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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
The writing was quite bland. Not all of the stories were awful, but it took quite a lot of time for me to get through this book. I consistently had to keep putting it down and coming back days later to try and finish a story. Which is not great when the book is only 188 pages. Definitely would never recommend this to someone.
I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love Mallory Ortberg’s voice as a writer, whether as Dear Prudence at Slate, her weekly newsletter The Shatner Chatner, and at The Toast. This book came out of the “Children’s Stories Made Terrifying“ series there and does a marvelous job of extending it.
I was a little worried at first when the first story in the collection didn’t click with me, but by story three I think I had fully adapted to the tone of the stories. I love the way each story interweaves multiple sources in a way that feels familiar but entirely uneasy- her take on The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the creepiest things I’ve read in a while in the best possible “I need to put this book down for a little bit” way.
4.5/5 stars
I love Mallory Ortberg’s voice as a writer, whether as Dear Prudence at Slate, her weekly newsletter The Shatner Chatner, and at The Toast. This book came out of the “Children’s Stories Made Terrifying“ series there and does a marvelous job of extending it.
I was a little worried at first when the first story in the collection didn’t click with me, but by story three I think I had fully adapted to the tone of the stories. I love the way each story interweaves multiple sources in a way that feels familiar but entirely uneasy- her take on The Velveteen Rabbit is one of the creepiest things I’ve read in a while in the best possible “I need to put this book down for a little bit” way.
4.5/5 stars
I've long had a soft spot for disturbing fairy tale adaptations, and Daniel Ortberg delivers. Here's not kidding about "everyday" horrors, either; under the fanatical trappings, the stories here (much like many of the originals) are about family, roles and subversion, communication, society, abuse ... (definite content warnings for the latter in particular). I found many of them cathartic or fascinating, though there were a couple (the Wind in the Willows and Frog and Toad adaptations in particular) that really did not sit well with me. The first story, on the other hand--adapting The Little Mermaid--was just what I wanted, a more successful version of my attempts in college. There was also a lot of playing with gender throughout, which I enjoyed very much.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
On one hand, I really liked many of the stories in this collection. The twists Ortberg made to classic tales were creepy and entertaining. However, many of the tales relied on the reader knowing the original references for full effect, which I think got a little pretentious feeling at times.
Oh I love this. The velveteen rabbit story had me, quoth Patricia Lockwood, "so Frightened by this that I [could] call 911 on my own mind." And I laughed. And I clutched my face at his cleverness. Uncannily fun.
dark
reflective
medium-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
I adore Ortberg's work, in general and in specific.
Which made my favorite, obviously, Six Boy Coffins, for being astute about the terrors of voicelessness and also allowing for wicked vengeance (god, finally).
I do think the writing is very well done, and the repetition of themes (love, power, what is Owed, the fluidity of gender but the heaviness of Roles (Husband, Wife, Daughter- all of these things with terrible expectations of a person)) - they all ring and resound throughout the stories and, I suspect, would reward deeper reading.
(but so many of them deny catharsis!!! it's fascinating and frustrating and adds to the horror, and i hate and respect it in equal measure)
Spoiler
But I do feel BAD saying that this particular set of short stories was not my favorite thing in his oeuvre. This is something, possibly, that comes of reading a bunch of fairly taut, passive-aggressive horror stories in a row- I kept waiting for something to be okay, for the happy ever after promised by the fairy tale, and instead -- well. they are horror stories, after all.Which made my favorite, obviously, Six Boy Coffins, for being astute about the terrors of voicelessness and also allowing for wicked vengeance (god, finally).
I do think the writing is very well done, and the repetition of themes (love, power, what is Owed, the fluidity of gender but the heaviness of Roles (Husband, Wife, Daughter- all of these things with terrible expectations of a person)) - they all ring and resound throughout the stories and, I suspect, would reward deeper reading.
(but so many of them deny catharsis!!! it's fascinating and frustrating and adds to the horror, and i hate and respect it in equal measure)