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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Vampires in the Lemon Grove will go down in history as the book that made me realize I can read collections of short stories.
Some of the stories in this book were lovely, some were disturbing, and one was the scariest story I've ever read (other than those terrifying scary stories with the spooky, haunting pictures we all read as children).
Some of the stories in this book were lovely, some were disturbing, and one was the scariest story I've ever read (other than those terrifying scary stories with the spooky, haunting pictures we all read as children).
dark
mysterious
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
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell is another unique and wildly odd book of short stories from a science fiction author who really makes me think. What follows is a brief synopsis of each story in the book so you can decide for yourself if you want to tackle this strange selection of stories. I, personally, loved it.
In the title story, a vampire couple live in a lemon grove and they stave off their craving for blood with lemons.
In Reeling for the Empire, young women are turned into human silkworms to increase the production of silk. But, the young women find a way to take over their factory.
A Barn at the End of Our Term is about a bunch of dead presidents who don't quite understand why they have turned up in the afterlife as horses in a barn. There are so many clever references in this one!
Dougbert Shackleton's Rules for Antarctic Tailgating is a humorous take on tailgating a game between Team Krill and Team Whale.
But, my favorite were the last two stories. In The New Veterans, a massage therapist, Beverly, works for a company providing deep tissue massages for veterans who have trauma. Somehow, Beverly is able to relieve the trauma of one particular patient by deep tissue massaging it into herself, taking the trauma into her own body.
Finally, The Graceless Doll of Eric Mutis is about high school bullies who come across a scarecrow with the face of a boy they had bullied just before he disappeared. The boys knock down the scarecrow and become preoccupied with finding out what happened to the missing boy, and then body parts of the scarecrow begin to go missing.
I had a lot of fun talking with my husband about these stories and sorting out what was happening. It's great for readers who love odd and unusual stories!
In the title story, a vampire couple live in a lemon grove and they stave off their craving for blood with lemons.
In Reeling for the Empire, young women are turned into human silkworms to increase the production of silk. But, the young women find a way to take over their factory.
A Barn at the End of Our Term is about a bunch of dead presidents who don't quite understand why they have turned up in the afterlife as horses in a barn. There are so many clever references in this one!
Dougbert Shackleton's Rules for Antarctic Tailgating is a humorous take on tailgating a game between Team Krill and Team Whale.
But, my favorite were the last two stories. In The New Veterans, a massage therapist, Beverly, works for a company providing deep tissue massages for veterans who have trauma. Somehow, Beverly is able to relieve the trauma of one particular patient by deep tissue massaging it into herself, taking the trauma into her own body.
Finally, The Graceless Doll of Eric Mutis is about high school bullies who come across a scarecrow with the face of a boy they had bullied just before he disappeared. The boys knock down the scarecrow and become preoccupied with finding out what happened to the missing boy, and then body parts of the scarecrow begin to go missing.
I had a lot of fun talking with my husband about these stories and sorting out what was happening. It's great for readers who love odd and unusual stories!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The first story is so delightful - vampires drinking lemons in Italy - and the imagery has stuck with me for weeks. I took a long time to finish reading this book because she's one of my favorite authors + it's the last book of hers I haven't read, but it was worth it to remember each story distinctly rather than a blur of characters. While this collection is not at captivating as Swamplandia, it is always wonderful to slip into the eerie + magical landscapes that Russell creates out of seemingly ordinary situations.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Having recently discovered a love for short stories, I'm trying out lots of new authors. I find that even more so than novels, I seem to have a strong reaction to the writer's style.
I listened to the first three stories in this collection on audio, and it wasn't my thing.
So, this is not a dis-recommendation to other readers. Many reviewers I often share tastes with seem to love Karen Russell's work. I think short stories may distill the essence of what we love about fiction, and whereas, perhaps, a longer novel may be loved by different readers for many different reasons, perhaps what strikes a reader in a short story is more personal?
I listened to the first three stories in this collection on audio, and it wasn't my thing.
So, this is not a dis-recommendation to other readers. Many reviewers I often share tastes with seem to love Karen Russell's work. I think short stories may distill the essence of what we love about fiction, and whereas, perhaps, a longer novel may be loved by different readers for many different reasons, perhaps what strikes a reader in a short story is more personal?
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
An outstanding collection of stories! I tumbled into every one headfirst and came up again blinking & wishing for more. Very highly recommended, especially for a summer escape.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No