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lizlogan's review
5.0
Creepy!
The more I read of it the more I liked it! It was the perfect amount of story, and just right for the time I had.
The more I read of it the more I liked it! It was the perfect amount of story, and just right for the time I had.
verkisto's review
3.0
I've not read a lot of Joe Hill's work so far, but based on what I have read, I think Hill is a better writer than his dad. King's work is still compulsively readable, but he's been around so long that his tropes, characters, and plots are becoming more and more repetitious, as if he's relying on his reputation to sell books instead of his skills. Hill is still fresh enough that he has to convince us, and the way he approaches his stories is different enough, that he comes across as being better.
Enter Dark Carousel, where I start to question that conclusion.
The story isn't necessarily bad -- a group of friends with good intentions steal from a carousel operator, with dire consequences -- but it's not exactly groundbreaking. I'm thinking Hill is writing this as an homage to different horror classics (I recognized references to Bradbury and King, and I expect there might be others), but it doesn't come across that way, save for those references, so instead it just feels derivative.
Near the end of the book, after what feels like the conclusion, Hill takes the story a bit further to show how the events haunt the narrator, and that's where the story showcases his talents. I recognized this kind of style from Heart-Shaped Box, where he managed to write a powerful chapter (all of one page long) that simply conveyed the idea that life goes on. Here, though, Hill goes darker, and it's an effectively eerie part of the story.
Ultimately, the story feels like it was written simply for the gimmick (the story is available only in audio format, and only on vinyl (though it comes with a digital download)). Anyone determined enough to listen to it I'm sure could find a way, but I don't see that it's a necessary read. I'd recommend it to Hill completists, but otherwise, it's just too much effort to read a mediocre story.
Enter Dark Carousel, where I start to question that conclusion.
The story isn't necessarily bad -- a group of friends with good intentions steal from a carousel operator, with dire consequences -- but it's not exactly groundbreaking. I'm thinking Hill is writing this as an homage to different horror classics (I recognized references to Bradbury and King, and I expect there might be others), but it doesn't come across that way, save for those references, so instead it just feels derivative.
Near the end of the book, after what feels like the conclusion, Hill takes the story a bit further to show how the events haunt the narrator, and that's where the story showcases his talents. I recognized this kind of style from Heart-Shaped Box, where he managed to write a powerful chapter (all of one page long) that simply conveyed the idea that life goes on. Here, though, Hill goes darker, and it's an effectively eerie part of the story.
Ultimately, the story feels like it was written simply for the gimmick (the story is available only in audio format, and only on vinyl (though it comes with a digital download)). Anyone determined enough to listen to it I'm sure could find a way, but I don't see that it's a necessary read. I'd recommend it to Hill completists, but otherwise, it's just too much effort to read a mediocre story.
annemarie_b91's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This actually gave me a fair amount of heebies and even some jeebies.
the_reading_lumberjack's review
4.0
I thought this was a very enjoyable story. And listening to it on vinyl was definitely a cook experience. We sat down as a family and listened, it was great.
jeffdecker's review
3.0
I like reading and listening to books. It was an interesting experience to listen to a book on vinyl and the sound effects, and narration were perfect.
The story was only average though. I enjoyed listening to it, and would again if giving the chance but the story itself doesn't stand out, it's only the experience that elevates it.
The story was only average though. I enjoyed listening to it, and would again if giving the chance but the story itself doesn't stand out, it's only the experience that elevates it.
watercolorstain's review
4.0
This story had previously only been released as a vinyl audio edition (a trend I could personally really do without), and is now collected in Full Throttle for the first time in print.
On a summer night in the mid-90's, four teenagers out at the pier and boardwalk take a ride on a creepy antique carousel, and their night of fun starts going horribly wrong from there as their misguided decisions have terrifying repercussions. I enjoyed the mention of Charlie Manx of NOS4A2 fame, probably my favorite Hill novel, and thought the story was a nice little nod at Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes—when October Country was casually mentioned I was in fact quite sure of it. As such, it's perhaps a bit derivative and predictable, but it kept me engaged from the very first page, and I especially really liked the characterization—creating not just one, but four well-rounded and likeable characters in a short story is a talent Hill clearly has, not to mention his penchant for taking stories just that tiny bit further to show that even a cursed and haunted life goes on. Pulpy good fun.
—————
This story is also published in Joe Hill's collection Full Throttle. You can read my full review here.
On a summer night in the mid-90's, four teenagers out at the pier and boardwalk take a ride on a creepy antique carousel, and their night of fun starts going horribly wrong from there as their misguided decisions have terrifying repercussions. I enjoyed the mention of Charlie Manx of NOS4A2 fame, probably my favorite Hill novel, and thought the story was a nice little nod at Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes—when October Country was casually mentioned I was in fact quite sure of it. As such, it's perhaps a bit derivative and predictable, but it kept me engaged from the very first page, and I especially really liked the characterization—creating not just one, but four well-rounded and likeable characters in a short story is a talent Hill clearly has, not to mention his penchant for taking stories just that tiny bit further to show that even a cursed and haunted life goes on. Pulpy good fun.
—————
This story is also published in Joe Hill's collection Full Throttle. You can read my full review here.
wanderingwordsmith's review
4.0
After reading this I may never look at a carousel the same way. This was my first foray into Hill's writing and I was not disappointed. It was the right mix of descriptive language, dark subject matter and a good dose of lingering fear for the narrator.
Since this is a short story I don't want to say too much as almost anything beyond the blurb would be a spoiler, but it's an interesting look at what a cursed carousel and its animals may do to those it feels has wronged it.
If you're looking for a dark story that is a quick read, pick this one up.
Since this is a short story I don't want to say too much as almost anything beyond the blurb would be a spoiler, but it's an interesting look at what a cursed carousel and its animals may do to those it feels has wronged it.
If you're looking for a dark story that is a quick read, pick this one up.
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