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bemandy's review against another edition
5.0
I just recently started reading Chizmar's work. The author lays the ground work but leaves much up to the readers imagination. Definitely in the Horror genre, but without all the blood and guts. Human nature is terrifying.
raforall's review against another edition
3.0
Review posted:
http://raforall.blogspot.com/2016/08/what-im-reading-booklists-horror.html
http://raforall.blogspot.com/2016/08/what-im-reading-booklists-horror.html
read_late's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Solidly written, fast-paced, twisted, and creepy! Highly recommend these short stories. They're really built to last--this book won't be leaving me soon!
bill_gauthier's review against another edition
5.0
Richard Chizmar’s collection A LONG DECEMBER kicks ass. What? You want more? All right, all right. Chizmar os best known, I think, as the editor and publisher of CEMETERY DANCE MAGAZINE as well as Cemetery Dance Publishing. In other words, one of the best and most important magazines and publishers in horror and dark fiction. I expected this collection to be good, what got me is how bloody good it is.
Is it horror? Some of the stories are, I guess. Some are crime fiction, but I honestly didn’t keep track of genre because Chizmar’s writing doesn’t care about genre. These are deeply emotional stories. Some of the, are very dark, indeed, but they are all absolutely human. A few of the stories nearly left me in tears, which isn’t easy to do in literature for me.
Chizmar knows how to tell a story that will move you. I envy you your first reading of this collection
Is it horror? Some of the stories are, I guess. Some are crime fiction, but I honestly didn’t keep track of genre because Chizmar’s writing doesn’t care about genre. These are deeply emotional stories. Some of the, are very dark, indeed, but they are all absolutely human. A few of the stories nearly left me in tears, which isn’t easy to do in literature for me.
Chizmar knows how to tell a story that will move you. I envy you your first reading of this collection
marknyy's review against another edition
5.0
This is a wonderful collection of stories! Some will touch your heart, others will scare your socks off. You never know what might be lurking around the next corner.
notunlikecheckers's review against another edition
5.0
A lot of stories
I get bored super easily. The main reason I read so little nowadays is that I can't stay engaged in a story for 400 pages, or sometimes even the 40 or so that a short story needs. Chizmar's stories in this collection cut straight to the chase without sacrificing anything in the way of plot or characterization. There are also a lot of them.
I get bored super easily. The main reason I read so little nowadays is that I can't stay engaged in a story for 400 pages, or sometimes even the 40 or so that a short story needs. Chizmar's stories in this collection cut straight to the chase without sacrificing anything in the way of plot or characterization. There are also a lot of them.
jeanne25's review against another edition
4.0
My knowledge of Richard Chizmar was limited to that of him being the publisher and editor of Cemetery Dance magazine and the owner or Cemetery Dance publications. It was recently announced that Stephen King and Chizmar are co-authoring Gwendy’s Button. Being a devoted Constant Reader and not realizing that Chizmar wrote as well, I figured it was time to check out his writing. I purchased A Long December and settled back to see if he was worthy of writing alongside King. While I attempted to enter this with an open mind, I must admit that I wasn’t expecting to have a favorable opinion. In fact, I was just hoping to at least exit with a neutral view. I am one of those readers who skims over excessive descriptions and unnecessary detail that tends to muddy the writing of some authors (see George R. R. Martin). I don’t want a writer to make me see every single little thing as much as I want them to make me FEEL it. Chizmar used the perfect wordage to make the most impact. I felt a range of strong emotions as I proceeded from story to story. Not every story was a perfect match for me but I didn’t find that any were bad either. I particularly loved The Box, Heroes, The Silence of Sorrow and The Poetry of Life. Again, no one will ever replace King IMHO, but I found Chizmar to be refreshing and honest. I will be letting some time pass and then I will revisit those stories that impacted me the most. I am very glad I chose this collection as my introduction to Richard Chizmar and I look forward to reading more of his work.
stephaniemwytovich's review against another edition
5.0
An excerpt. Full review coming soon via Nameless Digest:
http://www.namelessdigest.com/
A Long December, a short story collection by Richard Chizmar, published by Subterranean Press, is a superb assortment of snapshots into the psychologically and emotionally-intense lives of various characters who teach us about loss and suffering, about the unthinkable and the grotesque. What I liked most about the collection overall is that Chizmar isn’t afraid to go there. He handles taboo topics and scenarios with great class, but also with a raw brutality that doesn’t sugarcoat the material. I took notes as I read this, and all over my notebook are words like “honest,” “gripping,” and “disturbing.” Between these pages, readers will find horror in all respects, both quiet and loud, as they are swept up in Chizmar’s exceptional ability to tell a frightfully terrifying story.
http://www.namelessdigest.com/
A Long December, a short story collection by Richard Chizmar, published by Subterranean Press, is a superb assortment of snapshots into the psychologically and emotionally-intense lives of various characters who teach us about loss and suffering, about the unthinkable and the grotesque. What I liked most about the collection overall is that Chizmar isn’t afraid to go there. He handles taboo topics and scenarios with great class, but also with a raw brutality that doesn’t sugarcoat the material. I took notes as I read this, and all over my notebook are words like “honest,” “gripping,” and “disturbing.” Between these pages, readers will find horror in all respects, both quiet and loud, as they are swept up in Chizmar’s exceptional ability to tell a frightfully terrifying story.
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