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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
one of the most beautiful things i've ever read
What an atmosphere I want to go to the fen now
Good stories, started off strong and then kind of lost it
Good stories, started off strong and then kind of lost it
Daisy Johnson’s debut short story collection “Fen” is a delightful magical collection set in the grassy marshes, forested swamps, and peaty bogs and of the Fen. Mixing reality with folklore, it’s beautiful and lyrical, conjuring an atmospheric setting that leaves you with a strange, eerie feeling in your chest as you read on. Perfect for anyone who loves their short stories with a dash of strange and the peculiar.
Story ratings:
1. Starver - ★★★✩✩
2. Blood Rites - ★★★★★
3. A Bruise the Shape and Size of a Door Handle - ★★★★✩
4. How to Lose It - ★★✩✩✩
5. How to Fuck a Man you Don't Know - ★★✩✩✩
6. Language - ★★★★★ (Favourite story)
7. The Superstition of Albatross - ★★★★★
8. A Heavy Devotion - ★★★★★
9. The Scattering - ★★★✩✩
10. Birthing Stones - ★★★★✩
11. The Cull - ★★★✩✩
12. The Lighthouse Keeper - ★★★✩✩
Story ratings:
1. Starver - ★★★✩✩
2. Blood Rites - ★★★★★
3. A Bruise the Shape and Size of a Door Handle - ★★★★✩
4. How to Lose It - ★★✩✩✩
5. How to Fuck a Man you Don't Know - ★★✩✩✩
6. Language - ★★★★★ (Favourite story)
7. The Superstition of Albatross - ★★★★★
8. A Heavy Devotion - ★★★★★
9. The Scattering - ★★★✩✩
10. Birthing Stones - ★★★★✩
11. The Cull - ★★★✩✩
12. The Lighthouse Keeper - ★★★✩✩
Beautiful stories. The last in particular will stick with me for a long time, I think. A woman misunderstood and isolated burns it all down to merge with nature—I can’t help but project my own current life themes with it. Foxes appear in many of the stories, a kind of playfully irresistible pull to nature.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some of these short stories were great and really impactful. Beautifully written metaphors!
Some just missed the mark and didn’t do enough of the sign posting needed to tie the image together.
Some just missed the mark and didn’t do enough of the sign posting needed to tie the image together.
Thanks to Graywolf for the ARC!
Johnson’s collection of hungry, darkly magical stories oozes with strangeness and sexuality. The relationships within are parasitic, each carrying an undercurrent of the same deadly curse. Here, girls become eels, houses consume, and the words of the dead cause unspeakable pain.
Johnson’s collection of hungry, darkly magical stories oozes with strangeness and sexuality. The relationships within are parasitic, each carrying an undercurrent of the same deadly curse. Here, girls become eels, houses consume, and the words of the dead cause unspeakable pain.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced