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rcstewa's review
3.0
A mixed bag. Some very good stories, some real stinkers.
Definitely Read: ALL SOULS by Edith Wharton; THE UNNAMEABLE by HP Lovecraft; PUMPKIN HEAD by Al Sarrantonio
Definitely Read: ALL SOULS by Edith Wharton; THE UNNAMEABLE by HP Lovecraft; PUMPKIN HEAD by Al Sarrantonio
otterno11's review
2.0
As one of my favorite holidays, I love to get into the Halloween spirit by reading a good collection of spooky stories- this was the first I have read that featured only stories based around the 31st of October. This is an entirely adequate anthology of Halloween tales, including both old and new stories. Classics from the pens of Edith Wharton and H.P. Lovecraft are found side by side with works by more modern authors, and a wide variety of genres are represented, from horror to memoir, mystery to fantasy.
While this mix of things keep the anthology from becoming stale, it also makes for an uneven tone, placing stories of childish whimsy next to some pretty dark tales. I have nothing against either, but it is a bit jarring to go right from one to the other, in my opinion. The stories themselves are generally entertaining, though hardly memorable, with a few only marginally featuring Halloween at all. My favorites were R.J. Lewis’ “Into the Abyss,” a story about a makeup artist’s greatest costume challenge and “Uncle Evil Eye,” an autobiographical and nostalgic look at childhood Halloween. For the most part, though, this bag of Halloween candy was mostly candy corn and Bazooka Bubblegum, with only a few candy bars to be found.
While this mix of things keep the anthology from becoming stale, it also makes for an uneven tone, placing stories of childish whimsy next to some pretty dark tales. I have nothing against either, but it is a bit jarring to go right from one to the other, in my opinion. The stories themselves are generally entertaining, though hardly memorable, with a few only marginally featuring Halloween at all. My favorites were R.J. Lewis’ “Into the Abyss,” a story about a makeup artist’s greatest costume challenge and “Uncle Evil Eye,” an autobiographical and nostalgic look at childhood Halloween. For the most part, though, this bag of Halloween candy was mostly candy corn and Bazooka Bubblegum, with only a few candy bars to be found.
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