Reviews

Apple and Knife by Intan Paramaditha

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tyghe_bright's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This collection of stories is horror, but more of the creepy and unsettling type than scary. Many of the stories feel like folk tales or urban myths. They have the quality of something told many times, often as cautionary tales. They are full of dangerous women who can't be controlled.

The language is often both beautiful and unsettling. I did find myself wishing that several of these very short tales were fleshed out a bit more. They could have been longer and still be quite short.

I read this straight through in one day, but wish I'd taken more time to sit with each. I really enjoyed this and will be picking up more from thi author.

amieco's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

3.0

papercrw's review

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

shksprsis's review

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

reaperreads's review against another edition

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3.0

There are several really great stories in this collection! Like most collections, however, there were some I preferred over others. It was roughly half and half, but the stories I enjoyed are ones that I plan on rereading plenty in the future. The subtle, building horror of stories like "Vampire" and "The Well" were definitely the biggest highlights for me. However, I also enjoyed some of the punchier stories like the collection's opener, "The Blind Woman Without a Toe," a gory take on the Cinderella tale. Either way, women's bodies and desires are the focus, giving a viscerally feminine reshaping to both horror and fairy-tale tropes. In Paramaditha's stories, the women do the butchering. I think there's something in this collection for everyone, so even though my rating may seem low, I still recommend picking it up and deciding for yourself.

I had also never heard of dangdut music before reading this book, and now I can't stop listening to "Tirani" by Lestiana. And I'm kinda mesmerized by Inul Daratista. No wonder this genre drove men to murder in the story "The Obsessive Twist" (satirically).

For fans of: Lesser-known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez, Goddess of Filth by V. Castro