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ketutar's review
2.0
Nah, not for me.
The story was interesting, I would have loved a novel on this - a woman investigates the death of her great-great-grandmother, a "living Dryad", a wood woman. She had Lewandowsky-Lutz dysplasia, "tree man" syndrome, an extreme reaction to papilloma virus that makes warts grow all over you, especially hands and feet, creating growth that looks like tree roots or bark... The narrator also has the disease. It's hereditary, sometimes hops over a generation.
It reads as real diary of a real person, I had to check it twice to be certain of that this is fiction. Very well written... in that way. As a story, it's not well written at all, because diaries don't make good fiction. People need to say things in fiction they won't say in diaries.
I would have loved this as a novel. This feels more like the notes I write for my novels :-D Maybe I should get those published :-D
The story was interesting, I would have loved a novel on this - a woman investigates the death of her great-great-grandmother, a "living Dryad", a wood woman. She had Lewandowsky-Lutz dysplasia, "tree man" syndrome, an extreme reaction to papilloma virus that makes warts grow all over you, especially hands and feet, creating growth that looks like tree roots or bark... The narrator also has the disease. It's hereditary, sometimes hops over a generation.
It reads as real diary of a real person, I had to check it twice to be certain of that this is fiction. Very well written... in that way. As a story, it's not well written at all, because diaries don't make good fiction. People need to say things in fiction they won't say in diaries.
I would have loved this as a novel. This feels more like the notes I write for my novels :-D Maybe I should get those published :-D
badseedgirl's review
5.0
Welcome to Day 7 of my 2021 25 Days of Short Stories Christmas Advent Calendar. Each day I will be reading a short story from the collection of over 600 short stories and novellas available for free on Tor.com. This is a collection of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. I will be letting fate (and the random number generator) decide what I read each day.
Day 1: [b:The Art of Space Travel|30532462|The Art of Space Travel|Nina Allan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558040356l/30532462._SY75_.jpg|50826910] by Nina Allan
Day 2: [b:These Deathless Bones|35506557|These Deathless Bones|Cassandra Khaw|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498282454l/35506557._SY75_.jpg|56914935] by Cassandra Khaw
Day 3: [b:Swift, Brutal Retaliation|13169837|Swift, Brutal Retaliation|Meghan McCarron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541922428l/13169837._SY75_.jpg|18349137] by Meghan McCarron> (Trigger warning: Emotional abuse of children and women)
Day 4: [b:Freeze Warning|18489609|Freeze Warning|Susan Krinard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379900239l/18489609._SX50_.jpg|26172761] by Susan Krinard
Day 5: [b:Daughter of Necessity|23301706|Daughter of Necessity|Marie Brennan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1412347876l/23301706._SX50_.jpg|42376194] by Marie Brennan
Day 6: [b:The Girl in the High Tower|23257790|The Girl in the High Tower|Gennifer Albin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411351413l/23257790._SX50_.jpg|42798995] by Genniger Albin
Day 7: Come See the Living Dryad by Theadora Goss
I usually do not care much stories told through diaries/journals or letters. This story had all three, but was so well written that I had to go to the Google after reading it to see if the people discussed in the story were based on real people. The answer is, the main characters are not, but any other performers mentioned as working if the “freak” shows were real.
I have always been enamored of the idea of “freak” shows. I adored the movie “Freaks” by Tod Browning (Who ran away from home to join the circus and performed in a 10-in-one with various circuses and sideshows before becoming a movie director.) To me that movie did not show the performers as being abused of exploited. In fact for most of the movie, the storyline is a domestic thriller. It is only at the end that there is any sort of “supernatural” event. The truth is that without the sideshows, most of the performers would have been on the street begging, or would have been institutionalized. There were terrible people who took advantage of people whose only “sin” was in being born different. Sorry. I am quite passionate about this topic.
The characters in this story were very well developed and were fully realized. The “mystery” was not much of one, but I very much enjoyed the developing plot. The story felt bigger than a short story.
This was a 5 star story all the way.
I highly encourage you to read Come See the Living Dryad here.
Day 1: [b:The Art of Space Travel|30532462|The Art of Space Travel|Nina Allan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1558040356l/30532462._SY75_.jpg|50826910] by Nina Allan
Day 2: [b:These Deathless Bones|35506557|These Deathless Bones|Cassandra Khaw|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498282454l/35506557._SY75_.jpg|56914935] by Cassandra Khaw
Day 3: [b:Swift, Brutal Retaliation|13169837|Swift, Brutal Retaliation|Meghan McCarron|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541922428l/13169837._SY75_.jpg|18349137] by Meghan McCarron> (Trigger warning: Emotional abuse of children and women)
Day 4: [b:Freeze Warning|18489609|Freeze Warning|Susan Krinard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379900239l/18489609._SX50_.jpg|26172761] by Susan Krinard
Day 5: [b:Daughter of Necessity|23301706|Daughter of Necessity|Marie Brennan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1412347876l/23301706._SX50_.jpg|42376194] by Marie Brennan
Day 6: [b:The Girl in the High Tower|23257790|The Girl in the High Tower|Gennifer Albin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411351413l/23257790._SX50_.jpg|42798995] by Genniger Albin
Day 7: Come See the Living Dryad by Theadora Goss
I usually do not care much stories told through diaries/journals or letters. This story had all three, but was so well written that I had to go to the Google after reading it to see if the people discussed in the story were based on real people. The answer is, the main characters are not, but any other performers mentioned as working if the “freak” shows were real.
I have always been enamored of the idea of “freak” shows. I adored the movie “Freaks” by Tod Browning (Who ran away from home to join the circus and performed in a 10-in-one with various circuses and sideshows before becoming a movie director.) To me that movie did not show the performers as being abused of exploited. In fact for most of the movie, the storyline is a domestic thriller. It is only at the end that there is any sort of “supernatural” event. The truth is that without the sideshows, most of the performers would have been on the street begging, or would have been institutionalized. There were terrible people who took advantage of people whose only “sin” was in being born different. Sorry. I am quite passionate about this topic.
The characters in this story were very well developed and were fully realized. The “mystery” was not much of one, but I very much enjoyed the developing plot. The story felt bigger than a short story.
This was a 5 star story all the way.
I highly encourage you to read Come See the Living Dryad here.
virgilsaeneid's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
spiderwitch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
annaavian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The story is set in the 1800s, and it becomes immediately apparent what happened to Daphne Merwin. The shifting points of view felt confusing at times. Unfortunately, the writing style prevented me from fully enjoying the story as a result.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dysphoria, Death, Murder, Drug use, Infidelity, and Gaslighting
Minor: Body shaming
punkydory's review
4.0
I really did enjoy this, but it was probably more of a 3.5 for me. I had just finished Goss's "Red as Blood and White as Bone," and that edged it out ever so slightly. I'm loving her writing, and I'd definitely recommend!
tynathereader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
chirson's review
4.0
I liked this one a lot more than "Red as Blood and White as Snow". The use of different texts was done really well (at least for the most part; there was one fragment that I felt wasn't quite what it was supposed to represent). I think the only problem is that much like in Red&White, the central mystery is not really mysterious at all; however, here much less hinges on that; it's more of a mood piece, and the way the story is told matters more than the twists.
I enjoyed the central characters, the family relationships, the emails, the details.
I enjoyed the central characters, the family relationships, the emails, the details.
curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A reflective short story about the mysterious death of the “living dryad” in 1800s London, told in alternating voices from her diary, her great-granddaughter’s investigation and “primary sources” from the 1800s. An interesting modern look at the kinds of people who found themselves participating in “freak shows” of the past.