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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
first four stories are interesting. Love reading "The Repairer of Reputations." The other three are cool but less good. The rest are fine.
Well, a hundred years ago, it seems, adolescent girls became consumed with reading Robert W. Chambers. Chambers was continually referenced in Heaven to Betsy, I think he is supposed to be spooky or something. So, I figured I should check him out.
This was a strange collection of short stories. The first few involved people who read a book (or play?) called The King in Yellow and it drove them to do crazy things, or to imagine them. Then in the middle of the book, there were a string of one or two page maunderings. Then we finish up with a few stories about student life in the Latin Quarter of Paris.
Presumably this stuff titillated the fancies of young ladies at the turn of the 20th century, but I can't imagine it would provide much interest for adolescent girls 125 years after the book's publication.
This was a strange collection of short stories. The first few involved people who read a book (or play?) called The King in Yellow and it drove them to do crazy things, or to imagine them. Then in the middle of the book, there were a string of one or two page maunderings. Then we finish up with a few stories about student life in the Latin Quarter of Paris.
Presumably this stuff titillated the fancies of young ladies at the turn of the 20th century, but I can't imagine it would provide much interest for adolescent girls 125 years after the book's publication.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A classic, must read for fans of weird fiction. Each of the 4 short stories are told through the lens of an unreliable narrator attempting to describe horrors beyond human comprehension, all revolving around a cursed play published and circulating like the plague. I find stories like this and Lovecraft’s work to stick with you, the more you allow yourself to think of them, the more disturbing they become. A great psychological horror but /certainly/ not for everyone. I couldn’t put it down.
To be fair, I didn't get through it. As recommended, it was horror in the vein of Lovecraft but without the racism and anti-semitism. (Also possible that I can get to that part yet.) But it wasn't really scary and it wasn't really horrific, so I got bored.
I only read the first four stories that make up the Weird Fiction aspect of the play The King in Yellow and the land of Carcosa (stories that heavily influenced Lovecraft and thematically featured in the fist season of True Detective), but I was surprised by how creepy and modern they were for an book published in 1895. I personally found Chambers a better writer than Lovecraft. The rest of the book is Romantic Fiction that I wasn't interested in, so I can't speak to those stories.
The early stories, with a supernatural tone, were awesome. I lost interest in the later, baroque romantic tales, but I can see why Chambers was such an influence on Lovecraft.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I only read this book to prepare me for watching True Detective, but I am really glad I did!
The stories were somewhat interesting but it felt like a chore reading it. Don't recommend