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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I adored this book. Dark, enthralling and beautifully written. I loved the magical realism, though it did leave me feeling confused at times. (And that’s probably the point) Would highly recommend.
dark
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't know how to feel about this book. It sort of hits you in waves.
This one was loaned to me by my amazing friend :)
I’m not often drawn to short stories/short story collections but this was very very good. I read it while my dad and I were opening up the family cottage so that my friends and I could go up a month later (a week, now), and though the story is set in England the atmosphere felt relatable to the Northern Ontario woods.
And ‘atmosphere’ really was the strong point of this collection. There was a strong energy that held the stories together in a shared reality. This is definitely an anthology for anyone who’s experienced small town life and the ways in which your stories are intertwined forever.
I’m not often drawn to short stories/short story collections but this was very very good. I read it while my dad and I were opening up the family cottage so that my friends and I could go up a month later (a week, now), and though the story is set in England the atmosphere felt relatable to the Northern Ontario woods.
And ‘atmosphere’ really was the strong point of this collection. There was a strong energy that held the stories together in a shared reality. This is definitely an anthology for anyone who’s experienced small town life and the ways in which your stories are intertwined forever.
The first story is great but found from a third into the book I was finding it a bit confusing and unsatisfy
I picked this book off the "Fantasy" shelf in the library, but it is totally not what I was expecting. Yes, it can be classed as fantasy, but you'll find no dragons or pseudo-bondage gear here. Daisy's work begins in a real world similar to our own, with references to the internet and the far-off "city" where some of the characters venture, but as each tale develops you realise that the players and their world are rooted in something deeper, earthier and mistier than such prosaic concerns as wifi allow. There is a surreal element to the development of their experiences, and the reader never knows whether dreams have become reality or vice versa.
This is essentially a book of short stories - a truth which, had I realised before taking the book 1000 miles away from the library, might have caused me to leave it on the shelf. The only such collection I've enjoyed in the past was by Maeve Binchy, the rest I've generally left after the first couple of tales. I like something meatier, with an over-arching narrative. Having said that, in this case there was a hint of over-arching, a vague feeling of connection. There are occasional awarenesses of earlier stories in later tales, like a slight recollection. A reference to foxes being gassed in the first, an explanation of why - presented as a fact of life you're already aware of, but being referenced in passing - later on, in a narrative about something otherwise unrelated. Although I enjoyed this element, it sometimes made me feel as though I should have been paying more attention. I think maybe I imposed a concept of relational time onto these stories where there should have been none - at one point something was recalled, but in trying to link back to its original mention, I felt sure it shouldn't have happened yet. I dismissed it, and told myself I was trying too hard, went with the quiet chaos and moved on.
I love Daisy's use of language. Her phrases are simple in a "spare" way - no flowery descriptions, on occasion her character portraits are a few words, often misappropriated, but in doing so, she conveys far more than if the grammatically and generally accepted "correct" words had been used. The written equivalent of a line painting - just three brush strokes to show a bathing woman. I like that - I have a tendency to do it myself.
I'd advise not reading this book while tired - although the atmosphere has a dream-like state to it, I'd say you need to keep your wits about you to get the best out of it. Also, if you actually fall asleep while reading, who knows what kind of dreams you'll have.
The action gets pretty graphic in places, although in keeping with Daisy's style, things are not often spelled out in detail - you aren't told exactly, but know what is going on. Sex and violence (in most cases, against animals) are portrayed with an intimacy and poetry that at times doesn't feel right. In one instance I read a passage twice, thinking at first that the two characters *did* have sex, then realising nothing was stated explicitly. Decided to let the context tell me, and read on: the context was inconclusive.
In some ways, that sums up the book. Mysterious, vague, inconclusive, mystical and dreamy, but on the whole, worth reading, I think!
This is essentially a book of short stories - a truth which, had I realised before taking the book 1000 miles away from the library, might have caused me to leave it on the shelf. The only such collection I've enjoyed in the past was by Maeve Binchy, the rest I've generally left after the first couple of tales. I like something meatier, with an over-arching narrative. Having said that, in this case there was a hint of over-arching, a vague feeling of connection. There are occasional awarenesses of earlier stories in later tales, like a slight recollection. A reference to foxes being gassed in the first, an explanation of why - presented as a fact of life you're already aware of, but being referenced in passing - later on, in a narrative about something otherwise unrelated. Although I enjoyed this element, it sometimes made me feel as though I should have been paying more attention. I think maybe I imposed a concept of relational time onto these stories where there should have been none - at one point something was recalled, but in trying to link back to its original mention, I felt sure it shouldn't have happened yet. I dismissed it, and told myself I was trying too hard, went with the quiet chaos and moved on.
I love Daisy's use of language. Her phrases are simple in a "spare" way - no flowery descriptions, on occasion her character portraits are a few words, often misappropriated, but in doing so, she conveys far more than if the grammatically and generally accepted "correct" words had been used. The written equivalent of a line painting - just three brush strokes to show a bathing woman. I like that - I have a tendency to do it myself.
I'd advise not reading this book while tired - although the atmosphere has a dream-like state to it, I'd say you need to keep your wits about you to get the best out of it. Also, if you actually fall asleep while reading, who knows what kind of dreams you'll have.
The action gets pretty graphic in places, although in keeping with Daisy's style, things are not often spelled out in detail - you aren't told exactly, but know what is going on. Sex and violence (in most cases, against animals) are portrayed with an intimacy and poetry that at times doesn't feel right. In one instance I read a passage twice, thinking at first that the two characters *did* have sex, then realising nothing was stated explicitly. Decided to let the context tell me, and read on: the context was inconclusive.
In some ways, that sums up the book. Mysterious, vague, inconclusive, mystical and dreamy, but on the whole, worth reading, I think!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I need Daisy Johnson to write more books! Her mix of eerie and beautiful is so endearing and enthralling.
Johnson has such a smooth, unique voice. Her writing is quite beautiful and her prose borders on poetry. Even when it comes to disturbing content, she writes with a soothing cadence. I have absolutely no complaints as far as her writing goes, but the stories themselves just weren’t for me. There were a few that I really liked, but most of them didn’t do much to capture me.
If the blurb intrigues you, I would absolutely recommend that you read this. While it didn’t quite work for me, I think that this is a collection that is well-worth reading if you like the concepts hinted at.
If the blurb intrigues you, I would absolutely recommend that you read this. While it didn’t quite work for me, I think that this is a collection that is well-worth reading if you like the concepts hinted at.