Reviews

The Dismembered by Jonathan Janz

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doctorbradford's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

bucher_freund's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

1912, England. American writer Arthur intervenes in a potential robbery on a train. The thankful would-be victim, Sarah Coyle, implores Arthur to come home to her family's estate to help her stop her younger sister from marrying a local Count. Rumors swirl of the Count being involved in dark magic and unsavory activities. The Coyles themselves end up being an odd bunch too.

The first two-thirds of this story is atmospheric, slow burn Gothic perfection. The final third totally shifts gears into campy, over the top, gory insanity. It worked for me, but the tonal shift might not work for everyone.

TW: there is a really awful torture scene with a cat.

This short (less than 200 pages), fast paced read is recommended for those who like some gore and camp with their Gothic tales.

whaydengilbert's review against another edition

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4.0

I saw this cover and knew I had to pick it up. The Dismembered is a Gothic pastiche that goes full-Grand Guignol at the halfway mark. I’m reminded of an interview I read with Tim Burton about the making of his “Sleepy Hollow” where he said the movie was his love letter to his “memory” of Hammer horror, rather than to the movies as they actually were. And this feels kinda like that. It gives you the setup and the aesthetics, all the dressing, and then it goes as hard as you always imagined those old Poe stories went before you actually read them. I kinda love this “Gothic on crack” take on the subgenre, as another reviewer put it. I hope Mike Flanagan’s House of Usher delivers similar thrills.