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tiggum's review against another edition
I don't know what the fuck this is supposed to be but I hate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, and Sexual violence
mdpenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It took a few stories for this to catch me, but I ultimately ended up enjoying this collection a lot. I really liked Manickavel's writing style and I liked the general absurdist approach to the storytelling, but there were a number of stories that just didn't reach me in any way. Those that did, though, were excellent and the worst of them really weren't that bad and since they were all so short, it didn't take long to move on to something that I did like.
gpv's review against another edition
3.0
'Things We Found During the Autopsy' is a collection of short stories and flash fiction that deals with several morbid topics ranging from alcoholism, drug addiction, and suicides (other things) to rafts made of whores, gender discrimination, and alcoholic whales among other things.
Kuzhali lets her imagination run rampant all over the pages. Using a variety of style of narrations, she teleports us into the head of an eclectic array of characters. Using metaphors, abstract writings, or just plain in-your-face narration, she gives a glimpse into a variety of sordid issues. As is often the case with such books, there were stories that were quite an enjoyable read, there were some that required me to think a bit later on to grasp them completely, and there were some that plain escaped my comprehension (or maybe I was trying to find meaning in them where none existed).
Either way, this is one of the weirdest and most eclectic books I've read. I would only recommend this if you like reading stories that may at times make no sense to you (or may require some efforts to make sense of them).
Kuzhali lets her imagination run rampant all over the pages. Using a variety of style of narrations, she teleports us into the head of an eclectic array of characters. Using metaphors, abstract writings, or just plain in-your-face narration, she gives a glimpse into a variety of sordid issues. As is often the case with such books, there were stories that were quite an enjoyable read, there were some that required me to think a bit later on to grasp them completely, and there were some that plain escaped my comprehension (or maybe I was trying to find meaning in them where none existed).
Either way, this is one of the weirdest and most eclectic books I've read. I would only recommend this if you like reading stories that may at times make no sense to you (or may require some efforts to make sense of them).
smitz's review against another edition
4.0
Eccentric, poetic and wildly imaginative. The book is a treat for people who loved Aimee Bender's Willful Creatures or are just ready to experiment with short fiction. Kuzhali is a master of description.
fearandtrembling's review against another edition
3.0
The weirdness wore thin after awhile, which really took me by surprise, because I expected to unconditionally love a new KM book and unfortunately this was not the case. Poverty, racism, dead migrants and sex workers, Indian class elitism and casteism--after a while it feels like the weirdness justified the number of middle-class characters here who are conflicted and angry and guilty but apathetic, unable to act, and thus retreat into surrealist solipsism. The "it's all crap and meaningless but we can get a good image out of it" form of writing is perhaps something I should stay away from, currently, so I don't know if this is the Kuzhali I've always loved or the Kuzhali I've always loved is now revealed to me as a bit of a problem.
darkernight's review against another edition
5.0
I honestly have no idea how to describe this book. It's not one story, but many which are sometimes strange, abrupt or morbidly funny. Having never read a book like this, and just for the experience of going through this small strange book, I would give it a 4!
The titles are sometimes a word or otherwise like "put your hand in the hand of the man with his hand in the hand of the man with his hand in the windmills of your mind" (actual title). The stories have themes ranging from flooding to abandonment and of course bicycle stealing penguins!
The titles are sometimes a word or otherwise like "put your hand in the hand of the man with his hand in the hand of the man with his hand in the windmills of your mind" (actual title). The stories have themes ranging from flooding to abandonment and of course bicycle stealing penguins!
thebooksatchel's review
3.0
This book is very different from my usual reads. Kuzhali breaks the rules of grammar and punctuation in some stories; others have exceptionally long titles; some stories are sharp and realistic; others have traces of magical realism. You will encounter dragons, angels in bottles, vomit, fluorescent shit, bicycle stealing penguins, feminists, and so on and on.
This book is not everyone's cup of tea. If you like eccentric books with quirky characters, you might enjoy the read. Read more of my thoughts about the book here -http://www.thebooksatchel.com/things-found-autopsy-kuzhali-manickavel/
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Blaft publications for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
This book is not everyone's cup of tea. If you like eccentric books with quirky characters, you might enjoy the read. Read more of my thoughts about the book here -http://www.thebooksatchel.com/things-found-autopsy-kuzhali-manickavel/
Disclaimer : Much thanks to Blaft publications for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
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