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cytung's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
floralvarezr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a weird read. I'm still not sure that I grasp the meaning of it all, but I enjoyed the vibes. Like a dark, nightmarish Alice in Wonderland. It's easy to read: the prose, the imagery and the descriptions are great. There are some great horror scenes, and all throughout it has a very tense atmosphere, but it never quite breaks. It rises and rises and never reaches a point. You sort of get an explanation as to the order of things, but not a reason or a moraleja. It isn't exactly a don't go alone into the woods sort of message, while simultaneously it's a don't stay at an unhappy home message. Still, both scenarios mean punishment. If it was some sort of atonement for evil past deeds or a limbo or whatever, I don't understand why they made us sympathize so with the character's origin story. If it was some play about the role of women in society back in colonial times, I don't think it's well executed. But since I don't know what the purpose was, I can't really tell, can I? Overall a very strange journey.
the_sunken_library's review against another edition
4.0
Whimsical, lyrical and haunting.
This is a modern fable - a fairy tale with its roots firmly in the horror genre. At times I was a little confused due tot he meandering nature of the narrative but it all became (reasonably!) clear about halfway through and that's when I started to gobble up this beautiful little book.
There were moments or true terror depicted in this book and during some of the more sinister scenes I found I could barely encourage myself to read on less I had nightmares.
This is a book about witchcraft, a book about women and their roles/treatment, about the new world, religion and faith and about whether we will all face punishment for our sins.
Love it!
This is a modern fable - a fairy tale with its roots firmly in the horror genre. At times I was a little confused due tot he meandering nature of the narrative but it all became (reasonably!) clear about halfway through and that's when I started to gobble up this beautiful little book.
There were moments or true terror depicted in this book and during some of the more sinister scenes I found I could barely encourage myself to read on less I had nightmares.
This is a book about witchcraft, a book about women and their roles/treatment, about the new world, religion and faith and about whether we will all face punishment for our sins.
Love it!
jo_183's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amberk2k24's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
biagiomineo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rosylocks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Unlike anything else I've ever read. Dark, disturbing, and profound. An exploration of female power. A book of true witches- no magical fluff here. Nothing light and airy. This is one of those books that counts on you to read between the lines and reflect. Going on the favorites shelf.
trin's review against another edition
1.0
Whether this works for you is, I think, going to depend on whether you like the prose, which is, I suppose to its credit, unique. I also found it mannered, cutesy in its Ye Olde stab at historical, and unlike how anyone has ever actually talked. I also found this short book very boring, with flat characters and an atmosphere that didn't evoke anything for me.
If you loved the film The Green Knight, you might like this. I did not like The Green Knight.
If you loved the film The Green Knight, you might like this. I did not like The Green Knight.
knittingchaos's review against another edition
This book is very strange and I can’t decide if I like it or not. It is intriguing
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
A fairy tale-structured narrative set in colonial New England, with witches; the best way to approach In the House in the Dark of the Woods is to follow along without over-analyzing it (at least through the first reading), you will likely be disoriented and unsure what's the intent of it all (as I was), but slowly and surely you'll get used to its boundless logic and the recurrence of imagery and event will gradually layer up to something much more substantial.
Comparison to Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is totally appropriate, as I would also consider this to be an entry in the literary nonsense genre. While the story is plenty enjoyable on the surface level, as an out-of-this-world fantasy adventure with a historical bent, there lies a deeper, more mature undercurrent throughout; I picked up references to mental illness, societal treatment to women at the time, and the first-settlers hardship on unfamiliar land.
This is yet again another book for which I would highly recommend the audio version, as Laird Hunt's sing-song writing style really comes alive when delivered through a narrator. Which, I should also add, is a nice echo to how fairy tales were kept relevant in the first place, through word of mouth passing down from generation to generation.
Written and structured like a traditional bedtime story, but with a darker subject matter; In the House in the Dark of the Woods is a memorizing blend of child-like fantasy and mature horror, one that I will return to in constant dosage.
A fairy tale-structured narrative set in colonial New England, with witches; the best way to approach In the House in the Dark of the Woods is to follow along without over-analyzing it (at least through the first reading), you will likely be disoriented and unsure what's the intent of it all (as I was), but slowly and surely you'll get used to its boundless logic and the recurrence of imagery and event will gradually layer up to something much more substantial.
Comparison to Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is totally appropriate, as I would also consider this to be an entry in the literary nonsense genre. While the story is plenty enjoyable on the surface level, as an out-of-this-world fantasy adventure with a historical bent, there lies a deeper, more mature undercurrent throughout; I picked up references to mental illness, societal treatment to women at the time, and the first-settlers hardship on unfamiliar land.
This is yet again another book for which I would highly recommend the audio version, as Laird Hunt's sing-song writing style really comes alive when delivered through a narrator. Which, I should also add, is a nice echo to how fairy tales were kept relevant in the first place, through word of mouth passing down from generation to generation.
Written and structured like a traditional bedtime story, but with a darker subject matter; In the House in the Dark of the Woods is a memorizing blend of child-like fantasy and mature horror, one that I will return to in constant dosage.