (honrosas excepciones en el cuento de Paul Tremblay -que, como bonus point, aprovecha las posibilidades de modernizar el Elige tu propia aventura en el soporte de un Kindle y la historia de Ramsey Campbell, la cual incluye bosques y dioses antiguos, o sea que no puedo pedir más), hay varias historias que pega duro a nivel de sentimientos (Picking splinters from a sex slave, On the other side of the door everything changes y Cards for his spokes coins for his fare), lo que me imagino era el objetivo del libro. Con respecto al resto de las historias, no pude relacionarme mucho con la historia de Gaiman porque mis niveles de C. S. Lewis son bajos y una agradable sorpresa en la historia de Kevin Lucia: en la mayor parte de la misma no me pareció interesante, incluso pensé en abandonarla, pero mi paciencia fue recompensada en los últimos parrafos con un esplendoroso final.
lamusadelils's review against another edition
3.0
Si son historias muy bellas pero me sorprendió que por ejemplo de Neil Gaiman (jajaja mi autocorrector le dice Caimán) estuviera The problem with Susan :/