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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Lansdale is an incredible storyteller, capable of taking the most mundane topic, the most flimsy cue, and turning it into a story that one wishes would never end. The short stories in this collection, almost all of which have been rescued from various anthologies and magazines, and thus already published in the past, are all crime stories in various ways, and have one thing in common: the events are at first simple, almost boring, everyday affairs, and then, as the title says, 'things get ugly', sometimes in a surreal way. As in all collections, something is above average, something is below average, but the overall level is stratospheric.
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Taut, vicious noir and crime stories with the occasional splash of fantasy. Unlike a lot of people who write in this genre I don't feel like the sadism or ugliness leaks into the authorial viewpoint; it's a dispassionate narration of an ugly world. Shockingly light on various genre-typical prejudice; not absent, but rarer than I expected, and rooted in character, not voice. The God of the Razor scares the shit out of me.
Some stories I remembered (usually those featuring Hap&Leonard) others I had either forgotten or had never even read, although the latter option seems unlikely. In the meantime, however, I enjoyed them all as if it were the first time, because as the author himself says, the thing that gives him the most pleasure is writing short stories, and considering that almost every week a free one comes out on his website, we can also say that his creativity is infinite.
Alcune storie me le ricordavo (di solito quelle che hanno come protagonisti Hap&Leonard) altre le avevo dimenticate oppure nemmeno le avevo mai lette, anche se quest'ultima opzione mi sembra poco probabile. Nel frattempo peró me le sono godute tutte come se fosse la prima volta, perché come dice l'autore stesso, la cosa che gli da piú piacere é scrivere storie brevi e considerato che quasi ogni settimana ne esce una gratis sul suo website, possiamo anche affermare che la sua creatività é infinita.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
Alcune storie me le ricordavo (di solito quelle che hanno come protagonisti Hap&Leonard) altre le avevo dimenticate oppure nemmeno le avevo mai lette, anche se quest'ultima opzione mi sembra poco probabile. Nel frattempo peró me le sono godute tutte come se fosse la prima volta, perché come dice l'autore stesso, la cosa che gli da piú piacere é scrivere storie brevi e considerato che quasi ogni settimana ne esce una gratis sul suo website, possiamo anche affermare che la sua creatività é infinita.
I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
As per usual with a DNF, I'm not rating this one.
And, I have to be honest, I'm shocked that I'm DNFing a Lansdale book, as he's easily in my top ten authors. But this collection of 19 crime stories—that should have been an easy slamdunk, rip-through-it-in-a-day-or-two read—turned into a month-long effort of avoidance.
I'm not a prude, I'm truly not. I'll take sex scenes, I'll take extreme violence, hell, I'll even take the silly as long as it all serves the story. But this collection...well, okay, the fourteen stories I got through...seemed to have far too much sex for sex's sake. The violence quotient seemed about right for a Lansdale story, so that was okay. But the bear? More ridiculously terrible than silly.
But the biggest issue was, of the fourteen stories I read, I might have actually enjoyed two of them. None left a really positive lasting impression.
Honestly, I'm disappointed as hell, as I always look forward to reading Lansdale. Always.
But man, not this one.
And, I have to be honest, I'm shocked that I'm DNFing a Lansdale book, as he's easily in my top ten authors. But this collection of 19 crime stories—that should have been an easy slamdunk, rip-through-it-in-a-day-or-two read—turned into a month-long effort of avoidance.
I'm not a prude, I'm truly not. I'll take sex scenes, I'll take extreme violence, hell, I'll even take the silly as long as it all serves the story. But this collection...well, okay, the fourteen stories I got through...seemed to have far too much sex for sex's sake. The violence quotient seemed about right for a Lansdale story, so that was okay. But the bear? More ridiculously terrible than silly.
But the biggest issue was, of the fourteen stories I read, I might have actually enjoyed two of them. None left a really positive lasting impression.
Honestly, I'm disappointed as hell, as I always look forward to reading Lansdale. Always.
But man, not this one.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very macabre
I am not sure how I have never read anything by this author, but now that I have gotten a taste of his writing, there will be no turning back now!
I am generally not a crime story type of reader, but these short stories provide a twisted look at what could potentially happen if you let your imagination run wild. Take, for example, the story about a certain bear that many of us might remember from television commercials way back in the day to help prevent forest fires. Now take that same bear, and insert him into society as you would a human with a twisted sense of morality. The end result just might be this story.
I really enjoyed reading how he came up with the ideas for the stories. It gave me a sense of his thought process, but I by no means totally understand it! Writers are unique, and the stories they create will entertain or haunt us long after they are done.
The title of this book is also very appropriate because things do get ugly in most of the tales. However, you might uncover some witty moments that might surprise you. I remember chuckling through a few of the stories, surprised at the humor that was included. But sometimes, all you can do is laugh.
Each story is unique and varies in length. There is a warning from the author that if you are a sensitive reader, you might want to skip this book. I might agree. While none of the stories bothered me, I can see where it might bother some. But if you are open and not squeamish, you just might enjoy these tales.
We enjoyed this book and gave it 5 paws up.
I am generally not a crime story type of reader, but these short stories provide a twisted look at what could potentially happen if you let your imagination run wild. Take, for example, the story about a certain bear that many of us might remember from television commercials way back in the day to help prevent forest fires. Now take that same bear, and insert him into society as you would a human with a twisted sense of morality. The end result just might be this story.
I really enjoyed reading how he came up with the ideas for the stories. It gave me a sense of his thought process, but I by no means totally understand it! Writers are unique, and the stories they create will entertain or haunt us long after they are done.
The title of this book is also very appropriate because things do get ugly in most of the tales. However, you might uncover some witty moments that might surprise you. I remember chuckling through a few of the stories, surprised at the humor that was included. But sometimes, all you can do is laugh.
Each story is unique and varies in length. There is a warning from the author that if you are a sensitive reader, you might want to skip this book. I might agree. While none of the stories bothered me, I can see where it might bother some. But if you are open and not squeamish, you just might enjoy these tales.
We enjoyed this book and gave it 5 paws up.
A fantastic collection from one of the masters of any genre he puts his mind to. As a warning, some of the stories in this collection have some seriously sick subject matter, but it is never shlocky and gives each story the weight that it requires. Highly recommended!!
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Injury/Injury detail