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rorikae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
'Fruiting Bodies' by Kathryn Harlan is an introspective short story collection with fabulist elements that delves deeply into its characters. Each story allows Harlan to explore a unique character, often with a fabulist and queer lens. I found each of these stories deeply moving and immersive though a few definitely stood out. My favorites included "Hunting the Viper King" about a girl who is whisked away on her father's travels trying to find a great mythical snake and "Is This You?" about a woman who has different versions of herself appear on her doorstep each time her mother writes a new essay about her troubled childhood. There aren't a great number of stories in this collection because Harlan takes time with each of them so that by the end of each story, I felt as if I knew these characters. There is a precision in her writing that cuts deep. These stories are laced with deep emotions and hard experiences that cut to their characters' flaws. At times, I hoped for more speculative elements but I don't think they were necessary. These are stories deeply rooted in their characters where the fabulism is just the lightest sprinkling to put in relief the character's decisions and flaws. Like salt on a chocolate chip cookie. This is such a fantastic collection and I cannot wait to read more of Harlan's work and potentially see how much more heartache they can bring with a full novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Body horror
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Gore, Animal death, and Homophobia
honeyvoiced's review
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
weird obsession with being skinny and blondes
favourite: fiddler, fool, pair
favourite: fiddler, fool, pair
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Medical content, Gore, Murder, Pregnancy, and Eating disorder
Minor: Vomit and Suicide attempt
beepsies's review
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Really not my thing. I liked the way the author wrote — I felt like the prose was really flavorful! But the flavor was one I didn't much care for, and the stories themselves weren’t really to my taste. I found them to be unpleasantly gooey (a matter of preference), and found myself getting annoyed every time one of the protagonists was self conscious of her size.
Not that it’s not a nigh universal experience, or that a sapphic’s relationship to her body is endlessly complicated, or that there isn’t interesting or illuminating or meaningful story to be told about it, but in a bunch of short stories where words are at a premium, I did get tired of the repetition of it.
My favorite story was “Fiddler, Fool Pair.” I was intrigued by the setup and was gripped by the escalation. There was some unpleasant body stuff in it, but it felt fitting to me. I really liked the way it ended, too. I felt like a lot of the stories were very bleak, and I felt like this one was more hopeful and had more positive to say about human connection.
I read this for a book club, and while it wasn't really an enjoyable experience for me, it was interesting to read something that just did not gel with my taste at all.
Not that it’s not a nigh universal experience, or that a sapphic’s relationship to her body is endlessly complicated, or that there isn’t interesting or illuminating or meaningful story to be told about it, but in a bunch of short stories where words are at a premium, I did get tired of the repetition of it.
My favorite story was “Fiddler, Fool Pair.” I was intrigued by the setup and was gripped by the escalation. There was some unpleasant body stuff in it, but it felt fitting to me. I really liked the way it ended, too. I felt like a lot of the stories were very bleak, and I felt like this one was more hopeful and had more positive to say about human connection.
I read this for a book club, and while it wasn't really an enjoyable experience for me, it was interesting to read something that just did not gel with my taste at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Gore, and Medical content
Minor: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Blood, Miscarriage, and Infertility
skillwithaquill's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An absolute hidden gem. Every story in this collection packed a punch, but Fiddler and Fruiting Bodies rocked my world.
The gambling concept was wild and I can only imagine how that would play out in a full length novel.
Fruiting Bodies, the story, was far more romantic than it had any right to be. It’s a beautifully gothic twist on idyllic, sapphic cottagecore. Mushrooms that grow from a lover’s body that can both feed and poison. ♥️
The gambling concept was wild and I can only imagine how that would play out in a full length novel.
Fruiting Bodies, the story, was far more romantic than it had any right to be. It’s a beautifully gothic twist on idyllic, sapphic cottagecore. Mushrooms that grow from a lover’s body that can both feed and poison. ♥️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Infertility, Addiction, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Murder, and Gore
Minor: Classism
Other possible triggers in various stories: a snake, an infant in peril, amputation of multiple limbs, gambling, gambling addiction, graphic description of ingesting animal blood/fat.
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