Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers is a fascinating collection of stories that tiptoes the line between horror and mystery. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but when it hits the mark, it’s genuinely captivating. The first few tales, centered around the mysterious and maddening play "The King in Yellow," are haunting and imaginative, with an aura of cosmic dread that lingers long after you've put the book down.
That said, some of the later stories veer away from the eerie charm of the initial tales. They drift more towards romance and drama, which was a bit jarring if you're expecting a cohesive horror experience throughout. Still, the storytelling is engaging, and Chambers’s ability to create an unsettling atmosphere is noteworthy.
I can see why this book has influenced so many other writers—its unique blend of horror and speculative fiction is provocative. If you’re in the mood for something that blends existential dread with a touch of the bizarre, it’s worth checking out.
That said, some of the later stories veer away from the eerie charm of the initial tales. They drift more towards romance and drama, which was a bit jarring if you're expecting a cohesive horror experience throughout. Still, the storytelling is engaging, and Chambers’s ability to create an unsettling atmosphere is noteworthy.
I can see why this book has influenced so many other writers—its unique blend of horror and speculative fiction is provocative. If you’re in the mood for something that blends existential dread with a touch of the bizarre, it’s worth checking out.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
would be 2.5 bit the story Demoiselle d‘Ys was so good, it bumped the whole rating up <3
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fascinating. Stories sharing little more than a universe and a central horror conceit, which in large part remains implicit. Does it work? Not really. But the book’s progeny are legion and obvious, which is anyway why I picked it up in the first place.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Four short stories written back in 1895 yet so well written, I found it very easy to get into.
Each story is linked by a fictional play, 'The King in Yellow' where legend tells that everyone who read it are driven insane.
The plots are clever and you sit waiting for the twist in each tale.
This collection is classed as a one of the most important works in American supernatural history and an inspiration to many authors, including HP Lovecraft.
Here's a brief summary of the four short stories:
1. The repairer of reputations is a strange story told from the point of view of a man who is gradually going insane after reading the play, 'The King in Yellow.' Set in a world where black Americans are banished to form their own country, suicide is legal and actually welcomed with the creation of lethal chambers on street corners.
2. The Mask. A sculptor has created a liquid, which when something is submerged, the clear liquid becomes like milk and then pearlescent before a ray of light is emitted. Retrieving the sunken object at that precise moment reveals that it has become marble. Very handy for a sculptor.
3. In the court of the dragon. A gentleman walks into a church seeking some peace and quiet, listening to the preachers sermon to distract his mind from a play he has just read. He hears the organist making a row and then watches them leave the church. A minute later he watches the same organist leave the building via the same route again.
4. The Yellow Sign. An artist paints his regular nude model in his studio next to the church. Out of the window, he is disturbed to see the pale, deadened face of the church Watchman. It disrupts his thoughts and he realises he's ruining his painting. As he tries to remove the paint, the more he is ruining it. His model tells him of a dream she's had, where shes stood at that same window, looking out one night, to see a horse drawn hearse driven by that same man. In the coffin is the artist. He has had the same dream....
Obviously the tales are of their time but I don't think they would cause offense.
They're certainly not scary but a few are thought provoking.
Coming in at just 155 pages it's not going to take up much of your time.
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My god it should be illegal for people to write short stories unless they have proven they can do it. Unbearably dull