Reviews

In the Shadows of Men by Robert Jackson Bennett

cullen_mi's review against another edition

5.0

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.
4.5 stars - A very enjoyable novella. I had no idea what it would be about but I am always interested in reading new things from Bennett.
The atmosphere and characters were both very well constructed and sucked me in; it's easy to consume this in one sitting.
Another reviewer mentioned how this tackles issue of nurture vs nature and dealing with the sins of your predecessors. These elevated it from an enjoyable but 4 star genre-fiction story to my 4.5 star rating.

geoffreykeel's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

whatsheread's review against another edition

4.0

In the Shadows of Men by Robert Jackson Bennett is VERY different from his other novels. With it, however, he confirms his status among my coveted must-read list. I don’t even like short stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed this spooky one.

At 120 pages in length, Mr. Bennett was able to tell a full story along with clearly establishing the setting, developing the main character, and creating the ghostly element. His story has a tone and mood to it as well. Most authors struggle with creating this much in 320 pages, let alone half that!

In the Shadows of Men is a fabulous short story that is at its heart a play on the age-old question of nature versus nurture. Surprisingly complex for being so short, it also touches on the idea of the sins of one generation passing onto the next generation. If Mr. Bennett’s previous novels scared you away because of their strong science fiction/fantasy elements, In the Shadows of Men is your chance to check out this amazing author.