Reviews

Altmann's Tongue: Stories and a Novella by Brian Evenson, Alphonso Lingis

isabellesbooks's review against another edition

1.0

Normally I am a huge fan of Evenson’s short fiction but this collection really fell short for me; I think the only story I enjoyed was the last one. 

paulataua's review against another edition

5.0

I came here after not really liking his ‘Last Days’, but feeling that there was something there and I should explore further, I was determined to read ‘Altmann’s Tongue’. With no local bookstore carrying it, no copy available on Amazon, and, due to covid, no chance of getting my hands on it without waiting for lengthy sea freight delivery, I felt frustrated. As luck would have it, a friend found a copy on his shelves, and luck begat luck as he advised me to start by reading the afterword. It is a piece of advice that I pass on to potential readers as it really helped me to understand more about what Evenson was getting at. The book turned out to be so much better than I expected. The stories are fascinating and totally thought provoking, especially the very short ones like ‘Killing Cats’ or ‘Altmann’s Tongue’. They take just a few minutes to read, but they shake you up, leaving you unable to read on for the hour or so it takes to process them

grasonpoling's review against another edition

4.0

(4.5)

brutal. the writing’s incredible. i’m curious what a full-length novel from Evenson would be.

rclcirc2's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

fletcher's review against another edition

4.0

A rough read.
Not for the faint of heart. Not even enjoyable, really. I didn't find this spooky or horrifying in the fun way that I do a lot of Evenson's work, but I can tell it's going to stick with me longer. The Doloriad is the closest thing I've read with a similar effect--grotesque, wandering, distant.
Honestly, I was wavering on what I would rate this, but the afterword gave me a lot to think about. While I have mixed feelings on death of the author, in this case I was glad to learn his perspective on his work.

zsandri's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

othersociologist's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

Minor: Child death

dadoodoflow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

sombrero_dog's review against another edition

3.0

A bit thin compared to Evenson's later work, all grim biblical violence cleansed of affect. Worth picking up for stories like The Sanza Affair and Two Brothers, which give an excellent demonstration of the author's ability to map out the warped epistemologies of his characters.

blood_poetry's review against another edition

5.0

A wholly original book. Evenson is writing the highest form of literature -- confronting identity and subjectivity on deceptively simple terms. It's horror artistry that's both fun and intellectually stimulating. He's one of a kind..