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chrism1's review
4.0
Fresh off her women's prize longlisted book, Children of Paradise, Camilla Grudova comes back with a collection of short stories centred around bodies and bodily functions. Grudova explores the chaos of the world through the way bodies work, don't work, and what bodies leave behind. I found this collection of stories challenging because I'm not a fan of body horror, so some of the stories were a bit rough for me, but Grudova's talent as a writer got me through those moments. She has a fantastic eye for a sharp bit of dialogue and amusing moment within the shock of all the gross and shocking details It's an emotionally demanding, but ultimately rewarding book.
kaayleigh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
3.75
Very gross and weird, even by my standards.
emilyky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
kylegibbens's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Loved these short stories, some of the gory details are forever etched onto my brain, thanks for that haha!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Excrement, Animal death, Gore, Cannibalism, Blood, Vomit, and Sexual assault
libraryfiend21's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
happyknitter2020's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Absolutely brilliant, intense, cumpulsive set of short stories.
If you loved Children of Paradise, you will definitely like these too. It's great to be back in Camilla's mind.
Recommend if you like to dip into a book, to take you away into another world. Each of the stories quickly pull you into other's dystopic lives.
Would read anything Camilla Grudova writes.
Thanks to #AtlanticBooks & #Netgalley for allowing me to review pre publication date.
If you loved Children of Paradise, you will definitely like these too. It's great to be back in Camilla's mind.
Recommend if you like to dip into a book, to take you away into another world. Each of the stories quickly pull you into other's dystopic lives.
Would read anything Camilla Grudova writes.
Thanks to #AtlanticBooks & #Netgalley for allowing me to review pre publication date.
emmavardy2's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Excrement, Blood, Miscarriage, and Self harm
chaosofcold's review
4.0
A short story can be a half formed thing. Often times these collections requires an awful lot of separating the wheat from the chaff and The Coiled Serpent is no exception.
When I read Children of Paradise I felt it didn’t quite push the horror envelope enough but the quiet yet grotesque horror of Children of Paradise that is still present in many of these stories which is where Grudova’s storytelling really shines.
There are several stories that raise the body horror stakes and launch into a higher realm of depravity but it kind of leaves a feeling of ‘and? Where’s the rest of it?’
If you’re a fan of no narrative just vibes then this will likely be something you’ll love. If you’re looking for meaty morsels that leave you thinking - you won’t quite find it here.
3.5 up to 4.
When I read Children of Paradise I felt it didn’t quite push the horror envelope enough but the quiet yet grotesque horror of Children of Paradise that is still present in many of these stories which is where Grudova’s storytelling really shines.
There are several stories that raise the body horror stakes and launch into a higher realm of depravity but it kind of leaves a feeling of ‘and? Where’s the rest of it?’
If you’re a fan of no narrative just vibes then this will likely be something you’ll love. If you’re looking for meaty morsels that leave you thinking - you won’t quite find it here.
3.5 up to 4.
sandytfrench's review
3.5
The Coiled Serpent by Camilla Grudova
Publication date: 2 November 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~
A little girl throws up Gloria-Jean's teeth after an explosion at the custard factory. In a damp, putrid spa, the exploitative drudgery of work sparks revolt. In a Margate museum, the new Director curates a venomous garden for public consumption.
~~~~~
Book 100! 😊 And seeing as I'm in my short story collection era (Sandra's version), this was a very fitting 100th read of the year.
But oh boy, it was weird, and it was gross.
I will give the same warning here as I did for Grudova's Children of Paradise (which was longlisted for this year's Women's Prize) - if you are at all squeamish about bodily fluids, excretions and suspicious substances, stay away from this book!
There were some very salient points made about poverty, classism, the oppression of the working class but I kinda lost sight of them and got distracted by trying to keep a tally of whether fecal matter made an appearance in every story in this book (the answer, Dear Reader, is *almost* every story...)
And yet, I was fascinated! I read this book in pretty much one sitting; I could not put it down. It is macabre, grotesque, gross and WEIRD! But the weirdness and the writing really did it for me. This book will not be for everybody but I will brace myself (and my stomach 🤢), and I will definitely read more from this author.
My favourite stories were The Green Hat, where revenge is a dish best served cold and Hoo Hoo, a weird, and quite sad, dystopian little tale.
~~~~~
Publication date: 2 November 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~
A little girl throws up Gloria-Jean's teeth after an explosion at the custard factory. In a damp, putrid spa, the exploitative drudgery of work sparks revolt. In a Margate museum, the new Director curates a venomous garden for public consumption.
~~~~~
Book 100! 😊 And seeing as I'm in my short story collection era (Sandra's version), this was a very fitting 100th read of the year.
But oh boy, it was weird, and it was gross.
I will give the same warning here as I did for Grudova's Children of Paradise (which was longlisted for this year's Women's Prize) - if you are at all squeamish about bodily fluids, excretions and suspicious substances, stay away from this book!
There were some very salient points made about poverty, classism, the oppression of the working class but I kinda lost sight of them and got distracted by trying to keep a tally of whether fecal matter made an appearance in every story in this book (the answer, Dear Reader, is *almost* every story...)
And yet, I was fascinated! I read this book in pretty much one sitting; I could not put it down. It is macabre, grotesque, gross and WEIRD! But the weirdness and the writing really did it for me. This book will not be for everybody but I will brace myself (and my stomach 🤢), and I will definitely read more from this author.
My favourite stories were The Green Hat, where revenge is a dish best served cold and Hoo Hoo, a weird, and quite sad, dystopian little tale.
~~~~~
frombethanysbookshelf's review
dark
mysterious
4.0
This collection of short stories delves into the macabre, the startling and the strange; conjuring up visceral imagery and strikingly lasting emotional responses to the absurd and odd scenes that lay ahead.
From cursed hotels, to gardens of poisons, to a custard factory after an explosion, Grudova takes us on a journey to the uncanny valley where things are uncomfortably similar to modern day Britain but something is always just not quite right. Underneath the disturbing visuals and gothic storytelling is a scathing and incisive exploration into contemporary life, the anxieties and fears of the modern person and the terrifying oppression that power can deliver from above.
Every story has its own uniqueness, some with narrative structure, some feeling more like a string of thoughts or a moment in time - but all of them have that odd charm that makes this book to undeniably intriguing. It spans genres from fantasy, to gore, to social realism but they’re all tied together with that mesmerising voice.
I haven’t had the pleasure … or the discomfort of reading this author before, but I will definitely be doing so in the future.
Every story has its own uniqueness, some with narrative structure, some feeling more like a string of thoughts or a moment in time - but all of them have that odd charm that makes this book to undeniably intriguing. It spans genres from fantasy, to gore, to social realism but they’re all tied together with that mesmerising voice.
I haven’t had the pleasure … or the discomfort of reading this author before, but I will definitely be doing so in the future.