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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Finished: The Evolution of Trickster Stories... etc. and the book. I pushed the stories I didn't want to read to the end of my reading, and I think this affected my opinion of the book (I had the longer ones at the end, and those were the ones I didn't like as much.) The Evolution of Trickster Stories was good, though. Another one about dogs, which I've realized is just not my thing. But I did like it.
The book in general: Wow. This was an experience to read. I'm glad I read this early on in 2016, because I really feel like it will affect the way I read and choose books for the rest of this year. These stories were a huge departure from what I normally read, and I realized how much I'm missing in my reading life by not reading more short stories. I loved some of these stories, and I didn't love others. Some of my favorites: Ponies (oh my god, Ponies. That's one I really want to print out and send to people.), 26 Monkeys, Fox Magic, and Chenting in the Land of the Dead.
I'm definitely going to be recommending this, but I'll be very careful who I recommend it to. I think it will appeal to a very particular type of reader-- it's weird, it's vague, it's an anxiety-ridden read. It's strange to review the book as a whole when all of the stories seem to exist on their own, but I really enjoyed it.
The book in general: Wow. This was an experience to read. I'm glad I read this early on in 2016, because I really feel like it will affect the way I read and choose books for the rest of this year. These stories were a huge departure from what I normally read, and I realized how much I'm missing in my reading life by not reading more short stories. I loved some of these stories, and I didn't love others. Some of my favorites: Ponies (oh my god, Ponies. That's one I really want to print out and send to people.), 26 Monkeys, Fox Magic, and Chenting in the Land of the Dead.
I'm definitely going to be recommending this, but I'll be very careful who I recommend it to. I think it will appeal to a very particular type of reader-- it's weird, it's vague, it's an anxiety-ridden read. It's strange to review the book as a whole when all of the stories seem to exist on their own, but I really enjoyed it.
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
While there were some outstanding stories, most of the collection blurrs together in my head. They all have the same sad and somber mood which is fine for a few stories. The content is not always explicitly sad and varies a lot from story to story, so it's not like it ever got boring, some stories just resonated less with me.
If gloomy and dreamlike fantasy and magical realism is your thing, this is a good collection. I think Kij Johnson, for me, would be an author where reading one story at a time in an anthology might be really effective but a whole collection is a bit much.
If gloomy and dreamlike fantasy and magical realism is your thing, this is a good collection. I think Kij Johnson, for me, would be an author where reading one story at a time in an anthology might be really effective but a whole collection is a bit much.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Generally dark, but really rich - it takes a while to get through them. My favourite stories of the collection include; The Bitey Cat (sort of is me as a child), Fox Magic, Chenting, in the land of the dead, The Evolution of Trickster Stories, and The Cat Who Walked a Thousand Miles (so harrowing). The best one, I think was 26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss. They are beautiful magical realism, science fiction and/or surrealism reflections on finding who you are or losing who you are... I suppose. I've got both her books that expand two of the stories in this book and I can't wait.
I loved this book. Like many short story collections it was a little uneven, but overall it was excellent. The first and last stories were so spectacular, so overwhelmingly fantastic, that I think it raised the bar so much that maybe some of the middle stories were also fantastic, just dimmed by the brilliance surrounding them.
There's is a wistful sense to the book, I think because the majority of the stories are about loss or recovering from loss. The characters are very developed for short stories. And there's an originality to everything that feels particularly fresh. I think I've seen this book listed as fantasy but it's barely there, rather it's very much magical realism, done to an excellent effect though it does veer toward fairy tale-like in some stories. Highly recommend it.
There's is a wistful sense to the book, I think because the majority of the stories are about loss or recovering from loss. The characters are very developed for short stories. And there's an originality to everything that feels particularly fresh. I think I've seen this book listed as fantasy but it's barely there, rather it's very much magical realism, done to an excellent effect though it does veer toward fairy tale-like in some stories. Highly recommend it.
I love the way Kij Johnson writes. I admire the range that she shows. I agree with her insistent use of metaphor. I enjoy her experimentation with form and POV and character. I was left with the feeling that there was one or two more stories needed -- or one or two different stories -- to make the collection perfect. That I feel that way seems strange to me. But there it is. And that's why I really, really liked it, but didn't find it "amazing" even though certain individual stories are amazing.
But it's still required reading for those who play in the middle of the genre/literary intersection.
But it's still required reading for those who play in the middle of the genre/literary intersection.
The titular story (At the Mouth of the River of Bees) is easily the most agonizing thing I've ever read. It opened deep an old wound, wrenching my beating heart from my chest and dashing it upon the rocks.
Ms. Johnson's prose is of excellent form and I hope to read more of her work in the future. If not for the two stories I did not enjoy (one of which I don't think belonged in the book at all) and the occasional editing failures, this would have been a 5-star book. I thoroughly recommend it.
Ms. Johnson's prose is of excellent form and I hope to read more of her work in the future. If not for the two stories I did not enjoy (one of which I don't think belonged in the book at all) and the occasional editing failures, this would have been a 5-star book. I thoroughly recommend it.
Ended up enjoying most of these stories, aside from a few. Loved her utilization of animals.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective