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alexchristie's review against another edition
4.0
General Appeal: 1 Star
To someone craving surrealism and/or dark fantasy, this book lives up to expectations.
Use of Language: 1 Star
The author carves excellent images with her words. She makes it very easy for a reader to see what the characters are seeing and feel what they are feeling. "Merlene unveiled her favorite memory: teaching Grace to ride a yellow bike aged eight. It was tucked into her suitcase, folded carefully between clothes."
Theme/Integrity: 0 Stars
Many of the stories ramble on without quite finding a footing. At times it feels like the author is trying to be dark, or trying to be edgy, with ultimately no real purpose to it. Many metaphors don't quite land, and sometimes as a reader you're left feeling a sort of "well that was interesting but I'm not really sure I took anything away from it".
Ability to Hold Interest: .5 Stars
Most of the stories share the same tone, which helps connect them all as part of a whole collection, but ultimately makes it difficult to hold my interest when it's depressing theme after depressing theme and no hope in sight. I began to just assume that something terrible or unfortunate was going to happen in every story. .5 stars because despite this I did read to the end.
Originality: .5 Stars
On the one hand, many of the stories have great twists that the reader won't see coming. On the other hand, many of the characters in her stories share names, character traits, and voices. This can become confusing when it jumps from one story about a girl named Grace to a story narrated by a different girl named Grace. This combined with the comment I made above about every story becoming predictably depressing is why I give originality a .5.
Total: 3/5 Stars
To someone craving surrealism and/or dark fantasy, this book lives up to expectations.
Use of Language: 1 Star
The author carves excellent images with her words. She makes it very easy for a reader to see what the characters are seeing and feel what they are feeling. "Merlene unveiled her favorite memory: teaching Grace to ride a yellow bike aged eight. It was tucked into her suitcase, folded carefully between clothes."
Theme/Integrity: 0 Stars
Many of the stories ramble on without quite finding a footing. At times it feels like the author is trying to be dark, or trying to be edgy, with ultimately no real purpose to it. Many metaphors don't quite land, and sometimes as a reader you're left feeling a sort of "well that was interesting but I'm not really sure I took anything away from it".
Ability to Hold Interest: .5 Stars
Most of the stories share the same tone, which helps connect them all as part of a whole collection, but ultimately makes it difficult to hold my interest when it's depressing theme after depressing theme and no hope in sight. I began to just assume that something terrible or unfortunate was going to happen in every story. .5 stars because despite this I did read to the end.
Originality: .5 Stars
On the one hand, many of the stories have great twists that the reader won't see coming. On the other hand, many of the characters in her stories share names, character traits, and voices. This can become confusing when it jumps from one story about a girl named Grace to a story narrated by a different girl named Grace. This combined with the comment I made above about every story becoming predictably depressing is why I give originality a .5.
Total: 3/5 Stars
ladymirtazapine's review against another edition
4.0
Content warnings: Brutal scenes of childhood bullying. Infidelity. Kidnapping. Physical violence. Suicide. Bank robbery. Serious illness. Death of a grandparent in the past. Sexual assault of an intellectually disabled teen. Murder. Ableism. Racism. War. Euthanasia. Dead baby.
I thought of this book as brutal in several places, and then wondered why when so many awful things have happened other books I've read recently but not described that way. I think the reason is that in those books the bad things were incidents that took place in the story, whereas with these oftentimes the terribleness was the story. Which is not something I tend to enjoy, although the popularity of Game of Thrones would suggest that puts me in the minority.
I feel somewhat unqualified to review this book because sci-fi/fantasy is not a genre I've read very much of at all - one of the reasons I chose this book was to try to branch out a little in that direction. So I don't have a benchmark to set it against in the way I do with general fiction or non-fiction. And I'm unsure whether the parts I didn't appreciate are a product of the work or the fact this isn't a type of storytelling I tend to appreciate.
It was very well written for the most part, except for when the extravagant descriptions and imagery got in the way of the story.
For short stories they created a very vivid sense of place, especially the stories set in London. Some of those put me in mind a little of the Channel 4 show Misfits.
It's an incredibly imaginative collection and I'm glad I picked it up for something a bit different.
I thought of this book as brutal in several places, and then wondered why when so many awful things have happened other books I've read recently but not described that way. I think the reason is that in those books the bad things were incidents that took place in the story, whereas with these oftentimes the terribleness was the story. Which is not something I tend to enjoy, although the popularity of Game of Thrones would suggest that puts me in the minority.
I feel somewhat unqualified to review this book because sci-fi/fantasy is not a genre I've read very much of at all - one of the reasons I chose this book was to try to branch out a little in that direction. So I don't have a benchmark to set it against in the way I do with general fiction or non-fiction. And I'm unsure whether the parts I didn't appreciate are a product of the work or the fact this isn't a type of storytelling I tend to appreciate.
It was very well written for the most part, except for when the extravagant descriptions and imagery got in the way of the story.
For short stories they created a very vivid sense of place, especially the stories set in London. Some of those put me in mind a little of the Channel 4 show Misfits.
It's an incredibly imaginative collection and I'm glad I picked it up for something a bit different.
livsliterarynook's review against another edition
3.0
"I felt lonelier out there, surrounded by all those people chasing ideas of happiness that weren't even theirs."
Speak Gigantular is a dark and disturbing examination of sexuality, bodies and loneliness explored through a variety of short stories. Okojie relies heavily on magical realism to cross boundaries, challenge our views of society and detail her stories. There were honestly points where I felt a little lost in some of her stories, as the metaphors went beyond my understanding, however, I overall really loved this blend of magical realism into her stories.
I felt deeply absorbed in the focus on sexuality, bodies, and the narrators mental state specifically. I felt like I was falling and unravelling alongside the various characters. Many of the narrators fall into the category of an unreliable narrator as the reader struggles to distinguish between make-believe and reality, right and wrong, certainty and uncertainty. This really gave the short stories an edge and a real chaotic feel at times. I really enjoyed this uncertainty and unknownness as I never knew what to expect from each story and what dark twist and turn Okojie would take me down next.
Beneath the magical realism and disturbing nature of these stories is a real dark humour and social critique which I thought was so brilliant.
Okojie's approach to short story telling is incredibly refreshing and unique. Whilst I didn't love every story and I got entirely lost in what some meant, I think there are some really stand out pieces in this collection. My favourites would probably be Fractures and The Thumbnail Interruptions. This definitely feels like a darker autumnal read and I can't wait to pick up Nudibranch soon!
oliviapengle's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars, rounded up! I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed a short story collection this much - especially a collection of magical realism. To be fair, I don't pick up that many to begin with, but I really thought this collection was fantastic. Of course, not all are perfectly written but the majority are and they touch upon really important themes in profoundly unique ways that range from the disturbing to the strange to the sexy. I absolutely loved [b:Speak Gigantular|29633660|Speak Gigantular|Irenosen Okojie|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460506142s/29633660.jpg|49985009] and think that more people should read it.
enyanyo's review against another edition
3.0
I liked some of these stories but a few of them were just a bit too weird.
katie_greenwinginmymouth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Okojie truly has a wild imagination! So many of these stories have a really dark, tragic twist at the end and they are all suffused with a warped sense of reality where the nightmarish and the mundane collide. Even within a sentence you can suddenly be sent off course and left wondering wtf. The imagery is striking, like the returning lover covered in pulsing, bloodied hearts. Many of the stories are about love and loneliness, and often feelings manifest as actual things like a endlessly multiplying photos, a strange dog like creature or the statue of Eros come to life. The relationships are rarely healthy or equal - Okojie has a keen sense for the awkward shapes we mould ourselves into for the sake of an inadequate lover. The stories are disturbing but also darkly comic.
chaneywrites's review against another edition
2.0
The short stories in Speak Gigantular are creepy and varied in there focus. Other posts have dubbed them 'magical realism' though having read many other titles in this varied genre I'd have to argue the stories in this collection lean more towards surrealism or maybe urban fantasy than magical realism. Many of the stories feature unreliable narrators who are struggling with perceptions of reality leaving this reader often confused at the purpose of these multi-page delusions that added little to character development or story.
The writing in Speak Gigantular varies widely in consistency making me question at what point the stories collected within were written. I'd go from enjoying one to struggling to complete the next making me think I'd jumped back to an earlier time in Okojie's career when maybe she wasn't as seasoned a writer. Purely speculation, but still the inconsistency persisted throughout.
The other issue with this collection is that while the thematically creepy elements do unite most of the stories, it isn't a collection easy to read straight through. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read one and then put it down for a while and then read another. But in reading them back to back I was glad to be done with this book and don't believe I'll ever revisit any of the stories.
On a personal note, the heavy use of simile and metaphor in several of the stories were distracting. When used sparingly these writing tools can bring a piece to life. However, when not used appropriately they rip the reader out of the collective fantasy when we question why an author would choose to feature a metaphor that doesn't relate to the characters or the story. Moreover, when several are used back to back it can be jarring.
The writing in Speak Gigantular varies widely in consistency making me question at what point the stories collected within were written. I'd go from enjoying one to struggling to complete the next making me think I'd jumped back to an earlier time in Okojie's career when maybe she wasn't as seasoned a writer. Purely speculation, but still the inconsistency persisted throughout.
The other issue with this collection is that while the thematically creepy elements do unite most of the stories, it isn't a collection easy to read straight through. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I read one and then put it down for a while and then read another. But in reading them back to back I was glad to be done with this book and don't believe I'll ever revisit any of the stories.
On a personal note, the heavy use of simile and metaphor in several of the stories were distracting. When used sparingly these writing tools can bring a piece to life. However, when not used appropriately they rip the reader out of the collective fantasy when we question why an author would choose to feature a metaphor that doesn't relate to the characters or the story. Moreover, when several are used back to back it can be jarring.
ellen_desmond's review against another edition
5.0
I'm usually not a fan of short stories but for me Speak Gigantular was an exception. A book full of magical realism and hidden meanings, Speak Gigantular is perhaps most interesting for Okojie's management of difficult topics. In these strong stories Okojie uses a subtle humour balanced with a great sensitivity to the more difficult aspects of human experience. Parts of these stories will stay with me forever.
thoughtsonbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A wonderfully weird collection of short stories, surreal, and magical; stories told in elaborate metaphors that are never what they first seem; stories of loss and love and hatred and bliss and human connection. Those stories that were on the right side of weird were really something else and I am super glad to have read this book. This is why I started reading more short fiction!
I like weird fiction, I like stories that straddle the line of the real and the surreal and thus I absolutely adored this debut collection of short stories. The stories are unapologetically weird and different and never go the way of the expected and the author kept me guessing (wrong) the whole time. There is something different about the way the author constructs sentences that I can't quite put my finger on but that I adored.
While there were some stories that fell slightly flat for me, overall I really enjoyed the collection. The power of the great stories and the wonderful language made me overlook some of the characterisation that wasn't quite on point enough. I cannot wait to see what the authors comes up with next!
__________
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Jacaranda Books in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!
I like weird fiction, I like stories that straddle the line of the real and the surreal and thus I absolutely adored this debut collection of short stories. The stories are unapologetically weird and different and never go the way of the expected and the author kept me guessing (wrong) the whole time. There is something different about the way the author constructs sentences that I can't quite put my finger on but that I adored.
While there were some stories that fell slightly flat for me, overall I really enjoyed the collection. The power of the great stories and the wonderful language made me overlook some of the characterisation that wasn't quite on point enough. I cannot wait to see what the authors comes up with next!
__________
I received an arc of this book curtesy of NetGalley and Jacaranda Books in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for that!