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catapocalypse's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Decent collection of horror stories, not bad but not outstanding, either. I enjoy Veres' voice, which has a straightforwardness and touch of melancholy that I feel is very Hungarian. The collection has a lot of dark moments, some surreal ones, and a few predictable ones. It may have more to offer someone who hasn't read very much horror or sticks to mainstream American horror (like Stephen King). For readers used to surreal works and the creativity of more modern American horror writers, this will seem less "out there." As for scare factor, I personally feel more spooked by the unknown and unseen, and many of Veres' stories confront their horrors directly. They are dark, but not necessarily fear-inducing for me.
Still, I wouldn't be opposed to reading more from Veres. But I wouldn't go to the lengths I did to read this collection next time.
Still, I wouldn't be opposed to reading more from Veres. But I wouldn't go to the lengths I did to read this collection next time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicide
Minor: Racism, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Infertility, Slavery, Vomit, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, and Rape
zukythebookbum's review
challenging
dark
3.5
This is a weird, cosmic, Lovecraftian horror short story collection, all subgenres I enjoy when it comes to horror. However, I finished the book conflicted and unable to work out how I felt about it or how I was going to rate it...
I absolutely ate up the first half of the collection - the stories were unsettling and vague - I love horror that is ambiguous because it leaves it up to us to decide what is so terrifying. Unfortunately, I felt the second half of the collection moved into the territory of showing us what the horrors were and so I was left feeling less enthusiastic about these stories.
That's not to say that any story in this collection was bad. Veres' writing is fantastic (and expertly translated by Luca Karafiáth), I'm always in awe of writers of the cosmic. Unfortunately there were just stories in here that didn't fit to my personal preference, which is the nature of short story collections really.
My favourite stories in here were 'In the Snow, Sleeping' where a couple's holiday to a health spa devolves into a surreal nightmare with some pretty gnarly body horror. The other was ‘Return to the Midnight School’ which felt like a cosmic folk horror tale, where a small town 'recycle' their dead into the earth, and the earth gives back.
Overall this is a very unique collection that left me was conflicted feelings. However, if you're a fan of the weird and cosmic in your horror, this definitely isn't one to miss.
I absolutely ate up the first half of the collection - the stories were unsettling and vague - I love horror that is ambiguous because it leaves it up to us to decide what is so terrifying. Unfortunately, I felt the second half of the collection moved into the territory of showing us what the horrors were and so I was left feeling less enthusiastic about these stories.
That's not to say that any story in this collection was bad. Veres' writing is fantastic (and expertly translated by Luca Karafiáth), I'm always in awe of writers of the cosmic. Unfortunately there were just stories in here that didn't fit to my personal preference, which is the nature of short story collections really.
My favourite stories in here were 'In the Snow, Sleeping' where a couple's holiday to a health spa devolves into a surreal nightmare with some pretty gnarly body horror. The other was ‘Return to the Midnight School’ which felt like a cosmic folk horror tale, where a small town 'recycle' their dead into the earth, and the earth gives back.
Overall this is a very unique collection that left me was conflicted feelings. However, if you're a fan of the weird and cosmic in your horror, this definitely isn't one to miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Abortion
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