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bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
5.0
Hooray for Faber & Faber for re-releasing these Aickman collections! I'm not crazy about the covers of these newest editions, which are way too cutesy and do not reflect the seriously eerie content at all, but hey, if that's what it takes to lure new readers. I loved Cold Hand In mine, The Unsettled Dust and The Wine-dark Sea, which were all outstanding and worthy of many, many re-reads. Compared to these three volumes, Dark Entries, while undoubtedly a five-star read, wasn't quite as impressive, but only because there were fewer stories to wow me. It contains only six stories. The conventional ghost story "The Waiting Room" is the only weak one of the bunch. "The View" is intriguing, but requires a re-read as the shifting topography of its fictional island made me too dizzy to register the deeper implications of the story. "Bind Your Hair", which also appears in The Unsettled Dust, is marvellous and strange and strangely funny. Imagine the stress of visiting your boyfriend's tweedy relatives for the first time, escaping for a relaxing walk in the woods, only to get dragged into unpleasant primal rites by the neighbours. The events in "The School Friend" are also firmly grounded in everyday life, until suddenly they aren't. The vagueness of the supernatural elements only adds to the horror. "Choice of Weapons" and "Ringing the Changes" are beautifully unnerving and defy easy interpretation.
So yeah, Aickman is just terrific. But where is this Aickman revival I've been hearing about? These re-issues are a great start, but I want Aickman research, Aickman seminars and Aickman festivals! Go buy the books, for goodness' sake.
So yeah, Aickman is just terrific. But where is this Aickman revival I've been hearing about? These re-issues are a great start, but I want Aickman research, Aickman seminars and Aickman festivals! Go buy the books, for goodness' sake.
dkdomino's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.75
a great collection of stories
becka6131's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed these, but I kept running into the stumbling block of expecting something to happen like in a conventional horror story, where Aickman's stories are more like impressions or ideas, and the story is spent painting a very careful picture of that idea, and then it ends. Most of the stories in this volume left me flipping the page, going 'is that it?' It's not necessarily a bad thing, to be reminded that weird fiction and horror don't have to all be about the payoff, but they did all leave me with a lot of questions, and the desire to google the story title until I found someone who told me what happened next.
marplatense's review against another edition
5.0
I am writing my review and I will have it ready in a couple of days
ceegreen's review against another edition
5.0
This was an absolute treat. I've not read any of Aickman before, and was left wondering where he'd been all my life.
The stories are creepy, rather than horror stories per se. Odd, unsettling things happen, often with no definitive explanation, (though hints are there) because the people they happen to don't really know what the hell happened.The tone reminded me most of 'The King in Yellow' by Robert W.Chambers, or perhaps 'The Boss in the Wall'by Avram Davidson.
Definitely one my favourite discoveries of the year.
The stories are creepy, rather than horror stories per se. Odd, unsettling things happen, often with no definitive explanation, (though hints are there) because the people they happen to don't really know what the hell happened.The tone reminded me most of 'The King in Yellow' by Robert W.Chambers, or perhaps 'The Boss in the Wall'by Avram Davidson.
Definitely one my favourite discoveries of the year.
caitsidhe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
esotericorder's review against another edition
5.0
A masterpiece, Aickman is phenomenal. I am mad at myself for not reading him earlier.
mayyya02's review against another edition
3.0
Like a lot of books of short stories, there are better stories than others. Unfortunately those others just made this book really difficult to slog through at times. For a book this short, it should've been a much quicker read.